Diego Travel Hotel Review

Collegio alla Querce, an Auberge Resort

A Florence Destination Resort

MARIA DIEGO

June 3, 2025

One of the most exciting new hotel openings in Europe has made its debut in Florence, and I was honored to be one of Collegio alla Querce’s first guests. Formerly a prestigious boarding school, this masterpiece of a hotel has been lovingly converted with painstaking attention to detail, and a craftsmanship that honors the building’s history while creating a modern aesthetic and elevated feel. The result is a perfect symbiosis of old-world charm with modern day luxuries. The 83 guest rooms and suites are more spacious and comfortable than your average European hotel, and the hotel size is boutique yet offers all the amenities you will find at a larger resort.

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BOOK THE COLLEGIO ALLA QUERCE HOTEL HERE

Book Hotel with Us to Get $100 Hotel Credit and Breakfast Included + Priority Upgrade + Diego Travel Exclusive Promos

Collegio alla Querce

FLORENCE, ITALY

Getting to Collegio alla Querce

Collegio alla Querce is just a 10-minute shuttle ride outside the heart of Florence, Italy. This new Florentine hotel feels worlds away, as if you are in a Tuscan resort, while still very accessible to Florence.

Location

Vibe at Collegio alla Querce

The arrival to Collegio alla Querce makes an impact, as you enter into the winding hillside Cypress-lined drive. The property’s rooms overlook the city, with beautiful sunset views of Florentine rooftops and the Duomo. The entry is grand and spacious, without feeling like a hotel lobby. We were swiftly greeted with a smile and whisked to a comfortable seat for the quick check-in process. We barely had time to drop our bags in the room before it was time to check into the spa, where my mom and I enjoyed massages to kick off our stay. Keeping in mind that the building was a boarding school, many rooms have maintained their original feel, which lends itself to intimate spaces for enjoying drinks with friends, or a late afternoon aperitif after a day in the city. Dinner was elegant, and we were surrounded by smartly dressed in-the-know young European couples, who were excitedly ready to try out the newest establishment in town. Our meals did not disappoint, and the service was young, beautiful and impeccably outfitted in stylish uniforms. Lingering over an after-dinner espresso and a hefty wallop of the house-made tiramisu was not difficult to do. Speaking of which, if you don’t order the tiramisu during your stay (and it’s gluten-free!), you’ve committed a serious felony.

Vibe

Accommodations at Collegio alla Querce

Collegio alla Querce has been transformed into 83 rooms, suites and specialty suites, with facilities that will perfectly accommodate a destination wedding, such as the school’s original chapel, beautiful grass lawns with views, and the perfect Florentine backdrop. I was lucky enough to tour all the room and suite categories, including some of the top specialty suites.

A favorite of mine was the Santa Maria del Fiore suite, for its hand-painted frescoes in the bedroom and best terrace and open views of the Duomo and Florence. If you are traveling with multiple couples or a large family, it would be ideal to have this suite, and use the terrace as a gathering space.

Even when booking smaller guest rooms from the Arcata Classic and Campagna views, my clients receive priority upgrade and best placement per your needs. No two rooms are alike, so I’ll be sure to ask your preferences on certain details I observed, and be able to secure those for you at time of booking.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Food & Beverage at Collegio alla Querce

The food! Oh my God, the food! The breakfast spread made me feel a little self-conscious, like I was looking over my shoulder to ensure no one was watching and judging me over the heaping piles I was loading on my plate. As someone with a severe gluten allergy, I often struggle with buffets and Italy, and any combination of the two.

However, at Collegio alla Querce, they home-bake daily pastries that are clearly marked as gluten-free. And for the first time in about 12 years, I enjoyed a true tiramisu that tasted like heaven in my mouth. It was such a treat to have real pastries as opposed to the breads that oftentimes come in sealed plastic and baked in a gluten-free facility somewhere distant and off-site. And the pasta, don’t even get me started.

I do want to mention that we ordered breakfast to the room one morning, and usually in-room dining is a let down. Well, at Collegio alla Querce, all the details were picture perfect. Literally, I spent about ten minutes taking photos and video of the spread before I could bring myself to dig in. From the brass salt and pepper shaker to the little birdie ornamental flower holder, I couldn’t get over all the details. True love for my OCD Virgo personality.

The Beachcomber Cafe at The Brando Hotel Tahiti

FOOD & BEVERAGE:

Activities at Collegio alla Querce

The activities at Collegio alla Querce are all bespoke and curated by the team with personal contacts and a local flair, well versed in not only the usual Florence sights, but also able to offer unique experiences custom tailored to give you insider’s view of Florence.

Similar to properties like Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain, Collegio alla Querce has a calendar of events that change seasonally or are constant staples. Their concierge team can arrange for a pasta-making class or an exclusive after-hours experience at The Accademia. Or, you can do yoga or sound-bathing in the gardens.

The poolside Café Focolare serves aperitif-style cocktails and summer-inspired dishes in the ascending terrazza gardens. Truth be told, it would be easy to get lost in a book (or people watching) from your lounge chair for an afternoon, so don’t underestimate the power of some downtime at Collegio alla Querce.

ACTIVITIES

Wellness at Collegio alla Querce

As I mentioned, before we could set our bags down, we were running late (per usual) for our massage appointments upon arrival. The spa is discretely located, and relatively small, though so are most in Europe. This spa does not have a common steam room or sauna, but you can reserve the couple’s treatment room which comes with a plunge pool. Facials utilize the Italian brand, Fortuna, which I had previously discovered in the US and was excited to try other products during our stay. The brand utilizes local organic ingredients, so it’s a really clean product to use on your skin. Overall, our treatments were great, and it’s sometimes easy to forget to schedule in a massage into your itinerary, but after walking 12 miles in one day on the cobblestone streets of Florence, it’s probably a good idea.

WELLNESS

What sets Collegio alla Querce apart

For starters, Collegio alla Querce is a unique proposition in the city of Florence for being so newly built, yet still preserving its historical roots and authenticity. It is design-forward, so if you’re an interior designer-wannabe like me, then you will love every detail. Who knew that a mulberry-colored toilet and sink could be pulled off so well, but the design team here is simply genius. I took about a thousand photos to use for inspiration of our own home design. Other hotels throughout Italy are undeniably gorgeous, with so many elements of marble and Italian baroque pieces, but they maintain more of the old world regalness, or go for a more modern Italian design that oftentimes feels dated to me. At Collegio alla Querce, the design is classical, yet feels fresh and so tastefully done. Comparable hotels to this aesthetic would be The Portrait Milano.

The resort (I’m purposely calling it resort here) is unique in that it does require a car to get in and out of Florence, but they run a shuttle on a loop, and it was easy enough to get a ride into town. We took a taxi back. To be honest, in the heat of an Italian summer, who wants to be in the busy city center anyway? I prefer to retreat back to a place where I can rest, feel as though I’m in Tuscany , and sit back with a good glass of wine and relaxing dinner.

How Much Does it Cost?

Collegio alla Querce is offering up to 25% off for pre-paid stays, stay 3 and pay 2 offer, and 50% off a second room for families, all combinable with our preferred partner amenities. Rates start at €888 during low season, and €1528 during high season. Our clients often get upgraded at time of booking, plus you’ll get daily breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, plus VIP’d for your stay.

Collegio alla Querce Perks when Booking with Diego Travel

Diego Travel Perks:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily breakfast credit of $55 per person, for up to two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant (credit is non-cumulative)
$100 USD equivalent Resort or Hotel credit to be utilized during stay
Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability

BOOK THE COLLEGIO ALLA QUERCE HOTEL HERE

Book Hotel with Us to Get $100 Hotel Credit and Breakfast Included + Priority Upgrade + Diego Trave Exclusive Promos

Diego Travel Insider Tips

Don’t discount Italy in March and April! Everyone loves to visit Italy in the summer and early fall, but we stayed in late March/early April, and everything was just starting to bloom. The weather was gorgeous, the streets weren’t crowded, dining out didn’t require booking reservations months out. I highly recommend a stay ideally in early April to take advantage of lower rates, cooler weather, and the start of a dreamy floral season in Italy.

Book a villa like Palazzo Moderno, Collegio alla Querce’s largest and most exclusive villa. It is located across three floors with a private driveway for total privacy. Offering 7-bedrooms, it is perfect for a large family or group. It has its own rooftop plunge pool, stunning rooftop views, and their entire Palazzo team will curate a bespoke experience for you.

Summary

We stayed in the Florentina One Bedroom Suite with views of the Duomo and overlooking a vineyard. It was very spacious with two separate walk-in closets, a powder room, living room, and dressing room. The bathroom was enormous for European standards. My only regret is that we spent just two nights, and considering I was on a work trip, I did not get to spend enough time relaxing on property. However, we did enjoy all three meals – breakfasts, a lunch and a dinner on property, which proved to be a dining destination in and of itself. We were a couple weeks shy of enjoying poolside weather – I probably recommend mid-April to early October for this, depending on the year. Our experience with the guest service team was phenomenal, and I am confident that clients who visit will love Collegio alla Querce just as much as we did.

Stay tuned for our comparison to Four Seasons Florence, as I am already getting a ton of questions about the differences between the two…

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