Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1175260
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 32 OCTOBER 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY SERGEY NOVIKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK Fall in love with Florence. And if you've been, get ready to fall in love all over again. BY NANCY E. BERRY FASHION-FORWARD FIRENZE This ancient city is home to a collection of chic boutique hotels that you will want to make your luxury base camp while touring. Hotel Lungarno is just one in the collection, and after more than 22 years in operation, it has been exquisitely renovated, reopening its doors in 2017. The five-star hotel, complete with Michelin-starred restaurant Borgo San Jacopo, is located on the south side of the Arno River overlooking the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. The hotel offers guests the perfect If you have not traveled to Florence—a city in central Italy imbued with medieval architecture and Renaissance art juxtaposed against 21st-century cuisine and fashion trends—book a flight. I promise you will not regret it. The city is bursting with beauty at every turn, from impressive 15th-century palaces and grand cathedrals to winding cobblestone streets to the friendly Florentines, all with distinct style. This is not only a bucket list destination but a destination to visit often. atmosphere and sumptuous accommodations you might expect from the hotel's owners, the Ferragamo family, who run the iconic haute couture house whose clothing and shoe lines epitomize excellence and luxury. The light-filled spaces are enhanced by original art—more than 450 pieces of 20th-century art, including Picasso and Cocteau. I arrive at Hotel Lungarno's entrance, tucked down a side street running perpendicular to the river, and step into a crisp white lobby that is more of a soothing lounge than a reception area, with windows overlooking the water and ancient buildings beyond. Interior designer Michele Bonan likens the space to a cruise ship sailing along the Arno. Plush blue and white sofas and chairs create a dreamy spot to have an espresso and plan your day's excursion. After I check in, the pleasant bellman takes F A C E S + P L A C E S The city of Florence is a must visit.