In the heart of downtown Florence, in Piazza Santa Maria Novella, just a few steps from the Renaissance church bearing the same name, one of these rare, extraordinary islands in the sea of life can be found. JK Place, an absolutely special hotel experience, is hidden away behind a charming door. An elegant habitat that joins atmosphere with scents from the past while at the same time offering precise and decidedly contemporary comfort, JK Place follows a philosophy of hospitality that is truly different, tracing a peculiar microcosm, far from overused clichés and evening routes. A real house, with fireplaces aglow, meaningful contemporary flavours and objects deposited over time, with its overlay of happy memories and a soft approach, refined, attentive but never invasive. A long corridor with black wooden flooring gives a sense of unity to the different common areas of the ground floor. Exquisitely masculine, British hints, rarefied décor, an understated display, calm and luxurious. There are only 20 rooms. It is immediately clear that this place could never be ordinary, as the sounds of the city fade away and a slower, more thoughtful rhythm prevails. Demiurge of the radical architectural remodelling, of the laborious recovery of an important texture of signs and memories, and of the admirable intervention of interior design, architect Michael Bonan, a young, Florentine professional, well-known on an international level and director of many extraordinary hotel projects, has given life to a sophisticated and timeless play on the classic. JK does not in fact seem to be a hotel. Buried in a comfortable bergère in the lounge, where differing stylistic philosophies join together harmoniously, a Charles X fireplace and objects from the 1970's, a large neoclassical bookcase, animalier armchairs, 1950's lamps, a rigorous play on black and white, - the pale-coloured, wooden caisson ornamented with delicate grotesque figures was saved on the upper floors - thoughts run to Albany, legendary London residence, and to one of its most famous inhabitants, David Hicks, society decorator par excellence during the 1960's and 1970's and irreproachable experimenter in a new, superb decorative figure. But the surprises don't end here. Reception is in a splendid library of geometrical black woodwork, again masculine in tone, engrossing, perhaps inspired by the 16th century Long Gallery of Ham House, aristocratic British country residence. Breakfast may be eaten in what was once the internal courtyard of the original building, now covered with a glass structure that shows off the clear form and structure of the ancient works. 20 rooms of which: 1 Master Room, 1 Penthouse Suite, 5 Junior Suite, Library, Room Service, Air Conditioning, Fax Line and ADSL modem, Satellite TV, DVD/CD Reader. Rates includes: welcome drink, breakfast, coffee/tea during your stay, minibar (soft drinks), selection of DVD/CD, daily paper, service and taxes (10%) per room, per night.