Where to stay: ITALY

In splendid isolation, high above the Valle Isarco in South Tyrol between Brixen and Bozen you will find Gasthof Bad Dreikirchen. This 14th-century house has been run as a charming guest house by the same family for over two hundred years. It is located at a height of 1,120 metres amidst colourful meadows, high mountains, cool streams and fragrant woods. Views are equally impressive, as far as Chiusa and the Sabiona Convent to the villages and the peaks of the Sellasella and Sassolungo.

Located near the Via Roma shopping area in the center of Courmayeur, the eco-friendly Le Massif offers rooms and suites, all with a modern-Alpine aesthetic and windows framing spectacular views. In addition to its highly professional wellness offerings and full-day Kids Clubs, the hotel and its chalet—situated on the slopes of Mont Blanc—are ideally located for enjoying the mountains, whether that's hiking during the summer or skiing in the winter.

Set at an altitude of 1,230 metres, Miramonti is a boutique design hotel offering spectacular views of the Dolomites mountains and the city of Meran(o). The hotel blends contemporary style with traditional hospitality. There is an extensive spa with outdoor infinity pool, three restaurants (including one Italian gourmet-2 toques in Gault Millau), and comfortable rooms.

Situated on the market square in the centre of medieval and walled Glurns (Glorenza in Italian), Hotel Gasthof Grüner Baum, dating from 1500, offers decisively contemporary styled rooms. The frescoed walls harbour a fresh, contemporary design. Serene, mature and endlessly chic, the Grüner Baum caters to those seeking a decent dose of rest and relaxation, with an added sprinkling of medieval magic. The hotel is mentioned in numerous architectural and tourism guides and won various awards.

Crafted as a visual and spiritual oasis amid the enveloping mountains of South Tyrol, Silena the Soulful Hotel sits 1,354 meters above sea level and immerses guests in the breathtaking beauty of meadows, forests, moors, and peaks. Combining South Tyrolean culture with a Southeast Asian essence and a Feng Shui concept, this 34-room/8-suite glass-encased wonder—set in Vals near Meransen, beside the ski lift of the Alpine Gitschberg Jochtal—offers up a wealth of sublime experiences.

Set in a lush Mediterranean garden near the historic center of the wine village of Kaltern am See, you will find an extraordinary ensemble of buildings: Villa Baronessa, a classic 1950s villa, and Villa Baronessina, her extravagant, modern “little sister”. The colour palette, conceived by the artist Manfred Alois Mayr, creates sensual-atmospheric rooms and highlights their architecture.

One enters 1477 Reichhalter—an Old World, minimalist haven in the Dolomites—by stepping upon a wooden-floored hallway that literally echoes with history. “All we did was polish the floors and restore the wood paneling; most of the furniture was already here,” says visionary Klaus Dissertori proudly of his hotel’s restaurant, which serves up Italian-inspired homecooked meals

Originally built in 1925, the villa’s vintage styling and understated glamor evoke a bygone era, while contemporary design pieces and fixtures provide a spark of refreshing modernity. A swimming pool and Pool House surrounded by lush, landscaped grounds complete the picture of an Italian idyll, and the garden-to-table culinary concept is the embodiment of la dolce vita.

Set in a lush botanical garden with bougainvillea, hibiscus flowers, palm trees and banana plants, La Casa di Peppe is a charming guest house offering breathtaking views of Positano and the Mediterranean. You are 434 steps up from Fornillo Beach and just a short walk from the main street (120 meters and 18 steps) with its restaurants, art galleries, boutiques, wine bars and Positano’s local delicatessen with fresh produce.

Half way between Pompeii and Sorrento in the Bay of Naples, Hotel Capo La Gala is a luxury boutique hotel with a distinctive style. It offers a large outdoor swimming pool, shade and sun terraces and direct access to the sea. There is a spa with a sauna, a heated pool with hydromassage and counterflow features, aromatherapy showers, massage treatments and a Kneipp bath. The restaurant has a Michelin star and serves Mediterranean cuisine inside in the elegant dining room or on the terraces.

The Parco dei Principi is a hotel from the 1960s designed in detail by Gio Ponti and remains unchanged to this day. Set on a cliff in Sorrento, it offers spectacular views of the Bay of Naples and the Vesuvius. It is surrounded by lush, mature Mediterranean park of 27,000m2 with a salt-water swimming pool and a private beach with sun loungers, parasols and towels free-of-charge.

The Palazzo Abagnale, in Sorrento, like many small Italian hotels, begins with an aesthetic concept — but fortunately for all involved, it’s not the same “postcards of Tuscany” concept that’s given rise to so many identical, forgettable hotels. Here it’s something both simpler and more abstract: one floor is given over to “the light,” with a quote from the painter Edward Hopper; another to Pop Art, in the guise of Andy Warhol; and still a third to black and white.

The stunningly decorated Maison La Minervetta has an equally stunning cliff-top setting in Sorrento with panoramic views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. Private steps take you down to the fishing village of Marina Grande, where you will find a range of typical restaurants.

Villa San Michele is a charming little hotel on the Amalfi Coast at Castiglione di Ravello. With picture perfect views over the glittering Tyrrhenian Sea, it is the perfect spot to spend a relaxing holiday relishing the sea the sun. A charming refuge from which the most attractive towns such as Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento can be easily reached in one of Italy’s most beautiful parts.

The legendary Sirenuse is one of the Med's great hotels – cool, sophisticated and expensive yet with the feel of a private home, albeit a very privileged one. Exceptional facilities go hand-in-hand with exquisite service and a superb cliffside setting a short sashay from the centre of Positano.

The view up and down the Amalfi Coast from Villa Magia, at Positano’s highest point, is like nothing else. In a former life this was a watchtower, whose foundations are still visible, though it grew into a private villa in the 20th century and only opened its doors as a hotel in 2015.

One of Lake Garda’s historical hotels,it is immersed in a centuries-old park home to rare botanical species, and set in a former hunting lodge of the Austrian imperial family. A number of original features have been preserved where possible (the building was badly damaged during WW2), including a beautiful beech wood staircase and gorgeous spruce wood ceilings in the restaurant. It’s decorated in Neo-classical style, featuring shades of white and cream that lend interiors a fresh, bright…

Hotel Gardenia al Lago is a charming small -family-owned and operated- hotel right in the small village of Gargnano on the “Lemon Riviera” side of Lake Garda. Be delighted by the classic 1920’s flair of this villa, once the holiday home of the current owners.

Located on the Western shore of Lake Garda, right in the heart of the Garda Bresciano Natural Park is the picturesque fishing village of Gargnano. Here you will find Fondo La Campagnola, self-catering apartments admidst beautiful, lavender, rosemary and caper scented gardens dating back to the 1700s with lemon and bay laurel trees.

Lago di Garda, Italy’s biggest lake has always shimmered brightly, luring classic Roman poets, Italian aristos and Hollywood elite for time immemorial. Perched on its lakeside is an original 1930s white villa, now cleverly reimagined for the nomads of the modernist style. With the feel of a hip in-the-know club for lido-lovers, AQVA Boutique Hotel’s modular alabaster-white building is fronted by a turquoise pool surrounded by sleek decking and a private pier jutting out onto the lake.

mod 05 living hotel is a design hotel located in Sandra di Castenuovo, near Lake Garda and Verona. It offers stylish rooms, a pizzeria, a bar and a garden with swimming pool. Particular attention is given to the enviroment with he hotel using solar energy and with the biocompatibility of the construction and insulation materials. Regular art exhibitions.

Just 100m from the beach at Lake Garda is Hotel Villa Europa. This romantic villa offers flower-covered terraces with panoramic views across the mountains and the lake. A swimming pool is located at 50m at the sister property Resort La Campagnola. A short stroll takes you to the centre of Gargnano with its wealth of small restaurants and pizzerias.

One of Lake Garda’s smallest hotels, Hotel du Lac has been in the Arosio family for two generations. It is set in a typical 19th-century lakeside house, full of atmosphere, peace and comfort. The ideal spot for a relaxing stay, steeped in the gentle atmosphere of the lake, and cradled with old-world charm.

An ancient Saracen tower for storing wheat and fruits, Relais Torre Marabino today is a charming hotel and agrotourism set in the enchanting Sicilian countryside. It is a working farm of organic produce and a 30 hectare vineyard. Ideally located just 4 km from the beach, the many cultural and the archeological sites of the Val di Noto. “Baroque capital” Modica is a 30-minute drive and Ragusa is a 45-minute drive.

Located on the island of Ortigia in Siracusa, amidst Sicilian baroque architecture and ancient Greek ruins, the charming 3-star Hotel Gran Bretagna is set in a palazzo entirely restored in 2001. The hotel takes it name from the English merchants and sailors who choose Syracuse as a meeting point for their trades and important passage to Malta. The excellent position of the hotel enables guests to visit Ortigia on foot with the Porto Grande harbour, with its tree-lined promenade, 100 metres…

Lemon House is a luxury guest house located near the beautiful town of Savoca, a 15-minute drive from Taormina. It is a set in a neo-classic villa in English style and surrounded by fragrant gardens with bougainvillea, lemon and olive trees. The beautiful, hilly area with typical Sicilian villages is the set of Coppola’s “The Godfather”.

Built in 1860 of local clad stone and completely renovated in 2007, Villa Carlotta combines warm Sicilian hospitality with modern comforts and traditional Italian design, elegance and charm. Constantly rated one of the best hotels on TripAdvisor in Taormina and even in Italy, the small luxury hotel boasts stunning views over the Sicilian coast and Mount Etna. This aristocratic villa occupies a central location, only a 5 minute walk from Taormina’s famous Corso Umberto.

The epitome of romance, Hotel Villa Ducale is a small, luxurious boutique hotel housed in a charming, traditional villa with sweeping views across the Ionian sea and Mount Etna.

Combining a unique design of contemporary art, with classic Sicilian surroundings, Art Hotel Atelier Sul Mare offers unique accommodations.

Located just under an hour north of Florence, in the Mugello valley, Tenuta Le Tre Virtù is a charming, yet luxurious farmstay of six hectares of certified organic land. Cultivated with passion and pursuit of biodiversity, you will be able to stroll among ancient fruit trees, olive trees that are still young but already productive, and a lavender field which shows incredible colors in July.

Relais Vedetta provides luxurious accommodation in and near the old village of Scarlino, 5 minutes’ drive from the Mediterranean. You will be surrounded by beautiful countryside of Tuscany’s Maremma area, including woods and olive groves. Owner and host Anna Barberini lived in 23 cities in Italy and travelled extensively abroad to return here to her roots and share the magic of this site with you.

La Locanda Country Hotel is set on a plateau 600 meters above sea level in the most beautiful part of Chianti. A converted farmhouse from the 16th-century it overlooks Volpaia, a magnificent medieval hilltop village facing Radda in Chianti. La Locanda is the perfect retreat after visiting Chianti Classico countryside, hamlets and cellars, a walk through the woods or a day’s sightseeing in nearby Florence, Siena, Arezzo or San Gimignano.

Palazzetto Rosso is a luxury design boutique hotel located in the heart of Siena’s medieval center. Set in an inn from the 13th-century, it has been hosting travelers for eight centuries. The original façade, decorated with traditional wrought-iron ensigns and flares, remains the same. Inside, the majestic arched hall, high vaulted ceilings, curving archways, red brick walls and richly frescoed ceiling rich frescoes are combined with cutting-edge Italian design.

A former 500 year-old nunnery, La Bandita Townhouse is located in the heart of Pienza (a UNESCO World Heritage site), a small, beautiful Tuscan village in the Val d’Orcia. Located between Florence (1.5 hours) and Rome (2 hours) in southern Tuscany, Pienza is situated in the province of Siena. Watch the world go by on the cobbled streets from your window and enjoy a glass of vino and delicious bruschetta from La Bandita’s wine bar.

Located in the foothills of the Apuanian Alps, just a few minutes from the Versilia beaches, Locanda al Colle is a stylish guesthouse set in an ancient farmhouse in which charm and grace create the backdrop for contemporary art works.

Consider it a dream project: an American lawyer falls in love with Tuscany, buys up most of a small village, and turns it into a rural idyll. Luckily for his intended audience, his vision was spot on, and the end result is an elegant, sprawling hotel, in keeping with the area's original architecture.

The Salmasa family has been operating the Pensione Accademia since 1955, and the place exudes an old-fashioned, homely, comfortable charm. Pretty gardens back and front set the tone; welcoming public spaces and individually decorated rooms fill the interior. Revamps over the years have brought facilities up to date while leaving a pleasantly lived-in feel.

Escape from the tourist-packed lagoon-side Riva degli Schiavoni into the Metropole’s shadowy salon, and wait for your eyes to adjust: There are burnished mirrors on the ceiling, crimson drapery, potted palms, and plush, deep sofas. Generations of the Beggiato family have run this independent hotel, and their idiosyncratic collections of antique fans, handbags, corkscrews, and nutcrackers are dotted around public spaces. If quirky is your thing, you’ll feel perfectly at home here.

It’s a hip and trendy hostel in a converted grain warehouse with an industrial-shabby-chic feel: bare brick walls, exposed pipes and beams. Interiors are dark, with leather sofas, velvet armchairs, heavy burgundy drapes and the odd patch of jungle leaf wallpaper. Furnishings are made up of an eclectic mix of pieces from flea markets around the country; a colourful ceramic lamp with playful clowns here, a vintage apothecary cabinet there.

Once you recover from the surprise that all the super-friendly staff magically know your first name from the moment you arrive, you’ll be bowled over by Ponte Antico's décor: Venetian plush taken to its most playful extreme. Then you get to marvel at the location; after all, there are few more romantic places in the city for sipping an aperitivo than the Ponte Antico’s tiny terrace, which has views over the Rialto.

This is one of those places that turns a holiday into a special experience. In a quiet corner, just off a busy street leading to St Mark’s Square, you’ll be made to feel like a treasured guest. Tastefully decorated with Oriental touches, the nine-room Novecento is a refreshing change from the Venetian hotel standard.

At the luxurious Londra Palace, by the Riva degli Schiavoni, huge windows in many of the 52 rooms look straight out over the watery expanse of the Venetian lagoon. The hotel—under a succession of names—has been welcoming guests since 1853. Tchaikovsky stayed in 1877, and wrote his fourth symphony as he surveyed San Giorgio Maggiore across the water. If Venetian classic is what you’re after, the Londra Palace is perfect; plus, it comes with a price tag that's lower than many other luxury…

Brocade-and-chandelier Venetian hotel norm doesn’t appeal? This four-star boutique provides a refreshing alternative, juxtaposing serious design pieces, vivid colours and industrial-chic materials against exposed beams, beautiful terrazzo floors and some lovely original ceiling frescoes in 11 rooms and two apartments.

Experimental Group’s design partner Dorothée Meilichzon has transformed a jewel box Renaissance palace in the tranquil Dorsoduro neighborhood. With her renowned contemporary touch, the clean lines of Il Palazzo Experimental’s gathering areas, 32 rooms and suites, are rich with hand glazed tiles, custom brass and chrome lighting, Breccia Capraia marble accents and sumptuous fabrics.

This small design hotel offers four rooms and a café/bistro in Matera's Sasso, the town's cave area.

An eclectic, global mix of furnishings dot the property’s spacious public areas and 40 guestrooms. From the brass handmade lamps – courtesy of Lebanese lighting company PSLab – to bedside tables from Moroso, and seating from Knoll and Poland’s 366 Concept, international design cooperation is fully on display.

As the name suggests, Palazzo Niccolini Al Duomo is right in the heart of Florence on the pedestrian-only Piazza del Duomo in front of the cathedral. A historic palace (“Residenze d’Epoca”), the property is still family owned by a noble family, Niccolini di Camugliano.

Granduomo Charming Accommodation is set in a magnificent 18th century residence splendidly restored by a Florentine family with utmost respect for the original architecture. The apartments are located in Santa Maria del Fiore, overlooking the Cathedral and the heart of the city.

Just 300 metres from the Ponte Vecchio and incorporating the 12th-century Monalda Tower, hotel NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa is an elegant, historic hotel with uniquely decorated, contemporary guest rooms. The breakfast room has large stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings. The Savini Truffles Experience restaurant serves local cuisine and Italian classics, specialising in Truffle-based dishes. Drinks can be enjoyed in the stylish bar.

The Duchi d'Aosta simply oozes history. It began its life as the Hospitium Magnum more than 700 years ago, and became the Osteria Grande in the 18th century, was demolished and rebuilt as the Hotel Garni in the 1870s, and finally reached its present incarnation in 1972. Behind the suitably grand-looking façade, you’ll find a sumptuous interior with plush red armchairs, heavy striped drapes, period furniture, parquet flooring and large Persian-style rugs.

Fusing contemporary style, elegance and a host of modern comforts, the 4-star Urban Hotel Design presents an ideal base in the thriving centre of Trieste. It is set in an 18th-century building and has a bar and a breakfast room with bare stone walls. Spacious rooms feature a minimalist style with mostly black and white colours and designer furniture.

Boasting original architectural features from the late European Eclectic period, the hotel is protected by the Italian Cultural Heritage department. Additionally, throughout DoubleTree by Hilton Trieste, guests will find an array of unique décor, including a monumental fountain, statues, restored fireplaces, stained-glass windows and mosaics.

A “Maison de Charme”, the Tenuta La Ghiaia is located 2km from Sarzana in Liguria and offers just 5 unique suites where luxury and tradition meet. Pisa, Genoa, Lucca, and Parma can be reached under an hour, while Florence and Siena are just over an hour. The Cinque Terre National Park is 25km away.

The DNA: In 2011 the proprietor, Andrea, decided to restore this early 20th-century seaside house that had been in the family for generations, taking care of the interior design, and preserving some of the original furniture pieces, like his grandmother’s dressers. The predominant colour in the house is white, combined with colourful ceramics and paintings. Through the communal spaces’ windows the view is of the blue sea, the palms and the beach.

Housed in four elegant 18th-century buildings in the heart of Milan and steps away from the fashion district and the artistic neighbourhood of Brera, the hotel features the sublime and holistic Spa, the Mandarin Bar & Bistrot and the refined two-Michelin-starred Seta recently awarded the Best of Award of Excellence 2020 for its wine list from the prestigious American magazine Wine Spectator.

Located in the Navigli neighbourhood, this hip hostel has a bar, restaurant and... radio station.

Nesting in the rafters of 19th-century shopping strip Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Galleria Vik is the latest luxury hotel to take up residence within the historic complex’s rarefied, cast iron bones. Hosting a sprawling network of 90 rooms, private spa and an on-site cafe and peering out over a glass-roofed parade of boutiques on one side and Piazza della Scala (in the opera house’s shadow) on the other, the hotel’s privileged sightlines are only rivaled by scenes within.

This hip hostel is set in a former fire house dating to 1883 and abandoned for 20 years. The hostel is located in the Porto Palazzo neighborhood, near Europe's largest multi-ethnic market. It houses a bar-restaurant, a radio station and a boutique.

Set in a medieval village of Bossolasco between the vine covered hills of the Langhe, the boho-chic Le Due Matote is housed in a charming stone building. The Langhe is well known for its truffels, which can be “hunted” with a specialized guide in autumn. Year-round, the famous Barolo and other wines from the Piedmont can be enjoyed.

For fans of great hotels, one of the most appealing features of Italy is the constant collision of the ancient and the modern. Palazzo de Noha, in the Baroque old town of Lecce, is a perfect example: a centuries-old building, marked by rough-hewn stone vaults, with ancient Roman ruins exposed by the glass floors of its corridors, transformed into a modern boutique hotel furnished in contemporary luxury style.

The elegantly restored red palace is located in the heart of Puglia’s White City, Ostuni. The quintessentially Puglian property was meticulously restored, boasting 11 individually curated rooms and suites with a cosmopolitan soul. Standing in stark contrast to the whitewashed buildings of Ostuni, Paragon 700’s red brick façade cocoons a lush garden and swimming pool, a rare green space in the heart of the city, just a five-minute walk from Ostuni’s main square.

Reshaped by the Milanese duo Ludovica and Roberto Palomba of Palomba Serafini Associati, the 19th-century former family home has been turned into guest rooms, an art space and artists’ studios. Inspired by the idea of ‘absence’, the architects have stripped back as much as possible, while restoring historical features such as ornate frescoes and mosaic flooring.

Set in a classic Puglian landscape of limestone and low-slung almond and olive groves, Masseria Palombara feels splendidly sequestered. At first glance little more than a typical stone-walled farmhouse compound, upon further inspection it’s revealed to be a luxe little adults-only resort, spa, and restaurant.

This luxury guesthouse is located in the historic centre of Rome, just 50 metres to the Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps. It is situated on the first floor of a historic building, and filled with antiques, paintings and prints collected by the owner. The building is surrounded by the most famous boutiques (Gucci, Prada, Hermès, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Valentino, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Cartier...), but also by renowned restaurants, bars and tea & coffee rooms of the Eternal…

The Italian luxury house of Bulgari has signed an agreement for a new hotel in Rome, scheduled to open in 2022. The new Bulgari Hotel Rome will be strategically located on the central Piazza Augusto Imperatore, not far from the Eternal City’s Spanish Steps and Bulgari’s flagship on Via Condotti. #dnahotels #inspirationalhotels

It's been the grande dame of boutique hotels since the 1970s, when the owner’s mother pioneered the concept of creating unique rooms and the feel of a country house with eclectic and antique furniture and velvet and silk chaise-longues. In winter, there is always a fire in the Art Deco bar with its Liberty lamp, wrought-iron French doors and deep moreish, armchairs. One-of-a kind features such as a piano with beaded lamps, a bird-cage lift and curved library ladder overload on charm.

Set an easy seven-block stroll south of the Pantheon in the Regola neighbourhood, the interiors of the 42-room hotel are the work of Tristan Du Plessis, the South African designer deftly transforming the late 19th-century pile with a smart mix of industrial touches and humour.

An outstandingly ‘dimora di charme’, Palazzetta del Vescovo is a small boutique hotel located in the center of Umbria, “Italy’s green heart”, making it an ideal location for visiting the most important sights in the region. The palazetta sits on a hill and boasts breathtaking views of the Tevere (Tiber) Valley. From 1763 to 1861, it was the summer residence of the Bishop of Todi.

Set in gorgeous Umbrian countryside between Gubbio and Perugia is the charming Locanda del Gallo. Originally a 12th century mansion nowadays it is simply an ideal place to relax and unwind. It fits in perfectly within such beautiful natural surroundings, with the regional elements of old stone and the liberal use of wood used throughout, but so is a certain colonial style, whilst the recent restoration has taken nothing away from the Locanda del Gallo.

Located in the green heart of Italy, Umbria, La Gioia is a charming holiday retreat offering 8 apartments and a suite with the services of a hotel. The solitary estate is set within 15 acres of farmland between rolling hills and has a lake and forest. Fruit and vegetables are grown, and an extra virgine olive oil is produced from the 1000 trees on the estate.

A special place in enchanting nature between forests, olive groves, and fruit orchards, Tenuta di Canonica is a charming and elegant hotel set in an ancient watch tower on top of a hill overlooking the medieval town of Todi. It is located in the green heart of Umbria on the border of Tuscany, not far from Rome, the Tiber Valley and the Corbara Lake. A perfect location from which to explore all the art towns of central Italy.

With splendid views across the vineyard-covered hills to Orvieto perched dramatically on the distant clifftop, Locanda Palazzone will have you at hello. The 13th-century wine estate's monastic-chic interiors, heartfelt hospitality, array of activities, and impeccable dining only make the coup de foudre complete.

Villa Gasparini is an unique design hotel housed in an 18th-century former villa, once the summer residence of an aristocratic family. It is located across the street from the Brenta waterway near the town of Dolo, midway between Venice and Padua (both a 25-minute drive). The “Riviera del Brenta” is the scenery for old Venetian nobles and a perfect holiday destination to escape from the urban chaos with its parks, fields, gardens, orchards, villas and farms.

Surrounded by a 2.5 acres park with ancient trees (once the game reserve of the aristocratic Este family), Horti della Fasanara is a charming boutique hotel, located a few steps away from the Estense Castle and Palazzo dei Diamanti. Ferrara’s historic city centre is an easy bus ride away. Here, history, art and nature come together in an enchanted renaissance environment.

The hotel draws inspiration from the city’s passion of preserving history. With headboards throughout the bedrooms mimicking the beautifully preserved fresco paintings in the city, and the back panelling in the lobby that plays to the garden of Romeo and Juliet, guests find nods to the surrounding neighbourhood in the hotel’s design. Red marble native to Verona (Marmo rosso di Verona) throughout the public areas creates an elevated feel of a grand Italian residence.