Palazzo Giuntini, 19th-century palazzo hotel in Florence, Italy.
Palazzo Giuntini stands as a distinguished example of Florentine palace architecture, featuring classical proportions and a symmetrical façade that reflects the architectural principles of its era.
A Giuntini family building stood here until the 18th century, when it passed to the Popoleschi; Vasari attributes its design to Filippo Brunelleschi. In the second half of the 19th century the block was rebuilt as a hotel, probably by Felice Francolini and Giuseppe Del Noce, opening as the Hotel Royal de la Paix. Gérard Kraft took over in 1897, added the fourth floor and renamed it Grand Hotel; Cigahotel bought it in 1957 and restored it from 1974 to 1986.
The hotel's name changed with its managers: founded as Hotel Royal de la Paix, it became the Grand Hotel under Gérard Kraft in 1897, and since May 2011 it has been The St. Regis Firenze. Inside, the winter garden built in 1922–23 by architect Ugo Giusti has a two-sided portico, a gallery and a wrought-iron skylight with Art Deco glazing by Ulisse De Matteis's workshop.
The building is a working five-star hotel on Piazza Ognissanti, its long Arno-facing side running along the lungarno near the Ponte alla Carraia. Non-guests can step into the lobby and winter garden; the riverside memorial to Leland Stanford Jr. is on the exterior wall. The square and nearby streets were raised in the 19th century, so the ground floor sits slightly below street level.
The hotel's guests included Queen Victoria and, in 1884, Leland Stanford Jr., whose parents founded Stanford University in his memory; a plaque on the Lungarno side was placed there in 1907 by the university's graduates. In 2012 Madonna stayed here and filmed the video for "Turn Up the Radio" starting at the hotel entrance.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,693 contributors worldwide.