Best hotels in Italy

A land of helichrysum and juniper, of vast spaces and vibrant colours, Sardinia amazes and captivates. In the silence of a centuries-old park, your gaze turns to the immensity of the crystalline sea, and reality becomes a dream. A whisper of luxury awaits you in the whiteness of spaces furnished with care and passion, where refined culinary experiences marry with ancient traditions, renewed to create perfect images, cut out on the light paper of dreams. Make a wish, you're in L'ea Bianca

Villa Bordoni is a ‘Patrician Villa’ – the former country residence of the Bordonis, a family of wealthy merchants from the city of Florence. The villa was acquired by David and Catherine Gardner in 2002, and lovingly restored over a period of more than 3 years to create a beautiful country hotel and restaurant in this historic villa, overlooking the valley of Greve and commanding exceptional views of the Chianti landscape.

On the Umbria–Tuscany border, the Bolza family spent three decades on a project most hoteliers wouldn't touch: restoring an 11th-century castle and its 3,700 acres of wilderness, one step at a time. Count Antonio bought the estate in 1994 and since then, his son Benedikt (handily also an architect), has designed nearly every object, fabric and fixture on the property. The result feels like you're stepping into someone's astonishingly beautiful home — and one that comes with a candlelit subterranean Bathhouse carved from the old wine cellars and a stable of Spanish purebreds, too! It opened in 2021, and (impressively) already holds Three Michelin Keys, the guide's highest honour.

Elba may be only an hour's ferry from mainland Tuscany, but the island has its own character: less polished than the Amalfi Coast, wilder than Sardinia, and laced with beaches the Italians have long kept quiet about. Biodola Bay on the north coast is one of the best, a pale sandy stretch bookended by low cliffs and backed by scented Mediterranean maquis. The Hotel Hermitage has occupied it since the 1960s, when the De Ferrari family built a scattering of cottages through a 50-acre park running down to the sea. Still family-run today, it's built for the long, slow Italian summer with three seawater pools, four restaurants and a private beach.

Part of the LHP Hotels empire (they of the "made in Italy style and design" manifesto), this 62-room property takes itself rather seriously as Montecatini's first proper design hotel. Built in 1910 but given the full monochrome makeover, it's all geometric patterns, chrome furnishings, and that black-and-white aesthetic that screams "we hired an expensive interior designer and by God you're going to notice." The whole thing reads like someone's mood board for urban sophistication came to life - water cascades at the entrance, a rooftop pool with 360-degree views, and a spa they've christened Monté that promises "exclusive wellness". But here's the thing: despite the try-hard design speak and occasional pretentiousness, they've actually created something rather special here, especially when you're floating in that rooftop pool watching the sun set over the Tuscan hills.

Kissed by the Tuscan sun and surrounded by the pristine blue Tyrrhenian sea, Hotel Il Pellicano is a timeless Mediterranean hideaway, home to all things slow, stylish and creative. Come embrace your sense of wonder and experience 'la dolce vita'. The best place to experience 'la dolce vita.' Guests can experience a taste for 'sprezzatura' – an Italian word that captures an offhand, casual elegance and Il Pellicano is the epitome of that.

Ischia is often overshadowed by its flashier neighbour Capri across the bay - but that's exactly how regulars prefer it! It's the Bay of Naples' volcanic sibling, laced with thermal springs and chestnut forests, and moving at a noticeably slower pace. The quietest corner is the tiny fishing village of Sant'Angelo and, set right on the edge in a mountain of volcanic stone, is the Miramare Sea Resort & Spa. The work of Neapolitan architect Giuliano dell'Uva, it's a rare piece of contemporary design on an island more often done up in terracotta and tile and a private beach, sea-view rooms and access to a proper thermal park are the perfect finishing touches.

While the rest of the Amalfi Coast leans into terracotta, bougainvillea and old-world romance, Casa Angelina does something refreshingly different. Sitting on the cliffs of Praiano, the hotel's white-on-white minimalism feels more gallery than grand palazzo... And that's totally the point. Clean lines, contemporary art and a pared-back palette let the real star of the show take centre stage: the staggering Tyrrhenian Sea views that stretch from Positano to Capri. Add a Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant, a holistic spa and the hotel's own private boats, and you've got one of the most distinctive stays on this magnificent coastline.

There's something really quite special about staying in a home that's been in the same family for five generations, especially when that family descends from Napoleon's sister. Perched on the Quirinal Hill, a short stroll from the Trevi Fountain, the intimate Villa Spalletti Trivelli was built in 1901 for Countess Gabriella Rasponi, a formidable woman who turned her drawing rooms into a salon for Rome's intellectual elite. Today, her descendants welcome guests into a world of honesty bars, heirloom antiques and the family's own organic wines from Umbria set the tone. The result is less hotel and more family home... and one with impeccable taste.

Most Venice hotels are planted deep in the maze of canals... But the Belmond Hotel Cipriani does the exact opposite. Located on the eastern tip of Giudecca Island, the hotel looks back across the lagoon at St Mark's Square, with three acres of fragrant gardens, a working vineyard and the only Olympic-sized swimming pool in central Venice. Opened in 1958 by Giuseppe Cipriani (the man behind Harry's Bar and the Bellini cocktail), it has been a favourite Venetian bolthole of Hollywood, royalty and the Biennale crowd ever since. Many of the staff have been there for decades and it really does show.

Lake Como's western shore — the so-called Riviera delle Azalee — has long been the lake's most sought-after address. And gazing across the water towards Bellagio's sparkling promontory, sits the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, an Art Nouveau palace built in 1910 and still family-owned today. Greta Garbo summered here and Clooney's been spotted on the terrace, but for all the celebrity connections, it's the personal warmth of the De Santis family that lingers longest. Five restaurants (including one honouring Italy's first three-Michelin-star chef), three pools and a Santa Maria Novella spa in an 18th-century villa make it rather difficult to leave.

Ring the doorbell and wait to be greeted as if arriving at a friend's particularly stylish townhouse - albeit one with impeccable taste in Tuscan wines and a knack for artful décor. This elegant hideaway feels distinctly un-hotel-like, with its shelves adorned in an "artfully haphazard" array of hardback books, fresh flowers, and artistic sketches. The warm, informal atmosphere creates an instant sense of belonging in a city that can sometimes overwhelm with its artistic grandeur. Perfectly positioned for immersive exploration, you're just moments from iconic Renaissance treasures, yet tucked away enough to feel like a local rather than a tourist. This is Florence experienced as it should be - intimate, personal and utterly authentic.

Perched high above the glittering Mediterranean, this elegant hideaway sits pretty amidst rolling vineyards and wild gardens on a UNESCO-listed volcanic isle. The white-washed buildings peek out between tangles of bougainvillea and swaying palms, while the heady scent of Malvasia grapes ripening on ancient vines fills the air. Let yourself be drawn into the rhythm of island life, where mornings might find you practicing sun salutations on the rooftop, afternoons call for lazy dips in the freshwater pool, and evenings are best spent sampling estate wines as the lighthouse beam sweeps across inky waters.

Few hotels have a history quite like the Grand Hotel Timeo. Opened in 1873, it was Taormina's first hotel and still occupies its original clifftop spot, right beside the third-century Greek theatre. Mount Etna smokes gently to the south, the turquoise Ionian Sea glitters below, and the view alone has attracted artists, writers, emperors and Hollywood royalty for well over a century. Add six acres of terraced gardens, Michelin-starred dining and a Dior spa, and you might find yourself lingering for considerably longer than planned...

Imagine waking up in an 8th-century hamlet, where geraniums spill from stone windowsills and the morning mist slowly reveals Siena's striking silhouette in the distance. This isn't just any village though - it's a rather spectacular Relais & Châteaux property where every medieval building, from the chapel to the cobbled square, has been carefully transformed into something truly special. The active winery and surrounding vineyards aren't just for show either - they produce some seriously good bottles that are shipped across the globe.

Just a stone's throw from the legendary Piazzetta and the chic boutiques of Via Camerelle lies this eclectic gem that oozes effortless style. The moment you step inside, you're transported into a world where La Dolce Vita meets contemporary design with a wink to the past. Multi-hued rooms (no two the same) showcase dusty Mediterranean blues, saffron yellows and coral splashes that echo the island's natural palette. Globetrotting bon vivants flock here for the intimate yet privileged position, savoring the perfect blend of Caprese tradition and worldly sophistication.

Some hotels win you over with design, others with location - and this one does it with dinner. Tucked into the hillside near the village of San Cassiano in South Tyrol's Alta Badia valley, Ciasa Salares has been in the Wieser family since the 1960s, and their obsession with food has turned a traditional alpine lodge into a genuine gastronomic destination. A wine cellar with 24,000 bottles, dedicated cheese and chocolate rooms, and four distinct restaurants sit alongside wood-panelled cosiness and honest Ladin hospitality. Beyond the table, the UNESCO-listed Dolomites are right there (the Armentarola ski lift is practically on the doorstep), and summer opens up some of Italy's finest hiking.

Cross the threshold into an unexpected world, where nature reigns supreme, art pervades every corner, and Sardinian traditions are the very essence. Su Gologone isn't just a hotel, it's an experience. A pleasant surprise awaits you around every corner, a warm smile at every glance.

In the beautiful Barbagia region, a rugged and surprising region of Sardinia, just a few dozen kilometers from the sea, lies a world of juniper trees and embroidery, terracotta and inlay, 20th-century Sardinian artists, and a strong culinary tradition.

Villa San Sanino, a small luxury farmhouse , is located in one of the oldest and most evocative places in Tuscany, land of the Renaissance, of proportions and balance, in the wine-growing area of ​​Brunello di Montalcino, Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico. Only 4 luxury suites , each unique. At Villa San Sanino, you'll find a romantic retreat with a relaxing atmosphere, tranquil pace, and a personal welcome, where you'll feel right at home.

Here in Umbria, overlooking a romantic view of the Duomo of Orvieto, along the route of the ancient Via Francigena, where pilgrims refreshed themselves before journeying on to Rome, you will find elegant suites restored in the authentic style of the 14th century. At the Locanda Palazzone, surrounded by vineyards, guests can discover the flavours of Umbria in the Enoteca, dine on the terrace on summer evenings, and swim in the pool

If walls could talk, the frescoed ceilings of this 1870 grande dame would have stories that'd make your head spin. Picture this: Christian Dior taking his final breath in one of the suites, Grace Kelly swanning through the lobby, and a young Puccini composing at the piano whilst Marie Curie debated radioactivity over aperitivos. This isn't just any old Tuscan pile - it's where Italian Art Nouveau maestro Galileo Chini went properly wild with his paintbrush in 1901, creating celestial ceilings populated by floating cherubs and ethereal figures that still stop guests mid-stride today.Set bang in the centre of Montecatini Terme (yes, that's thermal springs central), the hotel sprawls across 20,000 square metres of century-old parkland. The 120 rooms maintain their period swagger with antique Liberty furniture and marble bathrooms that wouldn't look out of place in a Visconti film. But don't mistake all this historical pomp for dusty museum vibes - there's a thoroughly modern 800-square-metre spa lurking beneath all that Belle Époque beauty, complete with Rasul baths and enough treatment rooms to keep a small army of stressed executives purring.

La Roqqa is a destination within a destination, a project of land regeneration, a luxury boutique hotel where "new simplicity" is the stylistic signature. The warm, welcoming hospitality and the extraordinary views invite you to immerse yourself in the beauty of the place, savouring every moment.

Right at the heart of dreamy, pastel-coloured Positano is Le Sirenuse, a Pompeii-red palazzo that the Sersale family opened to guests back in 1951. What started as a summer abode has become one of Italy's finest and most recognised hotels, though it still feels wonderfully like someone's home, albeit one filled with Neapolitan antiques, contemporary art and the family's own fragrance line. With a Michelin-starred restaurant lit by four hundred candles and complimentary boat trips along the coast, this really is la dolce vita done properly.

Rome has no shortage of fancy hotels, but few feel as alive as this one. Occupying three connected palazzi on Via Sistina, literally at the top of the Spanish Steps, the building spent centuries hosting European nobles on their Grand Tours before becoming a hotel in the 1920s. In 2019, Rocco Forte gave it a head-to-toe transformation that's bold, colourful and full of wit, without ever losing touch with its magical 18th-century bones. Celebrity chef Fulvio Pierangelini runs the kitchens, the rooftop draws Romans and visitors alike, and the location is within a few minutes' stroll of pretty much everything. It's polished, buzzy and thoroughly Roman.

Ca Maria Adele is without a doubt one of the world's most romantic boutique hotels. Set in a 16th-century palazzo at the tip of Dorsoduro, just beside the Salute basilica, the hotel was opened in 2004 by brothers Alessio and Nicola Campa. Heirs to a Murano glass-making dynasty (their grandfather built the largest chandelier in the world), they named the hotel after their grandmothers and designed every inch themselves. The 12 rooms are draped in Venetian velvet and gold leaf, with plenty of Moorish carvings and Asian antiques in a nod to the city's old trading routes. It's adults-only, deeply intimate and fabulously, outrageously theatrical.

Hospitality is an art, and Portrait Firenze has made of it a masterpiece. In a new concept of bespoke tourism, Portrait has taken uniform luxury and turned it into spontaneous personalisation. Portrait is not a luxury hotel in Florence; it is an incredibly personal place, an all-suite property, where discerning travellers find the exclusivity they relish

Hailed as one of the best new stays around by the sort of magazines well-heeled travellers peruse, Sikelia Luxury Retreat on the tiny Italian island of Pantelleria is well deserving of the hype. An elegant white-washed outpost on the wild and windswept isle, whose name is derived from the Arabic for 'daughter of the winds', Sikelia's a first-class escape amid the farmsteads and their rough-hewn volcanic-rock walls. Outside, the traditional dammuso-style structures with their domed roofs have an archaic appeal; indoors, the style is contemporary, the spa treatments serene, and the creative cuisine is the island’s very best.