Featured hotels in Italy
Villa le Barone, Panzano-in-Chianti, Tuscany
This small Tuscan hilltop hotel, much loved by Guide readers over many years, has been owned by the famous Della Robbia family since the 16th century. It is now run by Conte Corso Aloisi de Larderel
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Villa Ducale , Taormina, Sicily
‘Our favourite small hotel in the world,’ says a traveller after his fourth visit. ‘Its position, above the town, gives it the feel of a private hideaway. The owners, Andrea and
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Villa Carlotta, Taormina, Sicily
A stone-clad 19th-century nobleman’s residence, modelled on a 14th century fortress, Villa Carlotta, perches high on a cliff above the Ionian Sea, with stunning panoramic views, and a vista of
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Hotel Sonnenhof, Kuens, Bolzano
‘It remains a gem, loved by all who visit it,’ said the original nominators of the Schrott family’s chalet-style hotel, in the ‘very beautiful’ Passeier / Passiria valley
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La Calcina, Venice, Veneto
John Ruskin stayed in this pensione on the Dorsoduro in 1877. Now owned by Marc Sibuet and Regina Segre Amar, who promise ‘discreet service and peace’, it faces the Giudecca canal and
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Villa Sangiovese , Panzano-in-Chianti, Tuscany
On the corner of the tiny square of this small, unspoilt Tuscan town stands Anne-Marie and Ueli Bleuler-Staerkle’s hotel; from the back it commands a ‘tremendous view of distant hills and
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Albergo Bad Dreikirchen, Barbiano, Bolzano
High above the Isarco valley between Bressanone and Bolzano, this hamlet consists of le tre chiese, three curious little attached medieval churches and this unspoilt 14th-century chalet, now a modest
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Castel Pergine, PERGINE VALSUGANA , Trento
Above a small town (once a Roman settlement) east of Trento, this medieval castle stands in large wooded grounds: ‘a marvellous setting’. For more than a decade, it has been a
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Belvedere Hotel, Falcade, Belluno
Set 1,100m above sea level and 55 yards from ski lifts, this hotel was described by a visitor as ‘a delightful, family-run hotel with splendid service. It's a nice old Alpine-style building in a
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Once a bolt hole for wealthy Venetians escaping the summer heat (plus Robert Browning, Freya Stark, Igor Stravinsky et al.), this charming little medieval hill town near Treviso in the Veneto is known
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This chic little boutique hotel, which calls itself ‘Rooms in Rome’, is managed by Marco Fiduli. Just off the elegant via dei Condotti, and close to the lively Piazza di Spagna, it was
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Ever-popular, Simone Simoni's 'blissfully quiet' pensione in a residential area on a hilltop just north-west of Florence represents 'amazing value', say its devotees. 'Breathtaking' views over the
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‘Near Piazza Navona and within walking distance of all the sights (we didn’t use a taxi the whole time we were in Rome), this centrally located hotel is on a quiet little street and I
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In a quietish street near the Piazza del Popolo, this Art Deco hotel opened in 1925 and later increased its size by extending into an adjacent building. It has a ‘charming internal
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On the north side of the Borghese Gardens, this luxury hotel is decorated in Art Deco style, with jewel tones, period details and floor-length curtains. It might be a bit out of the way for some
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‘One of the best hotels (for the price) that we have stayed in,’ says a visitor. The Sagnotti family’s palazzo, a hotel for over 160 years, is within walking distance of most of the
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‘Well located’, at the foot of Via Veneto, this historic building is within easy walking distance of the sights of ancient Rome, ‘and the classy shopping streets’. ‘Very
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‘A real bargain for Rome’, ‘superbly located’, this old-established B&B hotel is just off Via Veneto, not far from the Borghese Gardens. Yellow-walled, with green shutters
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You can see the remains of Pompey’s theatre (55BC) in the breakfast room/bar of this small hotel run by the Cavarocchi-Mignoni family. In the historic centre, close to Piazza Navona and the
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A 17th-century villa which was the Russian consulate when Venice was an independent republic, this well-known pensione has a ‘super position’ by a side canal, near the Grand Canal at the
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In a relatively quiet part of the city, by the Accademia, this 14th-century palazzo is part of the Design Hotels group. Named after Vettor Pisani, the great admiral of the ancient republic, it is
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‘One of the attractions of this gem,’ write its nominators, ‘is its location on a junction of canals just behind the Doge’s Palace.’ In the warren of little streets 100
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‘Quiet, even by local standards’, the Romanelli family’s B&B hotel has long been loved by Guide readers. It stands at the end of a small street near St Mark’s Square by the
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The proud boast of this opulent hotel is that it has a hundred windows facing the lagoon. A short walk from St Mark’s Square, it was built in 1860 and later merged with another hotel next door.
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This sumptuous and elegant hotel is located on Via Veneto, the street that formed the backdrop to Fellini’s classic movie “La Dolce Vita”, and close to the Piazza di Spagna, Villa
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Suite Dellavite is not a hotel, but instead a centrally-located collection of seven different studio apartments, most of which are spacious and feature kitchenettes with fridges. The penthouse suite
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With ‘stunning views’ over Florence and the surrounding hills, this family friendly hotel ‘couldn’t be faulted’ by a visitor. Run by the Ceschi-Perotto family
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Overlooking the Arno, between the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi, this ‘very peaceful’ B&B hotel has ‘marvellous views of the duomo’. Its ambience is ‘decidedly
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Much loved by Guide readers, Rodolfo Gattai’s B&B is in ‘one of Florence’s loveliest squares’, ‘easily reached from all directions’. Built in 1527 for the order
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In the city centre, this Renaissance palace is now a ‘beautiful and gracious’ hotel with ‘stunning’ lounges filled with antiques and art treasures, and neo-classical drawings
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By the Uffizi Gallery, Elisabetta Matucci’s B&B is a 16th-century building in a little pedestrianised street (reached under an ancient arch) off the Piazza della Signoria. This is overlooked
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‘Excellently located’, this ‘beautifully kept’ B&B hotel has been run for many years by its owners, the Bechi family. ‘A lovely mixture of antique furnishings and mod
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The location of this quaint and charming hotel could not be bettered - right next to the Spanish Steps. Rooms are small (which is usual for the location), but elegantly furnished, and two have private
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Run for many years as a hotel by the Barbaro family, this former medieval convent, founded by St Francis of Assisi in 1222, has long been popular with Guide readers. ‘A great place: lots of
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Once the summertime day-trippers have left, Capri becomes a different place: it has ‘charm, beauty, many fabulous sights’. A short walk from its centro storico, although up a hill, the de
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A bit of a walk from Capri’s small main square, Piazza Umberto, in a pleasant residential area, this small modern villa is ‘stylish, efficient and vertiginous’, says a visitor this
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‘Wholeheartedly recommended’ by Guide readers, this elegant four-star B&B hotel is on six floors, with lovely terraces and splendid views (‘even from the bathrooms’), and
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High on a cliff, the pink 12th-century palace of the Sasso family, now a ‘very fine hotel’, has ‘spellbinding views’ from its terrace over the Amalfi coast. A combination of
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Built in 1808 by the King of Naples (who was married to Napoleon's sister) as a summer residence, this townhouse hotel is located in the centre of Positano. It is located on a pedestrian thoroughfare,
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The Sersale family's summer home was turned into this spectacular hotel in 1951, and is still run by the descendants of the original brothers. The hotel combines the charm of a private home with the
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Located in the centre of Capri but surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens, nearly all of the rooms at this peaceful family-owned and run boutique hotel have sea views and terraces or balconies.
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The highlight of this 11th-century restored palace is the infinity pool - heated to a warm temperature year-round, and located at the highest point in Ravello, it has incredible views of the Amalfi
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This hotel, set in an art deco villa on Amalfi drive, offers a genteel, old-fashioned charm, and has been in the same family since it opened as a hotel with six rooms in 1904. The spacious rooms have
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A former monastery dating from the 17th century, this luxury boutique hotel has been sympathetically restored by owner Bianca Sharma; features such as vaulted ceilings and wooden shutters on the
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This hotel is in the centre of Positano, close to shops and restaurants and five minutes from Spiaggia Grande beach. What it may lack in amentities such as a pool or direct beach access it more than
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In this ‘old-fashioned summer resort’ on the dramatic north Tyrrhenian coast, this 18th-century ‘Liberty-style’ building stands in lush grounds. Family antiques,
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A former haunt of English noblemen, this B&B is a conversion of two pink colonial-style villas once owned by Sir Daniel Hanbury. It stands above the town in a park with magnolias, eucalyptus,
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Until the 1940s a holiday home of the Italian royal family, this rectangular pink 19th-century villa retains a ‘charming air of gently fading elegance’, says its nominator. ‘It
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‘We cannot think of a nicer, better-run seaside hotel,’ says a devotee of this large hotel, built on the site of a villa once owned by the aristocratic Dogi family. ‘Well run, though
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This small town (famous for its marble sculptures), with wooded hills behind and sea stretching out in front, is a 30-minute train ride north of Lucca. In a pedestrianised street, the 16th-century
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In a remote setting on an ‘amazing cliffside’, this resort complex includes a hotel and a ‘fishermen’s village’ (apartments), in a large botanical park on the coast
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A 17th-century former palace refurbished into a luxury hotel in 2013, Hotel Ai Reali is set on a quiet canal between the Rialto and Piazza San Marco. The elegant, typically Venetian-style rooms
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Set a short walk from St Mark’s Square but on a peaceful side street, this small hotel is perfect for visitors looking for a 'home away from home’. It is owned and run by the Romanelli
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Owned and managed by Lorenzo Muner, Oltre Il Giardino is set in the San Polo area of Venice, just a few steps from the Church of Frari and 15 minutes from St Mark’s Square. Its secluded garden,
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The Cavaliere family’s hotel is in the heart of the Italian Alps, and overlooks Mount Blanc. It's a reconstruction of a 20th-century alpine villa - every room is named after a year - and is
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On the edge of this Dolomite resort (Wolkenstein in Gröden in German) at the foot of the impressive Sella massif, this ‘superb hotel’, renovated last in 2013, is run by its owner,
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Liked for its welcome, ‘quietly efficient staff’ and ‘excellent value for money’, this chalet-style hotel is in a ‘very beautiful’ skiing and summer resort in
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High above the road, on the far side of the village (Sulden in German), this chalet-style hotel has fine views to the glacier and the Ortler range of mountains. Furnished in modern Alpine style, it
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Designed by renowned architect Matteo Thun, Hotel Pergola Residence is set on a hill 3 km from the ski and nature resort of Merano, but hiking trails depart staight from the hotel too. Accommodation
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Ten minutes away from the cable car which takes you to Pila ski resort in 20 minutes, this modern and recently refurbished hotel offers 'a pleasant stay, with excellent and helpful staff', according
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Set in the quiet Cannaregio district, this 16th-century Baroque palace, formerly an aristocratic family home, boasts gorgeous, individually-decorated rooms and suites with frescoed ceilings,
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Hotel Casci isn't fancy, but considering its location (150m from Florence Cathedral) the rates are very reasonable and the owners, the Lombardi family, pride themselves on being some of the
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The location of this stylish new hotel (it opened in 2015) couldn't be bettered - it's 100m from Florence Cathedral and in easy walking distance of the city's major sights. Although it's set in a
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Set in a 15th-century stone manor house on a hillside ten minutes' drive above Lake Garda and offering 'spectacular views of the lake', this hotel prizes tranquillity above all else - even eschewing
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You need to be fit to stay at Villa Cimbrone. If you don't arrive by helicopter, you approach by a 15-minute uphill walk through the pedestrian zone on Ravello’s steep hillside (your luggage
