Back in the Renaissance it was obligatory to have one and one of the most famous was Dante’s Muse in Firenze.
Eight-year-old Beatrice di Folco Portinari was the nine-year-old Dante Alighieri’s.
Whom he first met at a Mayday party and held a candle for all his life and the next 17 of hers.
It made sense to Dante and their idealised love is celebrated to this day in Firenze.
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
And in Lean Luxury Group’s new Ruby Bea Hotel & Bar.
The 118-room Ruby Bea is set in a 19th-century building overlooking the tree-lined Piazza della Libertà.
Now this being the City of the Renaissance you would expect the Ruby Bea to have something funky.
With the hotel bar’s standout feature adorned with a collection of convex mirrors.
All part of an interactive art installation that playfully distorts perspectives with unexpected angles.
While the outdoor terrace is an oasis for sundowners or live local music performances with guitars too for rent… and serenades.
Rooms with a phew
Guests can select from five distinct room categories, all helpfully labelled with user-friendly headers.
From COSY rooms, designed for solo travellers through LOVELY rooms for couples or friends seeking a bit more room.
To WOW rooms, with deluxe oversized bedding, business-sized desks and cosy armchairs.
LOFT rooms, with extra-long beds and large desks are billed as a premium living experience.
And MAISONETTE rooms cater for up to four people with most featuring a private balcony.
Room rates start at €150 per night for single occupancy during the low season, with prices varying at other times.
On your doorstep
Of course your proximity to Firenze’s attractions is key to any hotel.
And Ponte Rosso Station is nearby, giving guests excellent access to the public transport network.
The hotel is also just a 10-minute walk from the old town museum district of San Marco.
As well as the botanical gardens, the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and Fortezza da Basso.
The airport is less than 30 minutes away by car or 40 minutes by public transport.
Now while poor old Dante never did get to transfer his fantasy into a real relationship with Beatrice, you can.
On a romantic weekend to Il Bel Paese.
And I owe my own Muse one after having to cancel our getaway last year for personal reasons.
The best kind in any married woman’s mind an idealised non-contact devotion akin to Dante’s Muse in Firenze.
