Oltrarno
There is no other address quite like it in Florence. Seductively at home in a 16th-century palazzo overlooking Europe's largest private walled garden,…
Must-see hotels in Mediterranean Europe
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
Funnelling all of its profits into worthy social enterprises, this street-art-adorned hostel is the best in the city. Opened in 2018, it offers 200 beds,…
Abruzzo
Don't even think about leaving Vasto off your itinerary when you can stay at this debonair accommodation offering four beautifully decorated suites (two…
Bologna
You will never – repeat, never – stay anywhere else like this. Forget the B&B tag: you don't just get a room here, you get an entire 900-year-old tower …
Northwestern Tuscany
Creamy Chianina cows graze on the hillside and wild boars ferret for white truffles between tree roots on this heavily wooded, 500-hectare biodynamic farm…
Oltrarno
This boutique gem, tucked in a quaint Oltrarno courtyard, creates an intimate home-from-home vibe while making each guest feel special. Thirteen designer…
Hotel Soho Boutique Palacio San Gabriel
Ronda
Despite new chain-hotel management, this heavyweight historic edifice retains its age-old charm, filled with antiques and faded photographs that offer an…
Göreme
Koza is a masterclass in stylish sustainable tourism. Passionate owner Derviş spent decades living in Holland and has incorporated Dutch eco-sensibility…
L'Eixample
Launched in 1919 as the Ritz (with Paris, London and Madrid), Barcelona's dazzling luxury original continues to wow a century later. The 120 exquisitely…
Capri
This gleaming establishment is a model of Capri style and considered by many to be one of the best hotels in Italy. The 19 rooms, which cascade down the…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
Furnished with 16th-century tapestries, antique books and original period furnishings, this mansion was built by Gabriella Rasponi, niece of Carolina…
Florence
Designed for anyone with a fun 'student-for-life' spirit, this hostel-hotel hybrid embodies 21st-century living – in a historic palazzo from 1864. Sharp…
Lake Garda
If you're flush with euros, Riva's captivating Lido Palace is the place to offload them. The exquisite building dates back to 1899 when it opened as a…
Positano
Positano personified. Hidden behind an ancient wall away from the tourists who surge along the pedestrian thoroughfares daily, this magnificent hotel…
Abruzzo
This enchanting albergo diffuso, with 28 distinctive rooms and suites scattered throughout the village, was what helped rescue Santo Stefano from oblivion…
Capri
This really lives up to the 'palace' in its name – a regal mix of chicness, opulence and unashamed luxury that takes the concept of la dolce vita to…
Ischia
Occupying its own promontory above the sea, this luxurious resort is surrounded by a 2.8-hectare pine wood, with sitting rooms and some guestrooms located…
Perugia
This fairy-tale castle comes with all the turreted, ivy-clad, vaulted trappings you would imagine. Its 18 individually designed rooms have been finished…
Syntagma & Plaka
If you aspire to the best, the most prestigious place to stay in Athens is – and always has been – the Grande Bretagne, right on Syntagma Sq. Built in…
Macedonia
Occupying a former Islamic seminary built in 1817 by Pasha Mohamed Ali, this stunning hotel complex in Panagia blends original stone features such as…
Ravello
There can be no better place to swim than the Caruso’s sensational infinity pool. Seemingly set on the edge of a precipice, its blue waters merge with the…
Western Sicily
Head 15km south of Trapani, into the countryside, to find this outstanding farm retreat. Four of its 13 attractive rooms have sea views and there are…
Positano
Cue a fanfare of trumpets. Even by Positano standards, the Franca is high-class: an operatic mix of stylish white minimalism with a few regal touches…
Rhodes Town
The life’s work of builder Sotiris Nikolis and his Danish partner Marianne, this fine hotel ranges through several restored buildings and a flowery…
Ronda
Located in a particularly tranquil part of town, this hotel is one of those old-on-the-outside, supermodern-on-the-inside places that Spain does so well…
Rhodes Town
This 15th-century pasha's house lovingly recreates an Ottoman ambience with verve and style. Some rooms are in the mansion itself, the rest open onto the…
Fira
This five-star cave hotel is something special, with great attention paid to tiny details. Terraces look out over the caldera, the Cliff Suite comes with…
Venice
Guests at the Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal don't need to leave their balconies to sightsee. This landmark 1525 doge’s palace features Grand Canal…
Modena
Aiming to capitalise on the worldwide foodie frenzy created by Osteria Francescana, top chef Massimo Bottura and his American wife, Lara Gilmore,…
Duomo & Piazza della Signoria
Twenty-six steps lead up to this family-run hotel. A labyrinth of enchanting rooms, frescoes and modern comforts, it oozes charm – as do Florentine…
Boboli & San Miniato al Monte
Country-style contemporary decor marries with lovingly restored vintage inside this 14th-century palazzo, named after the 'hood in which it slumbers and…
Catedral & Barrio de Santa Cruz
Formerly part of the Alcázar royal palace, this stylish art-clad hotel looks onto the palace gardens, whose peacocks used to roost in one of the suites…
Perugia
From its hilltop perch, this historic five-star hotel has captivating views of the valley below and hills beyond. This has been a local landmark since the…
Venice
Live like a doge in a 15th-century Venetian-Gothic palace that once belonged to one of the most famous of them: Agostino Barbarigo, who was responsible…
Northwestern Tuscany
Squeeze your car along the narrow road to this farm, framed by fig trees, olive groves, vines, acacia and chestnut woods on a steeply terraced hillside…
South Aegean
This remote back-to-nature escape offers a unique experience. Occupying a secluded private cove, Bonjuk Bay draws an in-the-know crowd of creative guests,…
Naples
On the 4th floor of an anecdote-rich 16th-century palazzo, this intimate, cultured B&B is decorated with contemporary Neapolitan photography and cleverly…
Cantabria
A wonderful place to kick back, this 16th-century watermill amid extensive riverside gardens, 1km east of Polientes, has been stunningly renovated by its…
Rethymno Province
This working farm offers an immersion in the traditional Cretan way of life. Its attractive villas, laid out like a small village, have elegantly rustic…
Trentino & South Tyrol
Verena Huf is a third-gen hotelier and her gorgeous 12-suite place combines that rich lineage with youthful enthusiasm and a relaxed style. Rooms are…
