Where to Smoke: The Cigar Room at Villa Cora Hotel

Second day in Florence for Pitti Uomo and we couldn’t think of a better time to scatter the city for the best lounge, bar, or garden to smoke Cuban Cigars. And we think we found the one. Beautiful inside and out, next on our Where to Smoke editorial series, blog posts where we visit the best establishments to light a smoke, we dive into the stunning Cigar Room in Florence’s Villa Cora. Explore more from the editorial series below:

The Bar at the Villa Cora Hotel in Florence, Italy.

“THE BIRTHPLACE OF RENAISSANCE”

FLORENCE – The capital city of the region of Tuscany, Florence is the most populous city of the territory, with over 1,520,000 inhabitants located in its metropolitan area. The city has left its mark in history too. During Medieval times, Florence was a well-established European trade and financial centre and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. Known as “the Athens of the Middle Ages”, Florence is considered as the birthplace of the Renaissance with masterpieces like Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and Brunelleschi’s Dome as great examples of Renaissance Florence. Between 1865 and 1971, Florence witnessed glorious days as the city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, which was established in 1961.

WORLD HERITAGE SITES – Regardless its Pitti Uomo legacy and the traditional Italian feel, the city attracts a large number of tourists annually due to its historically significant monuments. In particular, UNESCO declared the Centre of Florence, including the Church of Saint Croce, the Pitti Palace, and the Uffizi, a World Heritage Site back in 1982. Florence is popular for its culture, art, and exquisite architecture. People from all over the world travel to Tuscany’s capital to visit its world widely acclaimed museums and art galleries, like the Palazzo Pitti and the Uffizi Gallery, and explore, admire, and appreciate the art and monuments that make Florence one of the most culturally significant centres in the world.

Left: The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Right: View of the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

“DECADENT FRESCOS, LAVISH SCULPTURES, AND PRESTIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE”

LOCATION – A twenty minutes drive only from Palazzo Vecchio and we arrived at the beautiful location of the Villa Cora Hotel. The Hotel is situated inside a centuries-old park, overlooking the marvellous Boboli Gardens. Tall trees and greenery surrounds the whole area as the building was standing proudly under the hot Tuscan sun. We enter the metal gates and made our way to the hotel’s main entrance, thrilled to be here and ready to explore all the Best Cuban Cigars that Villa Cora’s cigar room had to explore.

THE HOTEL – Before making our way to the cigar room, we were lucky enough to get a small tour around the hotel from the kind yet very well informed stuff. The villa was built in 1869 by Baron Gustave Oppenheim and was intended to serve as a private residence for him and his wife. However, following a series of scandals, Oppenheim and his wife were divorced sometime in the 1970s and the property passed on to new ownership. The lavish sculptures, the decadent frescos, and the prestigious architecture have all being meticulously preserved since then, giving its modern-day guests a sense of opulence, class, and sophistication.

Villa Cora has a room for every type of guest. As we were making our way through the hotel’s halls, we were pleasantly surprised to hear that guests have the luxury to choose from standard, deluxe, or family rooms to duplex junior suites or even exclusive ones. Air conditioning, plasma satellite TV, electric safe, and wireless internet connection are only a few of the amenities available for any type of room. We couldn’t help but notice the beautiful aesthetics. Heavily decorated combining Renaissance aesthetics with an antique feel, all rooms give a sense of high class and aristocracy, transferring guest to a whole different era. Build with all European comforts, every room’s bathroom is made entirely in Carrara marble, making it look both modern and, at the same time, prestigious.

Inside the Villa Cora Hotel in Florence, Italy.

“FILLED WITH WOOD AND RED VELVET”

CIGAR ROOM – Not long after our short tour around the hotel’s lounges, halls, and rooms, we started heading for the basement of Villa Cora where the cigar room is located. Little did we know that we were about to enter one of the most sophisticated and luxurious lounges we have ever been into. Commemorating the villa’s 19th-century origins, the room is dressed in wood panelled walls with red velvet chairs making a strong first impression to whoever enters the lounge. A private bar is available while soft jazz and warm lighting contribute to the unique experience.

The cigar room is home to cigars from all over the world. However, Cuban smokes were the ones that instantly attracted our attention. We were impressed to witness that the cigar room includes a walk-in humidor with Cuban brands like Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, and Trinidad Cigars. A few worthy of attention smokes in their collection were the Montecristo Linea 1935 Maltes Cigar, the Cuaba Exclusivos Cigar, the Partagas Aristocrats Cigar, the Punch Coronations Cigar, and the Cohiba Exquisitos Cigar. The whiskey and spirits collection is quite impressive as well. From single malt whiskeys to well-selected rums, the cigar room has all an aficionado needs to smoke a good cigar. We, for once, enjoyed an excellent cigar and whiskey pairing suggested by a stuff member.

The Cigar Room in Villa Cora Hotel in Florence, Italy.

We took a small break from Pitti Uomo’s events and explore the beautiful and opulent cigar room at the Villa Cora Hotel. From Limited Edition cigars to aged rums, we can certainly recommend Villa Cora’s cigar lounge to any aficionados who are interested in visiting the beautiful city of Florence. Have you found the right cigars for you? Head to our Cuban Cigar Shop now and shop the ideal smokes to your taste buds. Discover more about the enticing world of habanos from our daily updated Cuban Cigar Blog.