Luxury Lifestyle, Design & Architecture blog

The city of Florence in Italy is steeped in history. A new luxury hotel on the Florentine map celebrates the picturesque city’s historical leanings. St. Regis recently launched its maiden hotel in the Italian city. The St. Regis Florence is the new avatar of the former Grand Hotel Florence. The historic hotel underwent a 10-month overhaul during which it was restored to its former glory. The grand St. Regis Florence houses 81 guest rooms and 19 luxury suites. One of the star attractions at the refurbished Florentine luxury hotel is Bottega Veneta suite . The luxury brand’s muted neutral shades bring elegance to the room. The furniture in this suite is from the Bottega Veneta brand. But with or without the designer tag, each of the luxury rooms and suites feature artistic touches. Hand-carved gold leaf plaques add a touch of grandeur to each of the rooms. The color palettes are not uniform throughout. The rooms and suites feature one of three color palet...

 Hotel Splendido Portofino Welcome to a world of elegance and refinement where hospitality and service are second to none. Standing amid verdant woodlands overlooking a ravishing seascape, the Hotel Splendido is a unique blend of beauty and comfort. Set on a hillside in four acres of romantic tropical gardens with superb palm trees, the Hotel Splendido overlooks the bay of Portofino. Today the Splendido still has a patrician air. The principal reception rooms are furnished with old looking glasses, gilt console tables and Persian rug, the dining room serves food based on local, even peasant, tradition - fresh fish, home made pasta and lots of local aromatic herbs. The gardens run down the slopes beneath the hotel to the sea, bushes of lavender and wild herbs grow thickly under old olive trees and tangles of bougainvillaea obscure the paths and overhang secluded garden benches. In 1985 Orient-Express Hotels bought the Hotel and started a new project ...

Rome  Cinqueterre    Florence   Rome, Colosseum  The Trevi Fountain in Rome  Tuscany  Venice

Known for fashion and design, Milan is located in northern Italy and is the country’s second largest and most cosmopolitan city. Offering top-notch art, culture, history and food, Milan is the perfect spot for a weekend of urban exploration. Before you head out on your first day in the city, we recommend signing up online for Milan’s bikesharing program, BikeMi . The program features thousands of bikes at more than 200 bike stations placed strategically near highly trafficked spots, including tourist attractions and metro stations. BikeMi enables travelers to see the city at their pace while also saving the environment and money — daily passes cost €2.50. No trip to Milan is complete without a visit to Piazza del Duomo (“Cathedral Square”), the city’s main square. There you’ll find the city’s Gothic cathedral, the Duomo — it is the largest cathedral in Italy and the fourth largest in the world. The architecture inside and out is worth a close look.  Ladies,...