italy: favorite luxury hotels?
 

Hello everyone! I was wondering what people's favorite luxury hotels are in Italy. I'm just starting to plan my honeymoon and since I am having so much trouble deciding where in Italy to go, I thought maybe hearing about some favorite hotels might help - because I'm one of those people who can't resist a really luxurious hotel. (we're willing to spend a good amount of money, but something short of Villa D'Este $1000 a night type money)

Hello sharbear, if you are going to Florence the Excelsior across the street from the River Arno is very beautiful with fantastic service and walkable to everything. Here is the website:
http://excelsior.hotelinfirenze.com/?source=googles

Another hotel that is very lovely is the Hotel Savoy in Florence:http://www.lhw.com/property.aspx?&pr...FRpdagodgFyl8g

Sorry sharbear, for some reason the Hotel Savoy website did not post properly and the edit function on Fodor's doesn't seem to be working right now. But if you are interested just Google Hotel Savoy for their proper website address.
And congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Villa Cipriani in Asolo (90 minutes outside of Venice) is really lovely.

There are very nice hotels in most of the desirable places in Italy. I suggest your best bet is to pick the locations first.

I agree that you should pick where you want to go first, then find a luxury hotel in your price range. Be aware that many luxury hotels are around $1000 per night now. I just checked rates on my favorite luxury hotel in Rome, the de Russie, and a deluxe double in June is over $900. Very luxurious hotels in Positano like the Sirenuse and San Pietro are also around that price or higher. You may get a better rate in Venice or Florence (but not at the Cipriani or the Villa San Michele).

Le Sireneuse in Positano is really the most romantic hotel I've ever stayed at. Consistenly listed as one of the top in the world, but it's the location and views and architecture that do it. PERFECT for a honeymoon, but very pricey.

OH, and Le Tre Vaselle in Umbria is amazing. We stayed in a suite overlooking the vineyards. From the lobby, we had to walk for ages in this really cool hallway that turned out to be a tunnel under the farmland landscape. VERY memorable and romantic to get a room with a patio and drink wine and eat cheese out there. EXCELLENT restaurant on premises, as well. I'm jealous already!

http://www.3vaselle.it/inglese/home.htm

one more! In Lake Como/Belaggio district- which is EXTREMELY romantic- the best is Villa Serbelloni on the lake. Excellent restaurant on premises, too

http://www.villaserbelloni.com/nuovo...Customerlang=2

Thanks for all the suggestions so far! yes I know I should choose places first, but this is kind of fun too.

Poodle - when I look at pictures Serbelloni, it looks like the double/queen beds are all twin beds pushed together! Is that really the case?

The former home of J. Paul Getty on the Med coast near Rome: La Posta Vecchia near Ladispoli. I wish I could say I've stayed there, but we were guests at an unbelievable dinner in the hotel's restaurant a few years ago. Luxe, luxe, luxe. www.lapostavecchia.com

But, for a honeymoon, I'd pick Il Pellicano in a heartbeat (where we have stayed). This hotel is also on the Med coast in Tuscany, at Porto Ercole/Argentario. Beautiful beach, pool, spa, numerous terraces. The decor doesn't ooze luxury quite the way La Posta Vecchia does, but the setting, views, amenities and location make it perfect.
www.pellicanohotel.com

Doubles at both hotels in high season are just under your $1,000 limit.

I love The San Pietro in Positano . Truly lovely and perfect for a honeymoon .Its rate includes breakfast and dinner exclusive of drinks .

The Lungarno in Florence is one of my favorite hotels in Italy. The riverview rooms with balconies are spectacular. And the service and location is excellent.

In Bellagio, we stayed in one of the loft apartments at The Belvedere. It's a huge apartment(one per floor) with an enormous terrace fronting the lake. Very private. I don't think it gets much better than that!

sharbear84- this is hysterical that you would pick up that bed situation (i.e. that they are pushed together). Now that you mention it, we actually encountered this at nearly every hotel we went to in Italy, no matter how fancy it was! Maybe other fodorites have an explanation for this.

Maybe it's an Italian thing- I do remember learning the word "matrimonio" - as in I had to tell the housekeeper that I wanted my bed made up for a married couple, because it was made "I Love Lucy" style with 2 sets of sheets so you wouldn't actualyl touch each other! :-)

Nothing holds a candle to Le Sireneuse, but Hotel Palazzo Murat in Positano is also very nice:

http://www.palazzomurat.it/

Well you have to understand Poodle, the husband needs a rest after his "siesta" in the afternoon with his..oh never mind, lol.

Yes sharbear, some hotels do have two beds pushed together. I am positive the two hotels I gave you information on did not. And a lot no longer do even in small towns. But best to check into that for sure!

Weadles - if you don't mind my asking how much was the apt at the Belvedere? I can't seem to find prices on the apts, only the hotel rooms - they do look lovely.

also...all these hotels are making me want to leave tomorrow. It does seem though like all the nicest hotels are around $1000 a night, and then there aren't any five or four star places in the $500 a night range..I guess I"ll just have to convince my FH that we need to spend more money on the trip:)
I'm usually not such a snob about hotels, but it is the honeymoon after all...

For our honeymoon we divided our time between the San Domenico Palace in Taormina (trad luxury) and the Raya in Panarea (simple but lovely and quite groovy).

I also love the Santa Caterina in Amalfi.

There was a trip report a while back by someone who stayed at this magnificent place:

Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli
on Lake Garda

http://www.villafeltrinelli.com/home/030416.swf