FLORENCE is a city I never tire of. The ‘Cradle of the Renaissance’, it gave rise to the likes of da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Dante, triggering an artistic and intellectual shift that shaped modern Europe.
Though its history is well-documented, and its cobbled streets well-trodden, the city always has another secret waiting to reveal itself: a glorious fresco hiding in an unassuming building, a seventh-generation bookbinding shop preserving an ancient craft, or a modest, family-run trattoria serving up another mouthwatering ragu di cinghiale that somehow surpasses the last.
Marcela Grassi Florence Facade
It’s no surprise that this compact city attracts tourists from all over the world. Between January and October 2025, the city recorded 9.5 million overnight stays, an increase of 8.5% on the previous year. As a result, several new luxury properties have opened in the city in recent years and there is a noticeable northern shift away from the Centro Storico, towards the neighbourhood of Le Cure.
Sitting on the perimeter of Florence’s historic centre, a 20-minute stroll to landmarks such as the Duomo, it’s easy to see the appeal of this charming residential neighbourhood and its calmer pace. Home to traditional bakeries, butchers, and family trattorias, as well as an excellent food market on Piazza delle Cure, here, you are far more likely to encounter locals going about their daily lives than you are fellow tourists.
Dario Garofalo
Having travelled extensively for both work and pleasure, Thomas Odenthal and Pierre Ferland, co-founders of This Time Tomorrow – which opened its luxury residences in Le Cure in 2024 – increasingly felt a desire to better connect with the places they visited. They launched the group through a desire to do things differently and offer guests a true experience of life in the locality.
Stay in any one of the property’s eight glorious apartments, occupying a restored, former stately home across four floors, and you’d be forgiven for temporarily assuming delusions of grandeur. With soaring ceilings, original Venetian tiling, elaborate hand-restored frescoes and gallery-worthy artworks by the likes of Dali, the spacious residences offer a sense of elevated Florentine living – but the property itself is just one part of the equation.
The team will personally design bespoke itineraries filled with insider recommendations, exclusive experiences and access arranged through its network. For This Time Tomorrow, connection and a sense of belonging is king, and its resident curators are the keys to a side of the city – and surrounding Tuscany – that tourists may not otherwise see.
Collegio alla Querce areial view
Move slightly further north and you will discover Collegio alla Querce perched on a hilltop behind historic stone walls, a quick 15-minute drive to the Centro Storico – made easier by the hotel’s complimentary shuttle. The first European outpost for hospitality group, Auberge, the restoration and reopening of this historic property was a monumental one for both the group and Florentine locals alike – it occupies a 16th century noble palazzo that served as an elite boarding school for more than a century until it closed in the 1990s. Alumni include legendary Italian designer, Salvatore Ferragamo.
Collegio alla Querce bar
Painted portraits of former students line the hotel’s walls, and I’m sure they’d never imagine one day being welcomed into the headmaster’s office for a Negroni – or even a cigar. Bar Bertelli resides in the former Principal’s office. With its book-lined walls and chic library aesthetic, its the ideal spot for a night cap after dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, La Gamella. Rooms here come with views – a favourite of mine is Suite dei Gigli, featuring a round copper bathtub and wraparound terrace from which to admire the Florentine skyline with a glass of Gaja in hand.
Collegio alla Querce Rooftop suite
The most recent addition to Florence’s northern cusp is Borgo Pignano. Opened this summer, it is the sister property of the eponymous luxury retreat located in the Tuscan countryside. Though distinctly different in character, the shared appeal of these properties is the luxury of their dual experience – easy access to Florence’s cultural treasures, yet the chance to experience Florence at a gentler, local pace, with space to retreat at the end of the day.
While there will always be demand for Florence’s most familiar streets, the shift towards lesser-known pockets indicates a desire to look beyond the guides, gain a deeper understanding of life here, and discover firsthand some of its many secrets – and it could be just the prescription the city needs.
by Lauren O’Neill
This Time Tomorrow in Florence
Website: www.thistimetomorrow.io/florence
Address: Viale Don Giovanni Minzoni 3, 50129 Firenze, Italy
Room count: Eight residences, one, two, and three bed
Starting price: 600 euro per night, B&B
Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Collection
Website: https://auberge.com/collegio-alla-querce/
Address: Via delle Forbici, 21B, 50133 Firenze FI, Italy
Room count: 83 rooms and suites
Starting price: 1200 euro per night, B&B