781 Best Hotels in Italy

Home to several individual, purpose-built dammusi, Pantelleria Dream is set in its own grounds above Cala Levante and the Arco dell’Elefante. This is a really good midrange option, and prices in low season are incredible value for money, especially if you book well in advance. There is a big pool, well-tended gardens, a restaurant, and a bar. Rooms are simple but tasteful, with black tiled floors and white walls and bed linens, and each has its own terrace, traditionally roofed with canes.

A member of Marriott's Autograph Collection, this boutique hotel is a sleek retreat in the center of the action. The design is clean lined and modern, with amenities like smart TVs, minibars stocked with full-size bottles of wine, and smartphones you can use while exploring the city. The Michelin-starred restaurant, Idylio by Apreda, serves creative cuisine by one of Rome's most renowned chefs, Francesco Apreda (formerly of the Hassler), and the Divinity Terrace on the rooftop offers a relaxing spot for an aperitivo (aperitif) surrounded by the church domes and terra-cotta roofs of Rome.

Housed within the handsome Palazzo Rosso, the former residence of Ostuni's first mayor has been transformed from near dereliction to a stunning boutique hotel. Expect quirky artworks and design both ancient and modern throughout, from the Cuban-flavored bar and cozy lounges to a series of one-off guest rooms and outside area with a chic pool and intriguing corners.     

The 1960s-era facade of this large, seven-story hotel designed by Gio Ponti contrasts with the turn-of-the-20th-century Italian court decor and the extensive botanical garden outside, resulting in a combination of traditional elegance and contemporary pleasure. Windows in every room overlook an ocean of green, surmounted by St. Peter's dome. The hotel has wonderful indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a piano bar with stained glass and carved walnut appointments, a massive spa, and chamber music in the garden.

This ultraprivate hotel is free from noise except for the lapping of waves on the rocks; terraces and flowering gardens spill down a rocky cliff to private beaches below, and on the hill above, the owners raise purebred donkeys that you can ride over the mountain and goats that produce fresh yogurt and cheese for breakfast. Rooms feel more like those of a private home than a hotel; to complete your sense of relaxation, hydromassages and mud baths are available at the hotel's spa. You can only get here via the hotel's private boat.

A 17th-century palace has been refurbished with 21st-century amenities to provide a lovely place to rest one's head: the suites are under the same management as the Parizzi restaurant (it's a shared entrance), so you can just glide downstairs for a marvelous meal. (Alternatively, room service of the highest quality is available.) All suites—with hardwood floors, high ceilings, and well-supplied kitchens—offer simple elegance at reasonable prices. One is perfect for families; another will suit sybarites who might want to splash around in the Jacuzzi. Rates are lower for weeklong (and long-term) stays.

An exercise in Art Nouveau opulence, presiding over a large park in the middle of town, this elegant hotel features art-filled guest rooms, handsome public spaces, and an exceptional restaurant. The register is filled with the names of Europe's grand nobility, including Archduke Franz Ferdinand (whose murder in Sarajevo sparked World War I). The bar is popular with locals, especially for Jazz Fridays (held from October to May). Restaurant Laurin is superb, using only local ingredients and bringing a lighter sensibility to rustic regional dishes; ConTanima restaurant, in a glass house within the hotel gardens, serves up wonderfully creative cuisine.

Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua hosted artists and politicians at this 5-acre lakefront villa in Moltrasio, just north of Cernobbio, until the count's death in 1890; today the Bellini Suite (a 2,700-square-foot suite with an opulent music room reserved for Vincenzo Bellini while he composed operas) and 23 others, have restored frescoes, Murano glass chandeliers, and luxurious soaking tubs. The De Santis family's luxury hideaway, in the vein of its Grand Hotel Tremezzo, has a tennis court, pool festooned with orange-and-white striped cushioned chairs and umbrellas, 15 fountains, and staff in ascots, which adds to the bygone era atmosphere. Cocktails with garden-fresh herbs (such as a Lavender Gin Sour and Rose Petal Martini), are served in a cozy fire-lit bar, with a ceiling adorned in the Lucini family's coat of arms of three pikes, which is also the insignia on brass key chains, stationery, and embroidered robes. In the on-site restaurant, black-tied waitstaff present regional dishes such as perch and veal shank with Milanese risotto, all inspired by 19th-century botany books and served on Ginori 1735 porcelain.

Behind iron gates in one of the busiest parts of the city is this renowned Gothic-style villa with gardens and charmingly decorated accommodations with Venetian-style antique reproductions and fine tapestry. It all began in 1783, not as a hotel, but as the Russian embassy, and returned as the Russian consulate between the two world wars. When the Salmaso family turned it into a modest hotel in 1951, Russians continued to gravitate here—Josef Brodsky (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1987) was a frequent guest—not to mention European film stars and even royalty. Common areas and guest rooms overlook either the picturesque Rio San Trovaso or the lush gardens. Inlaid designs or mosaics decorate marble- or ceramic-tiled baths.

In a calm location within easy walking distance of Modena's main tourist attractions, this hotel housed in an old palazzo has plenty of old-world character in the form of antique paintings, fancy plasterwork, and trompe l’oeil in the public rooms. Rooms are clean and come in varying sizes, and there is a terrace with tables and chairs and spacious gardens to relax in. The elegant restaurant La Secchia Rapita provides traditional local dishes and attentive service, while wide-ranging buffet breakfasts are served in the vaulted cellar.

People come from all over the world to enjoy the quiet country life in this 16th-century farmhouse, where rooms are furnished with unadorned wooden furniture. Dinners, which are included in rates along with breakfast, are inventive. The friendly owner, who speaks English, enjoys serving local dishes and wine while sparking conversation at the dinner table.

Far from the madding crowds, Porto Roca is perched on the famous terraced cliffs right over the main beach, with large balconies to savor panoramic views of the magnificent sea. A good restaurant serving well-prepared Ligurian cuisine and a spectacular cliffside pool and solarium make up for the somewhat basic rooms. Book directly with the hotel to take advantage of a discount at the restaurant. There's a two- or three-night minimum stay in high season, and under-14s are not accommodated.

Just a block from the lake, on downtown Como's pedestrian-only Piazza Volta, this boutique hotel has a minimalist modern interior that's in perfect keeping with its exterior—the 1931 building that houses it was designed by Rationalist architect Giuseppe Terragni. All guest rooms have soothing gray color schemes, marble bathrooms, and flat-screen TVs; some also have piazza views (and soundproof windows). Although breakfast isn't included, you can grab a coffee and pastry in the attached bistro, a stylish spot that becomes a hip local hangout come evening. The terrace overlooking the square is a great place to relax.

Located beside the bus and parking space, and a short walk to Piazza Libertà, Primo is a sleek modern hotel, with great staff, whitewashed spaces and comfortable rooms with some interesting lighting and design throughout. Buffet breakfast is pretty decent with plenty of choices and is taken in the light-filled restaurant area.  

Family owned and operated by Maria Pia and her siblings, this boutique hotel is a unique find on the island, offering quiet luxury, the warmest Italian hospitality, and a sophisticated yet relaxed environment. The beautiful white structure (typical of Panarea) was originally the first and only supermarket on the island—and had the very first telephone. It's been an affittacamere (old Italian guesthouse) since 1964, having been transformed into a lovely oasis overlooking the sea with tastefully designed rooms, a good restaurant, and a staff that make you feel like you are home.

The focus at this famiglia Mellino–run hotel and Italian nouvelle restaurant is on both fine food and relaxation: the becalming Nerano environs and gorgeous rooms—all of them whitewashed with splashes of bold color and some of them with two-person whirlpool tubs—make it a pleasure to fall into bed. Dine indoors in the chic modern dining room with new open kitchen, on the big terrace in a lemon grove, or have a homemade limoncello in the brick-arched cantina stocked from fine vineyards north of Salerno. "A hop, skip, and a jump" is how the name translates colloquially—appropriately so, because it's in Nerano, a five-minute drive from Marina del Cantone, in the groves of the peninsula hillsides.

Some say Capri has three villages: Capri Town, Anacapri, and this landmark hotel, which looms large in island mythology, attracts utterly devoted guests, and has an enormous lobby and theater-cum-convention center that are 1930s jewels designed by noted modernist Gio Ponti. The "Quisi" also scores points for its restaurants, see-and-be-seen bars (plug into Capri's network of rich and famous at the Quisi Bar), and convenient location a short walk from the Piazzetta. The clientele is so loyal that even though this is Capri's biggest hotel, it's really hard to get a reservation in high season.

This updated historic palazzo maintains elements of its early 1900s grandeur: parquet floors, 13-foot ceilings, and porcelain stoneware tiles. Almost every room has its own balcony, and the hotel is full of art by Giancarlo Mustich. It's a very clean and enchanting little place to lay your head. The owner, Massimo Costantino, has relationships with everyone in the neighborhood and can arrange to have lunch or dinner brought into the hotel if you're a bit road weary and simply don't want to go out. 

Spacious rooms in an 18th-century building on Asti's main square are eclectically decorated, with a mix of contemporary and period furniture. Though this is one of the oldest hotels in Asti, most of the bathrooms have been modernized and well maintained.

Built in the early 1960s, and home to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton while they filmed Cleopatra, Ischia's largest luxury hotel is tucked away in an exclusive corner of the beach, where it pampers guests (some attending conventions) with its resort facilities and spa treatments. Rooms are ample and decorated in warm Mediterranean colors, and most have terraces or balconies, some with Jacuzzis, many overlooking the sea, others the hotel gardens. Don't miss the fun of socializing with chic vacationers in the elegant bar or at the Michelin-starred restaurant, Indaco—a meal here is worth it if only for the fabulous views over the harbor.

In a 15th-century palazzo on one of the city's oldest streets, Relais Giulia is a classic Roman Renaissance boutique hotel with sophisticated modern furnishings and fixtures. It's spread out over three floors and includes magnificently restored ancient frescoes, soaring original wood-beam ceilings and terra-cotta floors, flowing drapes, and romantic canopy beds. Amenities include whirlpool bathtubs, free Wi-Fi, iPads for guests to use at the reception, and flat-screen TVs.

In what was originally an olive oil mill, this boutique property has sweeping views of Montepulciano and Monte Amiata and rooms inspired by a traditional Tuscan aesthetic, with elements such as herringbone terra-cotta floors and patterned satin linens. The restaurant is headed by Tuscan chef and cookbook author Marco Leonelli, who prepares contemporary Italian and Mediterranean dishes using seasonal produce grown on-site or nearby. 

Set within the former cloister grounds of the Santa Chiara order, with beautiful gardens, Le Clarisse makes you feel like you're staying at a close friend's villa, thanks to the comfortable size of the guest rooms and personalized service. This charming oasis features simple but classically styled accommodations with terra-cotta-tiled floors, wrought-iron bed frames, and oak furnishings; some rooms open onto a bright courtyard surrounded by a Mediterranean garden of grapevines and olive and lemon trees.

For those not requiring an elevator, this small, well-managed B&B—with simple but stylish, high-ceilinged rooms and a fabulous and funky breakfast setting overlooking Corso Italia—is an excellent choice near all the action.

This small hotel has reasonable rates considering its prime location—namely, a side street behind the lovely Via dei Coronari and right around the corner from Piazza Navona. The kitschy wallpaper prints wrapping the guest rooms are the notable cute factor in the otherwise standard lodgings.

Brothers Gigi and Paolo Zani transformed a castle and soldiers' barracks dating from the Middle Ages into a retreat just above the Città Alta. Original architectural features like stone arches and wooden beams are seen in many of the rooms, along with the castle fortification, which is incorporated into the terraced gardens and pergolas where guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and aperitifs during the spring and summer. Rooms are tastefully decorated in shades of gray and white and each has a unique modern work of art created by a Bergamo artist as well as vintage pieces—like a leather vaulting horse. Opt for one of the "relax" rooms, which has a soaking tub and shower, or a terrace room with views of the city below; there are also two rooms designed for families with sofas that become single beds. An on-site restaurant, Cucina, serves lunch, dinner, and tasting menus with a focus on meat and fish and Italian-influenced dishes with a contemporary flair. 

This 19th-century villa with a restaurant and 12 rooms sits on a hill above Licata, lending a lovely sea view. There are extensive views from the lounge, evocatively decorated with vintage wedding photos, a wind-up gramophone and antique piano, and long terraces perfect for evening cocktails. The grounds include a small pool, and the rooms are simple but tasteful. There is also a well-regarded restaurant, La Bottega. 

Within walking distance of both the Teatro San Carlo and the Centro Storico, this efficient, Marriott-affiliated business hotel has a lobby and guest rooms that are bright and airy. A nice plus here is the beautiful roof garden, where breakfast is served.

Although detached from the town's hubbub, this hotel is actually in a central location on Trapani's northern waterfront, with wonderful coastal views. The "studio" rooms are sleek and spacious and come with kitchenettes, and there's a garden, gym, and reading room. Best of all, generous breakfasts are served on a terrific roof terrace with panoramic views over town and the coast. It lies at one end of Via Torrearsa, so perfectly sited to participate in Trapani's boisterous evening passeggiata. There is secure parking, albeit 2 km (1 mile) away, linked to the residence by a free shuttle bus, or you can find your own parking space closer.

In a prime position overlooking the port, this residence is the best option for spending a few days on Ustica. Each of the one- or two-room apartments comes with kitchenettes, and front-facing rooms have large windows for soaking up the harbor views. But the best features are the two large terraces with sunloungers arranged around a small pool and the irresistible vistas out to sea. Breakfast is also served on the panoramic terrace. The residence is just a few minutes' walking distance from Ustica's main square, and there's a shuttle bus to a private lido at the island's western tip. Guests must book a minimum of two nights.