In the works for years, Collegio alla Querce, a 16th-century university building in Florence, is finally set to accept reservations. We got an exclusive glance at the property.
Auberge, the 28-property California-based wellness-focused hotel group, will open its first hotel in Italy in March, Robb Report can exclusively reveal. Dubbed Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Resorts Collection, the new hotel occupies a historic hilltop school building in Florence overlooking the city center, the birthplace of the Renaissance. The opening was originally slated for 2023.
The project carefully updated and restored the three-building, 16th-century university-turned-villa owned by Leeu Collection mogul Analjit Singh. (Until recently, a noble Italian family occupied the property). It now consists of 66 guest rooms, 16 suites, and a 2,300-square-foot Quercia Suite, with prices starting at roughly $1,000 per night. But it’s the hotel’s location that promises to set it apart within Florence’s crowded and competitive five-star hotel market.
“It’s secluded and residential,” says Francesco Ascani, Collegio alla Querce’s general manager, who notes that the renovation preserved every scrap of historic detail, including original frescoes. “It’s a very authentic neighborhood with a market that is famous for its vegetables and fruit. It’s a 40-minute walk from the city center or 15 minutes by car.”
Florence is a city famous for its throngs of tourists and students, so Ascani is expecting the hotel to attract a more experienced American traveler who is looking for privacy, a longer-stay, and an urban-resort experience. That makes the spa of primary importance. Here, it’s called Aelia (which translates to “Sun” in English), a four-suite, two-pool wellness center that draws from Tuscany’s vineyards, gardens, and olive groves. And it wouldn’t be a spa in 2025 without a nod to that trendiest of wellness words: longevity. “Aelia is dedicated to relaxation in the pursuit of enlightened longevity,” the company says.
“We also have a big garden with a huge pool,” says Ascani of the 115-foot splash zone nestled within herbaceous grounds by landscape designer Franchesca Watson. “And of course, we have a restaurant by the pool and a pool bar.”
The signature restaurant, La Gamella, is focused on seasonal Italian classics. It spills into the garden with a central chef’s table inside. All-day dining can be found elsewhere in the Conservatorio, ideal for morning coffees and luminous lunches. Meanwhile, the poolside Café Focolare serves the three Italian Ps: pizzas, pastas, and paninis. Bar Bertelli occupies the former university’s headmaster’s office, who would have doubtlessly disapproved of the cocktails and hand-rolled Italian cigars it slings today.
And the headmaster’s office isn’t the only piece of history on offer. Memorabilia from the school’s original natural history archives and science laboratories (the university opened its doors in 1774) are on display, including an early seismograph and a collection of geological treasures. The conversion by award-winning Spanish architecture firm Esteva i Esteva also paid special attention to the ceilings of La Cappella, the property’s original chapel, and Il Teatro, a theater with an ornate stage and a wraparound balcony.
“Florence is a very famous market with many hotels entering the city within the last few years,” says Ascani. “But from a tourist perspective, this is a new destination within Florence, which is still not very famous. It has a lot of interesting restaurants, bars and little places to shop.”
For Auberge, it was an ideal location to make a fresh mark on the European market; it currently operates Domaine des Etangs in France and Grace Hotel in Santorini.
After tapping Christian Clerc, the former global president at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, as its new chief executive last month, the brand is renewing its focus on significant urban destinations—as are many of its competitors. Later in 2025 the brand will open its first London property, Cambridge House at 94 Piccadilly. It has five other properties in the pipeline.
“We are thrilled to broaden our European footprint by welcoming Florence and Collegio alla Querce into the Auberge family,” Clerc tells RR. “Collegio alla Querce has long been a Florence icon and an integral part of the fabric of this globally beloved city. We are immensely excited to transform this jewel into Europe’s finest urban resort.”
