Nestled in the hills of Fiesole overlooking Florence, Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, has reopened following an 18-month renovation. The former 15th-century convent enters a new chapter with a Spa by Guerlain, a wellbeing programme developed with La DoubleJ, and reimagined rooms and suites that celebrate Tuscan craftsmanship and contemporary art. Compare Retreats takes a look inside.
A Hotel Reimagined Through Art
Art is at the heart of Villa San Michele’s transformation. Across the hotel’s 39 redesigned rooms and suites, original architectural features have been restored alongside bespoke works by Italian artists including Francesca Guicciardini, Maria Rita Stirpe, Philippa Peckham and Mirco Marchelli.
Among the most notable contributors is Elena Carozzi, whose commissioned tapestries and hand-painted works appear throughout the property. Inspired by the surrounding landscape, her pieces bring a sense of nature indoors, creating a visual dialogue between the hotel’s interiors, gardens and woodland setting.
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The Villa San Michele Spa by Guerlain’s Secret Garden
Carozzi’s work is most immersive at the new Spa by Guerlain. Guests enter through the “Secret Garden”, where her hand-painted frescoes depict the foliage and flora of Fiesole, blurring the boundary between indoors and out.
Set within the historic convent, the spa features three treatment rooms and a menu of exclusive rituals inspired by Florence and the Tuscan countryside. Highlights include Floral Delight in Tuscany, a floral-infused face and body treatment, and The Art of Renaissance, which combines sculpting massage techniques with stone tools to promote relaxation and renewal.
Wellbeing with La DoubleJ
Expanding the hotel’s wellness offering beyond the spa, Belmond has partnered with La DoubleJ on an Energy Raising Programme designed around movement, mindfulness and spirituality.
Within the property’s woodland, guests will find an Energy Chapel for meditation and sound healing, a Sungazing Lounge overlooking the Florentine hills, and an open-air Yoga Deck. Weekly classes and seasonal retreats will explore practices ranging from Kundalini yoga to breathwork and yoga nidra co-hosted by JJ Martin. Embodied Presence, its inaugural retreat set to take place from September 3-6, focuses on breathwork and guided meditation.
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Gardens, Gastronomy and Slow Luxury
The spirit of slow living extends across Villa San Michele’s redesigned gardens, where iris-filled pathways, citrus groves and woodland trails encourage guests to slow down and reconnect with nature.
The reopening also introduces Antesi, a new eight-table restaurant led by Executive Chef Alessandro Cozzolino. Rooted in seasonality and local produce, the restaurant reflects the same philosophy guiding the wider renovation: a celebration of place, craftsmanship and mindful living.
Contact dervla.louli@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
