Boutique Hotel Review: Stunning Art Hotel Villa Agape, Florence

About Art Hotel Villa Agape

Art Hotel Villa Agape is a Renaissance villa on the terrace of Piazzale Michelangelo, with views of the Florentine hills. It was a private estate until recently, when it was turned into a hotel. Because of this, the hotel feels fresh and revitalised without losing its historic charm. It is a 4 star hotel.

Here you’ll find my honest Art Hotel Villa Agape review. We stayed two nights at the Art Hotel Villa Agape while staying in Florence during the height of summer. For full transparency we paid for our stay at the hotel and this is my personal experience and opinion.

This shows the garden at the Art Hotel Villa Agape, Florence. — ^{The gardens were like stepping into a fairytale.}

Who would love to stay at Art Hotel Villa Agape?

I noticed a lot of couples at this hotel who were similar ages to my partner and I (we are in our 30s). This hotel is very picturesque so it’s perfect for someone who likes to get dressed up, wander the gardens, and have a more relaxed holiday. It is also very romantic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the guests were here for an important event like an anniversary.

What is there to do in Florence

Um, so much. If you’re not aware, I absolutely love Tuscany and will talk to anyone who will listen to me about how amazing it is. Between the Tuscan food, Duomo di Firenze, Pitti Palace, and the Renaissance art and architecture at Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio, you’ll have plenty to see and do. I have a photo diary of Florence and my favourite places to take photos in Florence for you to read!

The bedroom at a Renaissance villa Florence — ^{The room was spacious with plenty of storage.}

The Room

We stayed in the Junior Suite at Art Hotel Villa Agape. Our room was located in the annex on the top floor and had views of the main hotel and the garden. There were also views on the opposite side of the room of a smaller garden, so it really felt quite secluded and there were no issues with noise. It was spacious, and included a separate bath and shower. There was plenty of room to put our massive suitcase down without tripping over it, and use the suitcase stand to hold our smaller suitcase. The staff brought our bags up for us too, so we didn’t have to bring them to the room.

The bathroom at a villa stay in Florence. — ^{The bathroom had both a shower and a very decent size bath.}

The Service

One of the great things about Art Hotel Villa Agape is that they have a shuttle service (from 9.00 a.m.-1.00 p.m. / 4.00 p.m.-8.00 p.m.) to the city, which makes it so much easier to get to and from the city from the hotel.

For an escape from the city this is where to stay in Florence. This photo shows the breakfast garden in morning light. — ^{The breakfast garden in morning light.}

The Food

Vegan options at Art Hotel Villa Agape

We did not eat at the hotel restaurant during our stay as we just didn’t have time, but there were great vegan options for breakfast. They had vegan croissants, vegan yoghurt, and will make you a coffee with plant-based milk. Overall, I thought the breakfast was the best one that I had at an Italian hotel!

An Art Hotel Villa Agape review wouldn't be complete without testing the olives. — ^{It wouldn’t be a trip to Italy without a wander through olive trees.}

^{The entrance to the olive tree gardens.}

The Facilities

Rooms

All the rooms have air-conditioning, minibars, wifi, and flat-screen TVs.

Restaurant

There is a restaurant, La Duchessa, on-site that offers authentic Tuscan food and is open every evening. La Duchessa also caters to dietary needs like coeliacs, vegetarians and vegans. There is also a lounge bar, La Limonaia.

Spa

I remember there being two jacuzzis in the garden that you can use but I couldn’t find anything on their website about this and now I feel like I made it up in a dream.

^{The lily pond in the gardens of Art Hotel Villa Agape, Florence.}

^{There are plenty of spaces you can hide away in throughout the grounds of Art Hotel Villa Agape.}

The Location

The location is perfect if you’re looking to get that Tuscan vibe of rolling hills but still want to be able to get into the heart of Florence easily. The grounds are massive and the sprawling olive trees are wonderful to wander through on a summer’s morning.

The only downside of being so far away is that you have to rely on the shuttle. The shuttle is super convenient during service hours, but if you go into Florence for dinner on a balmy summer’s night, you can easily find yourself having to look for a cab after the what seems like endless sun finally sets. Sounds easy, right? Except it’s not. Italy cabs are notorious for being unreliable and one night the app just didn’t work. We called the hotel and asked the reception if they could order a taxi but they said they couldn’t request one to the street (we had already left the restaurant).

So if you’re planning to stay out late at night make sure you ask the restaurant to order you a taxi before you leave if you’re unable to order one yourself. We ended up walking back to the hotel which honestly wasn’t so bad – about 30 minutes. However it is uphill and after a full day of walking I was ready to collapse by the time I arrived back at the hotel. The view of the city lights at night from the hill was amazing, though!

VERDICT

Art Hotel Villa Agape review: Was It Worth It?

I loved it, and would definitely return to this gorgeous boutique hotel. I would probably visit in Spring or Autumn next time, as personally I’m more of a pool girl when it is 30 degrees outside!

Did this article speak to you?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you’re on Instagram, you can find me over here: @apicturesquelife so feel free to reach out or use #apicturesquelife and I’d be happy to connect!