All Italia
What $250 can get you for a hotel in Italy, a weekend in Tuscia, the trials and tribulations of apartment hunting in Florence, the importance of a locale, and my epic encounter with Jeff Goldblum.
Yes, the title is an homage to the now-defunct national airline of Italy, Alitalia. Also yes, it could have an apostrophe after the second L and could mean “to Italy.” But really, it just means we’re only talking about this country today.
First, a diary and review of my stay last weekend at Castello di San Michele in Tuscia, as well as my friend, Melody, and my detours to two of my favorite towns in any part of the Italian countryside. It was an epic 24 hours.
Then, all the Florence updates. The trials and tribulations of apartment hunting. All about the concept of a “locale.” My epic encounter with Jeff Goldblum. And, finally, the most honest current answer I can give to whether Florence is long-term for me or not.
Next week, I will be in Morocco. I’ll share an updated Florence guide and my first impressions of Marrakech, a hotel review, and perhaps a bit about where I’ll be a week from now, which has no electricity nor internet (except for in one room, which I will obviously be writing from). I’m finally setting foot on the African continent!
Today’s post is long, Graydon Carter would most definitely think it is too long (it has been tirelessly edited). I intended to have two posts this week to avoid this, but the apartment hunt had to take priority. If it gets cut off in your email, please click to view in browser or app.
Thank you SO much for being here and Happy Hoteling! This is the #7 travel Substack in the world now? You are all in the business of making dreams come true. Again, thank you so very much.
What $250 can get you for a hotel in Italy
This is not the first time I’ve written the name Castello di San Michele on here. It’s at least the fifth.
I remember exactly when and how I discovered this hotel. I said, out loud, alone in my apartment in San Francisco, “holy f-ing shit.” I got a rush like I did on Space Mountain when I was eight.
I think it was actually in that moment that I really started to believe in myself and this dream of mine – in Happy Hoteling. For anyone taking a leap, you know it requires at least one moment of internal dialog with a loud and clear “YES” to get you to where you want to be. This was a pivotal moment in that for me.
At first, I didn’t even check the prices. I just thought “it’s like the suite at the Four Seasons Firenze.” But at San Michele, there were two Special suites, different in their own insanity of greatness. When then I did check the rates, and both suites were under $250/night, I felt like the Earth might be flat, after all. I’ve never used this word before, but I was outright SHOOKETH.
Hotels in Italy, being allergic to everything, only childhood, the island of Capri and the town of Mill Valley are the only things in life I can say with full confidence I’m a true expert in. Much of my brain space is consumed by hotels in Italy, and I had never, ever seen such an outstanding hotel suite under $250/night.
Like Castello di Potentino, I’ve tried so many times, over the last few years, to find a way that made sense in any itinerary to stay the night. It wasn’t really in the cards because there is no air conditioning and I’ve always tried to make it work in the summer.
But like Potentino, it was something I was going to prioritize for my first month living in Florence. I booked the Marchese Galeotto de’ Medici Suite at Castello di San Michele before I booked my plane ticket to Italy. I really debated which suite was going to win in the end, but I landed on the one with the frescoes, as it was the one that reminded me of the suite at the Four Seasons Firenze. It’s the most expensive room in the castle, at €226/night. This was booked over a month in advance and for a late-March date, but the prices don’t vary all that much.
Whenever I travel solo, which is the majority of the time these days, I book my hotels for 1 person from the start. But as I was finally putting in my credit card to book, I had a thought – maybe I can invite Melody, even though we had only met once. I made the reservation for two and then continued to pack up my life in San Francisco.