Must-see hotels in Italy

  • Al Borducan

    Lake Maggiore & Around

    This building, home to a local herbs-and-orange based elixir, has been standing high in the medieval hamlet of the Sacro Monte del Rosario since 1924…

  • Ca’ La Somara

    Costa Smeralda

    Follow the donkey signs to Laura Lagattolla's welcoming rural retreat, 1km north of San Pantaleo. A relaxed, ramshackle farm, it offers simple guest rooms…

  • Casa D'Anna

    Naples

    Everyone from artists to Parisian fashionistas adores this elegant guesthouse, lavished with antiques, books and original artworks. Its four guestrooms…

  • Borgo Alba Barona

    Northeastern Sardinia

    High above the Golfo Aranci, Francesca and Angelo's welcoming Gallurese stazzo (farmhouse) stands in blissful isolation on a hilltop with 360-degree views…

  • Casa Turchetti

    Taormina

    Every detail is perfect at this painstakingly restored former music school turned luxurious B&B, on a back alley near Piazza IX Aprile. Vintage furniture…

  • Rifugio Ospitale

    Cortina d’Ampezzo

    A 10km, forest-shaded drive from Cortina, this stylish place is astounding value, with spectacular mountain views from its large rooms. The well-regarded…

  • Nòtia Rooms

    Noto

    In Noto's historic workers' quarter, this sophisticated B&B is owned by the gracious Giorgio and Carla, who gave up the stress of northern Italian life to…

  • Donna Camilla Savelli Hotel

    Trastevere & Gianicolo

    It's seldom you can stay in a 16th-century convent designed by baroque genius Borromini. This four-star hotel is exquisitely appointed – muted colours…

  • Casa del Sole

    Stromboli

    This cheerful Aeolian-style guesthouse is only 100m from a sweet black-sand beach in Piscità, the tranquil neighbourhood at the west end of town. Dorms,…

  • Hotel Savoia Excelsior Palace

    Trieste

    The Habsburg-era, seafront Grand Hotel is Trieste's other luxury hotel, offering sumptuous contemporary glamour in place of the Duchi's tradition and…

  • Locanda dell' Artista

    San Gimignano

    American Baker Bloodworth left a career in Hollywood to open this boutique retreat with his Italian partner Cristian Rovetta, the culinary force behind…

  • Agriturismo Su Boschettu

    Southwestern Sardinia

    Guests are met with a warm Sardinian welcome at this charming farmstay, nestled amid olive groves and fruit trees near Pauli Arbarei. Its sunny, simply…

  • Masseria Trapana

    Lecce

    Surrounded by citrus groves, Masseria Trapana's modern reinvention of a 16th-century farmhouse is 12km north of Lecce. Ten suites combine with shared…

  • DieciSedici

    Amalfi

    DieciSedici (1016) dresses up an old medieval palace in the kind of style that only the Italians can muster. The half-dozen rooms dazzle with chandeliers,…

  • Albergo Il Castello

    Tyrrhenian Coast

    Tucked into a back street above Petralia Sottana's Duomo, this family-run inn has immaculate rooms and three-star amenities. Its restaurant specialises in…

  • Locanda Fiorita

    Venice

    Few budget digs can match this smart 10-room hotel with flower-draped terraces and dreamy views of Chiesa di Santo Stefano from its rooms. Petite bedrooms…

  • Home Hotels

    Central Sicily

    An example of the albergo diffuso concept growing in popularity throughout southern Italy, Home Hotels has 11 different accommodation options throughout…

  • Diana Brown

    Lipari

    Now run by the daughter and son-in-law of longtime Lipari innkeeper Diana Brown, this delightful warren of rooms tucked down a narrow alley sports…

  • Argentina Residenza Style Hotel

    Centro Storico

    A prime central location, stellar service and sleek contemporary design await at this elegant boutique hotel. Housed in a former monastery, its 12…

  • B&B Domus de Janas

    Santa Teresa di Gallura

    Daria and Simone are your affable hosts at this sumptuous six-room B&B smack in the centre of town (as photos on the wall attest, the rambling home has…

  • Pensione Palazzo Ravizza

    Siena

    Occupying a Renaissance-era palazzo located in a quiet but convenient corner of Siena, the Ravizza offers rooms perfectly melding traditional decor and…

  • Ca' delle Erbe

    Mantua

    In this gorgeous 16th-century townhouse historic features have undergone a minimalist remodelling: exposed creamy stone walls surround pared-down…

  • Albergo La Rua

    Abruzzo

    Hikers should head straight for this charming little hotel in Pescocostanzo's historic centre. The look is country cosy, with low, wood-beamed ceilings,…

  • Hotel Villa Belvedere

    Taormina

    Built in 1902, the distinguished, supremely comfortable Villa Belvedere was one of Taormina's original grand hotels. Well positioned with fabulous views,…

  • Dimora dei Giganti

    Naples

    Run by a warm and personable team, this urbane B&B offers four colour-coordinated bedrooms with specially commissioned sculptural lamps, ethnic-inspired…

  • Le 33

    The Veneto

    This home-away-from-home offers three rooms with river views in a historic palazzo. Rooms are furnished with great care: vintage finds, mid-century modern…

  • B&B Sotto Le Stelle

    Mediterranean Coast

    Owned by the same family that runs Caltabellotta's renowned M.A.T.E.S. restaurant, this B&B is charmingly set in a historic palazzo (mansion) with pretty…

  • Villa Arcadio

    Lake Garda West Bank

    Perched above Salò and surrounded by olive groves, this converted convent lays on restrained luxury in a semi-rural setting. Enjoy the vista of glassy…

  • Ai Bastioni

    Treviso

    This hybrid hair salon, beauty spa and contemporary hotel is delightfully unconventional and super-smart. Rooms have every imaginable mod con: Netflix…

  • Relais Villa Miraglia

    Tyrrhenian Coast

    Surrounded by beech forest, this newly restored hunting lodge smack in the heart of the Nebrodi is the perfect base for hiking, mountain biking or…

  • Hotel Sa Pischedda

    Bosa

    The apricot facade of this restored 1890s hotel greets you just south of the Ponte Vecchio. Several rooms retain original frescoed ceilings, some are…

  • Il Palazzo

    Abruzzo

    Who wouldn't want to stay at a B&B called 'The Palace'? This elegant and gently welcoming place occupies the 2nd floor of Casa Parente, an 18th-century…

  • Residenza Sveva

    Termoli

    This historic albergo diffuso (dispersed hotel) has its reception on Piazza Duomo, near the cathedral, but the 21 rooms are squeezed into several palazzi…

  • Corte di Gabriela

    Venice

    Corte di Gabriela is a 19th-century palazzo, but there’s nothing traditional about its 11 rooms, which inventively play with the palace's historic…

  • Ostello Tergeste

    La Costiera Triestina

    This lemon-yellow 1920s villa offers dorms and doubles with dreamy sea views and even balconies. Neat, if spartan, rooms come with private bathrooms and…

  • Domus Maris Relais

    Mediterranean Coast

    Enjoying a prime hilltop location with excellent views over Sciacca's fishing port, Domus Maris Relais showcases a relaxed combination of elegance and…

  • L'Antico Forziere

    Umbria

    This 17th-century farmhouse turned stylish agriturismo resides in the dozy hamlet of Casalina, just south of Deruta. Guest rooms feature wood beams and…

  • Le Stanze di Torcicoda

    Ferrara

    Tucked down a crooked lane in Ferrara's old Jewish quarter, this cosy, long-established B&B offers four rooms of varying sizes in a late 14th-century…

  • Legacy Casa Residencia

    Abruzzo

    A beautifully curated and professionally run B&B right in the centre of Sulmona with a choice of double rooms or miniapartments. All the accommodation…

  • Villa Athena

    Agrigento

    With the Tempio della Concordia lit up in the near distance and palm trees lending an exotic Arabian Nights feel, this historic five-star hotel in an…

More destinations you need to see