A family story deeply rooted within La Gemma, a quietly extraordinary hotel tucked in the backstreets of central Florence. The property was lovingly opened by the Cecchi siblings: Ginevra, Edoardo, Maria Sole, Massimiliano and Andrea, whose initials together form the name Gemma. Their ambition was straightforward: open a luxury hospitality project that felt more like welcoming guests into their home. Cool and contemporary run within various aspects of this hotel, and each choice has been consciously made from the design: the colour palette draws from the marble façade of Santa Maria del Fiore; the jungle-esque, exotic botanical theme speaks to Maria Sole’s five years living in Brazil (she is also the art director of the project) and family photos are hung around the hotel. The most endearing is the portrait of their late father, Luca Cecchi, outside the lounge and restaurant named in his honour.
Luca’s has recently been awarded its first Michelin star, and the four and seven-course tasting menus are the work of world-renowned chef Paulo Airaudo, who brings an international sensibility grounded in Tuscan ingredients. Highlights include raw trout with purple shrimp, piennolo tomato water and ume kosho; bottoni pasta filled with potato and taleggio with vin jaune and razor clams; and a goat’s cheese flan for dessert that is, by any measure, exceptional.
But now let’s talk wellness: at La Gemma it’s handled with the same considered approach. The Allure Spa has partnered with Biologique Recherche, the Parisian skincare institution founded in the 1970s whose founding principle is that no two skins are alike and that effective treatment must therefore be genuinely personalised. Rather than offering fixed signature facials, trained aestheticians assess each client’s skin on the day and build the treatment accordingly, working through a precise layering sequence of cold-formulated actives that preserve the biological integrity of every ingredient. As well as treatments, the spa has a wonderful sauna, steam room and jacuzzi for you to relax and recharge.