585 Best Hotels in Italy

A pastel oasis of calm amid hectic Piazza Garibaldi, this sleek, clean, and stylish hotel has up-to-date, comfortable rooms. The big pluses are the excellent staff and emphasis on fine food—the chef here is known to invent dishes with what's available at the market on a given day. Other draws include a panoramic roof terrace and a small gym. The closest hotel to the station, Terminus is also near the main highways to Rome and the south.

At this comfortable lodge with a distinctive wooden facade, flower-bedecked balconies catch the sun, and contemporary guest rooms and suites have views of the forested slopes. The restaurant serves home cooking as well as international dishes.

On the edge of Camigliatello, less than 1 km (½ mile) from the ski slopes, this hotel is in a peaceful, picturesque location. Don't be put off by its '70s-era look—the lodge is well equipped with plenty of space for evening entertainment, including live music, and relaxation after a day of hiking or skiing. There is a sun terrace shaded by a walnut tree, and all rooms have balconies. Keep an eye out for good full-board deals in summer.

You need to make your way north to the Campo Carlo Magno Pass to reach this grand if dated hotel, the former summer residence of Habsburg emperor Franz Josef, replete with verandas, Persian rugs, and bay windows. A modern wing has been added, but there's still tons of old-world charm. In summer the golf course attracts a tony crowd. Note that the hotel requires minimum night stays during many months.

Lying 5 km (3 miles) outside the hustle and bustle of San Vito in the Castelluzzo neighborhood, this hotel has gardens planted with olive trees and is surrounded by wonderful scenery. There's no pool, but it's within easy distance of some superb beaches. Guest rooms are large and tastefully furnished, and bikes are available for exploring the environs. There's a four- to five-night minimum stay in summer, and, unusually for this area, the hotel remains open in winter.

This seaside resort hotel and spa offers basic rooms and mini-apartments (some with balconies), as well as a pool, restaurant, and the opportunity for a family-friendly experience. 

Set within a thoughtfully restored palazzo, UNA HOTELS Trastevere blends modern comfort with the character of one of Rome’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Its comfortable, light-filled rooms feature contemporary details like universal sockets and smart TVs. Set an easy walk from Trastevere’s lively piazzas, the hotel provides quiet escapes as well—whether in the tranquil inner courtyard or on the rooftop terrace with views of the city all the way to the Apennine Mountains.

Just across the street from Villa Borghese, this four-star boutique hotel, built in 1889 and decorated like a throwback to that era, is popular with American business travelers. The hotel is handsomely adorned with Oriental rugs, oil paintings, and fresh flowers throughout the common areas. Floral prints and fabrics are a common theme in the guest rooms, on wallpaper and matching bedspreads and drapes. Make sure to ask for a room on one of the upper floors to get a glimpse of the gardens.

The former home of James Joyce is a real gem of a hotel—with stylish, unfussy traditional decor and a just-out-of-town location that's convenient for both local sightseeing and trips into the Karst mountains. Beyond the grand lobby, there's a handsome wood-filled breakfast area and a lovely little library and lounge with funky armchairs. The latter is perfect for relaxing with Ulysses or one of the weighty design tomes. Many of the spacious rooms have gorgeous parquet flooring, elegant furnishings, and tasteful artwork.

A 10-minute walk from the Piazza Duomo, this secluded hotel with a garden is family-run and shares the same exhilarating view of the Bay of Salerno as Ravello's most expensive hotels. Rooms are generally small (some feature an outside space with a table for two) and have modern furnishing; suites are in a different league.

With a superlative panoramic view over the Bay of Cartaromana, Villa Antonio offers a quiet haven close to the action, and direct access to the sea is a few private steps away from the casual whitewashed villa. Sun beds, though, abound at several garden levels, so most guests tend not to stray too far. Guest rooms are basic, but all have air-conditioning and sea views. The owner's brother is a sculptor—his granite and marble works are scattered around the flower-decked terraces, and his studio is in the square by the hotel.

This Stile Liberty villa in the seaside village of Acquafredda has original features and period pieces, a tranquil garden, a pool where you can idle the days away, and a flowery terrace for sunset dining. In the summer, a shuttle bus operates between the villa and the town's beach. Note: there's a minimum four-night stay in high season.  The spectacular coastline traced by the SS18 road from Sapri to Acquafredda near the hotel stars in the 2021 Bond film, No Time to Die.

From its 19th-century furnishings to a 21st-century spa and a romantic garden, this luxurious 16th-century villa turned hotel strives for opulence. Once owned by the Venice restaurateur and hotelier Giuseppe Cipriani, the property is now owned by Massimo Zanetti, the coffee magnate. Superior-class rooms have views; the two suites with private terraces are pricey, but views are absolutely stunning. The restaurant terrace overlooks the garden and hills, a perfect place to sip an aperitif.

Not far from Ragusa Superiore's cathedral, this smart hotel in a handsome 1700s-era stone palazzo has comfortable, spacious rooms with understated decor, a grand breakfast room with ornate ceiling, and a lovely garden with pool. Expect a curious and intriguing mix architectural styles, from grand noble saloni to rustic, stone-coved ceilings in the corridors. Unfortunately, while the building's unique historical features dazzle, the modern guest rooms can be slightly underwhelming.    

A narrow winding road takes you from town to this imposing villa, now a luxurious hotel retreat thanks to its valley and lake views and its peaceful grounds, which have an outdoor pool and a tennis court. You may think twice about a busy sightseeing itinerary once you've settled into a sunny spot, cool drink in hand.

When the Eternal City becomes too chaotic for you, head to this budget hotel inside a 19th-century Roman villa just minutes from Termini Station. There's a tranquil rose garden where guests typically have breakfast or sip afternoon tea. Rooms are simple and functional, decorated in soft neutral tones.

A practical choice near Pompeii's archaeological site, this hotel run by a friendly staff has a pleasant sun terrace and spacious, ultramodern rooms, five with kitchens and cooking utensils.

The former summer residence of a local aristocrat has been converted into a luxurious hotel in which each individually styled guest room is furnished with antiques and has a balcony with a view. The public spaces include an intimate wood-paneled library. The vast roof terrace, where a fantastic breakfast is served, takes in a wide panorama embracing Etna and the bay below. There is a shuttle bus service to the town.

Popular with young Wandervögel (young German travelers) who have a laid-back approach to traveling, this unique option is noted for its artisanal style and picturesque architecture: most guest rooms are in tiny garden villas and often feature rotunda ceilings, toy fireplaces, and Caprese arts and crafts. One shortcoming is the location, at the far back end of Anacapri. Although you are only a few minutes' walk from the Villa Damecuta ruins, you're very far away from the island's action.

Some 2 km (1 mile) from downtown Marsala, this luxurious retreat with extensive semitropical gardens was built as a baglio, or wine estate, and it retains strong echoes of its 19th-century origins. Public areas are positively grandiose: the cool courtyard, tall white walls, and pointed arches evocative of a Moorish palace. The accommodations come in two forms: classic rooms and, scattered around the grounds, very basic igloo-shaped bungalows that are large enough for a family. The large swimming pool is also great for families. Quality meals and pizzas are served in the evenings, and the English-speaking staff are discreet and attentive.

This 1892 Art Nouveau villa hotel, named for the Italian publishing family who once vacationed here, has attracted the likes of Winston Churchill, D.H. Lawrence, and Benito Mussolini to its private lake-view gardens; extensive library; sumptuous and palatial rooms (as befits the final bill); and overall opulent interior of fresco ceilings, wood paneling, and antique ceramics. If you can afford it, take the tower room or one of the independent guesthouses.

A fine restaurant and five tastefully furnished guest rooms are housed in the pink-and-white lakeside villa given to Benito Mussolini's mistress, Claretta Petacci, by Il Duce himself. The Art Nouveau restaurant features seasonal ingredients especially in salads and soups; for even more romance, dine outside, beside the lake.

If you're eager to settle in for a while, this charming villa, a private home for centuries, has a prime location overlooking Piazza Flavio Gioia (the Spiaggia Grande is but a hop, skip, and flip-flop away) and bright mini-apartments, each with a cooking area and a terrace or large balcony. The small garden, which hosts exhibitions by local painters, is a pleasant place to chill out as you watch the tourists and Positanesi trekking down to the beach.

Abundant breakfasts and communal dinner parties on Tuesday and Friday at the guest-only restaurant are just some of the things that make a stay at Fontelunga feel like you're staying with family. In fact, its owners, Paolo Kastelec and Philip Robinson, have gone to great lengths to make every space in this boutique hotel feel cozy and warm from the overstuffed armchairs in the living room to the bright Tuscan prints on the bedspreads. Outside, olive groves and perfectly trimmed hedges frame sweeping views of the Tuscan countryside. 

Hued in glowing terra-cotta, adorned with gorgeous flowers, and fronted by a vast garden terrace, the Villa Maria offers more sunny warmth than Ravello's more formal hotels—not to mention a delightfully friendly staff (thanks to the hands-on management of the Palumbo family) and a convenient restaurant. All but two rooms are standard, and there's an airy suite that has a large balcony overlooking the coast. The views here are of the Vallone del Dragone, not the bay, but are memorable all the same. Also check out Maria's next-door sibling, the Hotel Giordano, a former 18th-century manor house, which shares facilities with the villa. The rooms are less desirable here, but the pool is closer.

Housed in an early 20th-century villa, this boutique hotel above Marina Grande amid lush terraced gardens evokes a time when the island was an artists' paradise; most of the sumptuous, modern guest rooms look out over the bay, and each one is individually decorated and named for a Capri luminary. If the sleek hotel's small pool isn't to your liking, choose a suite with a private pool. A shuttle bus meets you at the port, then a welcome drink is served under a shady veranda overlooking the bay, while your luggage is whisked to your room. The Stai Spa offers exclusively designed treatments, while the Ziqù restaurant serves traditional local fare with an original touch.

Run with friendly charm and efficiency, the Novecento is a peaceful haven with the style of a comfortable mountain lodge, complete with a log fire in winter, traditional fabrics, wooden furnishings, and early-19th-century prints. The restaurant, with only a few extra tables for nonguests, serves creative adaptations of traditional cuisine; it's a good choice for a relaxed evening meal after an active day on the slopes.

If you want to be pampered in the refined atmosphere of a private villa, this is the spot, with the warmth of a fireplace in the winter, a pool to cool you down in summer, and cozy reading nooks and guest rooms year-round. It's just outside the town walls and is a short walk from all the local sights. Cooking courses are given on the premises; horseback-riding and golf trips can be arranged; and shopping excursions for local textiles, cashmere, and ceramics are popular diversions.