Florence · Three generations · One family
"I've built my business around a genuine love for finding special things and creating a thoughtful, welcoming experience, so every guest feels looked after from the very start." — Aurora Karwowski, co-founder
Podere di Siepi
Castellina in Chianti
Hospitality is not something we learned. It is something we inherited — through our grandparents, through our mother, through the rhythm of a family that has always opened its doors to others. ARKA is the latest chapter in a story that began in the Chianti hills.
It began in the rolling hills of Castellina in Chianti, where our grandparents founded Podere di Siepi — an agriturismo rooted in the Tuscan countryside. Olive groves, vineyard terraces, stone farmhouses. Guests who arrived as strangers and left as friends. Hospitality not as a transaction, but as a way of life.
Our mother Raffaella carried the spirit of Podere di Siepi into the next chapter — nurturing the agriturismo across a second generation and instilling in us a deep sense of what true hospitality means. Her quiet dedication behind the scenes shaped everything we do. The warmth guests feel in every ARKA home has its roots in what she built.
After three generations in the Chianti countryside, we made a deliberate choice: to take everything our family had built — the attention to detail, the personal welcome, the belief that a guest's home should be exceptional — and bring it into the heart of Florence. We began with one family property. Then another. Then six. Each one inside a building of genuine historical significance, each one welcomed personally by us.
ARKA is a company — but it is a family company. Not a platform, not a management agency. Three people who care deeply about Florence, about hospitality, and about every single guest who walks through one of our doors.
Born and raised between Florence and Oxford, Aurora brings an international perspective to deeply local hospitality. Educated at the University of Nottingham, she understands what travellers from around the world are looking for — and how to exceed it. Her role runs through every aspect of ARKA, from curating the properties to welcoming every guest in person.
Niccolò is the quiet force behind every seamless stay, combining an innate understanding of Florence with a precise, detail-driven approach to hospitality. Born in Tuscany and educated in the UK, he brings both local intuition and analytical rigor to his work. Thoughtful and measured, he ensures every stay feels effortless, personal, and truly memorable.
Raffaella is the quiet force behind ARKA — the second generation of a hospitality family that began with Podere di Siepi in the Chianti hills. She raised Aurora and Niccolò with the understanding that a guest's comfort is never a detail, always a priority. Though she works largely behind the scenes today, her values are present in every home and every welcome.
Not corporate values printed on a wall. Things we genuinely believe — learned across three generations and tested by hundreds of guests.
Every ARKA apartment sits within a building of genuine historical significance. We don't dress up ordinary spaces — we open extraordinary ones. 14th-century noble palaces, a former Medici family home, a convent where Machiavelli's circle once gathered.
No key boxes. No impersonal check-ins. Aurora or Niccolò will be there to meet you, show you your home in detail, and make sure your first moments in Florence feel exactly right.
From the quality of the linen to the local restaurant recommendations — nothing is an afterthought. Our guests consistently praise the care that goes into every element of their stay. It is what we are most proud of.
We are Florentines. We know which trattoria to avoid and which hidden one to seek out. We know the quietest route to the Uffizi and the best morning light on the Arno. We share all of it with every guest.
100% response rate. Replies within the hour. A direct line to real people — not a call centre, not a chatbot. Whatever you need before or during your stay, we are close by and genuinely happy to help.
Our motto — and our standard. Not a hotel room, not a serviced apartment. A genuine home, with the personality, history, and warmth that only a three-generation, family-run collection can offer.
Among the very best hosts we have ever encountered — and we travel constantly. The apartment was extraordinary, but it was Aurora and Niccolò who made it truly unforgettable. We have already booked again.
The attention to detail is genuinely unlike anything we have experienced elsewhere. The apartment was stunning, the welcome was warm, and the local tips were invaluable. This is Florence done properly.
We have stayed in Florence many times. We will only stay with ARKA from now on. The combination of historic spaces, personal hospitality and sheer beauty is impossible to find anywhere else.
We began in the Chianti hills. We grew into the heart of Florence. What comes next is still unfolding — but it will always be rooted in the same things that have guided three generations of our family: beautiful places, personal care, and a genuine love of the land.
We are exploring retreats and working terrain — olive groves, the cultivation of oil. A return, in some ways, to where it all began. Whatever we build, it will carry the same ARKA spirit.
Six historic residences in the heart of the Renaissance. Each one managed personally, with 4.98 stars across 676+ reviews.
Exploring retreats and working terrain — olive groves, oil cultivation. A return, in spirit, to where the family story began.
Whatever we grow into, one thing will never change: every guest will be welcomed by a real person who genuinely cares.
From Podere di Siepi to the palaces of Florence — the same values, the same warmth, the same family. A new chapter.
Six exceptional homes in Florence. Hosted personally by Aurora & Niccolò.
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