Interview with Beata Korbut, Hotel Manager at Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight from Florence

Lifestyle - Interview

by Melisa Kaya

Art and architecture are integral parts of Florence. Wherever you look in the city you can see magnificent architectural structures. Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight promises an atmosphere where you can start to feel the spirit of Florence by the time you wake up in the morning. Each room at the Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight has its own style. They are carefully decorated with the furniture and fabrics supplied from the local market in a faithful manner to the culture of Florence. The atmosphere of the building and the rooms can also be enjoyed by the guests on the terrace overlooking the Duomo. I talked with Beata Korbut, Hotel Manager at Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight, about Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight and Florence.

Beata, before talking about the Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight, could you tell us about yourself? Who is Beata Korbut?

From a young age, I've always had a sense of motivation and passion driving me forward. Whether it's exploring unique opportunities, learning additional skills, or meeting new people. It's not always easy but I bring these values to every experience throughout my life on a personal and professional level.

You know that when I was ten I already knew who I wanted to become in the future and now I 'm covering this role.

The place is a huge surprise for me though, I would never have said I would end up living in the country that is not the one where I was born into, but I fell in love immediately with Italy when I moved here in 2003. I understand our guest when they tell me about their feeling about this beautiful place, I felt exactly the same.

Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight

Could you briefly tell us about your location and the reasons for Florence's charm?

I could talk about Florence all day long, a page would not suffice to describe the charm of this beautiful city. It is a city of art and as such offers endless possibilities, you'll always find something for you whether the reason of your visit is art, cuisine or shopping. Even getting lost in Florence is extremely beautiful and romantic, sometimes the best way to visit it is without a map and any suggestions...

I would like to learn more about the Ancient Tower that host Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight. Please tell us about the historic building that you are located in and the roots of Rodo Hotel.

The Adimari family, one of the oldest of Florence, is a descendant of the Marquis of Tuscany. Their properties were located mainly on Via de ‘Calzaiuoli, the closest to Piazza del Duomo, which was simply called Corso Adimari. Our hotel is set in an Ancient Tower from the eleventh century. The Towers were 120 arms high (approximately 70 meters) and were located precisely in the place later occupied by the Loggia del Bigallo. In 1248 the Ghibellines partially destroyed the towers bringing it to its current height. In both towers, there are our rooms, "La Suite" in the right one and "Doors Room" in the left. Both with an amazing view over the Duomo Tower Bell.

Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight

Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight is looking like a bridge between the past and the present. Could you tell us about the design concept of Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight?

The fusion of many emotions gave life to our fashion Hotel, decorated in great detail… unique style… a new reality in the Florentine hotellerie. All the furniture, decorations, and details are the result of a meticulous and passionate elaboration and have all been processed manually by our architect, based on the story of the past, making it something absolutely unique. Even the hangers have been hand painted.

All the furniture have been recovered from the local market, revisited, colored or covered with fabric. Each room has its own style, different colors, the unique atmosphere inside. To be honest, I should describe each room separately, they are so different. The architect that created our hotel, named each room, they're not just numbers for us, there's a story behind each name. We love our hotel and we wish our guest to love it as if it were their home.

Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight

What would you want to say about the gastronomic diversity of Florence? How could your guest experience this?

When our guest asks us for the recommendation of some "Good restaurant, not touristy, where you can try typical products", first of all, we ask them what they would like to eat and what type of place they prefer: there is an enormous selection of restaurants in Florence centre. If you want to try famous Florentine Steak, we know one place close by, where it's almost impossible to find a table if you're not on a list, but we have always one table available for our lovely Guests, for a good "Ribollita" Soup there's another place, if you're a sandwich kind of Guest, we recommend the one and only "Antico Vinaio"

If you don't like a crowd and prefer some privacy, we organize a private dinner in a cellar close to Florence, extremely romantic, very Italian Style, with a pick-up included. I mean, the sky is the limit for us.

How could your guests spend time at Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight?

For all guest that book their stay directly on our website, we offer a Bottle of Red Wine that was created exclusively for our Hotel. You can drink it in your room or enjoy it on our terrace. Our terrace overlooking the Duomo is the perfect place where you can enjoy your morning cappuccino or relax after a busy day.

Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight

What kind of additional services do you offer for business travelers?

All our services are personalized, each guest can ask us for personalized service and we always try to fulfill their request. There's a list of classic services included in the price like wi-fi in all areas, coffee/tea corner available 24h. Upon payment we offer a private garage with a valet parking, so you can reach our hotel even if it's located in the traffic limited zone, don't need to worry about anything. We have a bar next to our terrace, open from 7:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.

What can your guests do when they step out of the Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight and step into the streets of Florence? What are the most famous attractions near you?

We're located just a few steps from the Dome and Cupola di Brunelleschi, just 10 minutes walk from Uffizi Gallery and Galleria dell'Accademia with its famous statue of David. Everything is walking distance from our hotel, we're in the middle of the city centre. You don't need to have a car to reach us and to enjoy the Florence Centre during your stay here. About half an hour walk or 10min by bus you can reach famous Michelangelo's Square, the best place in Florence overlooking the city where you can enjoy the sunset.

Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight

Which is the top season for travelers who want to visit Florence? What is the reason?

I suggest to visit Florence during the spring or autumn, it's just lovely, not so crowded and the temperature is perfect. Best month: April and beginning of May or October.

If you have only one weekend in Florence as a first-time visitor, in this limited time, what are the best things to do?

It's easy, you have to see the statue of David at Galleria dell'Accademia, visit Uffizi Gallery and climb at Cupola Brunelleschi or Tower bell of Duomo. Take a walk through Ponte Vecchio and enjoy the sunset on Michelangelo's Stairs. Grab a piece of Focaccia at Antico Vinaio and choose one of wine tasting offered by locals wineries.

How do you describe Florence in one sentence?

Florence is an open-air museum, it's like traveling in time with your eyes wide open.

Thank you Beata for your time.

For more information, please click here to visit the website of Rodo Hotel Fashion Delight

Monday, February 4, 2019.

All photos are the property of their respective owners.