Slated to officially open in October 2019, the new Hotel Calimala has taken a landmark original nineteenth-century building in Florence's Centro Storico neighborhood, known locally as "Palazzo Degli Angeli", and transformed it into a magnificent 38-room boutique hotel. The Milu Group's second Italian property, Hotel Calimala is poised to become one of the city's leading design-centric hotels.
The property was completely reimagined by acclaimed architect and interior designer Alex Meitlis (the designer of Ottolenghi's restaurants in London), who secured the highest level of architectural preservation for the project, performing a meticulous restoration of the building's original interiors and exteriors.
The Milu Group's second Italian property, Hotel Calimala is poised to become one of the city's leading design-centric hotels. Its architecture and interiors are complemented by an art collection that was carefully curated by Carmel Ilan, as well as statement pieces and signature branding elements throughout, which were created by artist and designer Ivo Bisignano.
Although contemporary in style, every aspect of Hotel Calimala also celebrates the structure's storied past, down to such details as the restored, exterior, etched "sgraffito" motifs ("to scratch" in Italian-a wall décor technique achieved by applying layers of colored plaster and then scratching away certain parts of the surface to create contrasting images). The original, distressed stone walls are also conspicuously integrated into the edifice's new incarnation.
The 38 guest rooms are appointed with Meitlis' own custom-designed furnishings and lighting fixtures, and bathrooms were crafted using elegant, tri-colored terrazzo stonework, modeled after the design of the Battistero Di San Giovanni (Florence's Baptistery of St. John).
"The interiors of Hotel Calimala are inextricably linked to the city," said Meitlis of the project. "Our mission was dictated by the building's history and age. It was important to us that every stone, crack, and crevice that could be salvaged would remain within the final design. When guests wake up in their room, they will instantly know that they are in Florence and not anywhere else in the world."
The chic hotel will also debut ANGEL, its verdant, three-story dining and drinking destination atop Hotel Calimala's accommodations levels. A rooftop restaurant and bar, complete with floral garden patio and pool area, ANGEL will serve a cutting-edge, contemporary take on Mediterranean-meets-Middle-Eastern cuisine in a setting that offers unrivaled views over the ancient city.
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