781 Best Hotels in Italy

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. 

A stay at Villa Luisa might not put you in the lap of luxury, but its location just off a busy road—though still near Lake Lucrino, Lake Averno, and the Stufe di Nerone thermal baths—as well as its spa facilities, beachside lido, sun terrace, and mini-apartment option make it a good-value option.

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.

Converted from an elegant 16th-century Franciscan convent and immersed in gorgeous, flowery grounds and cloisters on the outskirts of Tropea, this pastel-hued retreat-style hotel has stylish, minimalist interiors and wonderful tranquil terraces replete with infinity pool and breathtaking views. Breakfast is bountiful and fresh, and served à la carte, while the De' Minimi restaurant delivers excellent seafood dishes.    

About 2½ miles outside the main town, Villa Paradiso offers a collection of mountainside apartments that are great for groups or individual travelers who want to escape the hubbub. Each one has spectacular sea views of Vulcano and the Sicilian coastline (including Etna on a clear day)  from their private terraces. The staff can help arrange everything from treks and boat tours to bicycle and car rentals.

A beautiful Ligurian villa in the Camogli hills offers chic, contemporary, and comfortable accommodations along with well-manicured gardens and outdoor sitting areas, arbors, and a welcoming pool. This tranquil retreat is a 15-minute walk up shady staircases from the seaside village, and light lunches are available for those who don't feel like venturing out. Minimum stay is two nights. 

In the hills of Fiesole, a cypress-lined driveway provides an elegant preamble to this incredibly gorgeous (and very expensive) hotel, which is housed in a 16th-century building that was originally a Franciscan convent designed by Santi di Tito. Not a single false note is struck in the reception area (formerly the chapel), the dining rooms (a covered cloister and former refectory), or by the tasteful antiques and art that decorate the rooms. The open-air loggia, where lunch and dinner are served, provides one of the most stunning views of Florence—a good thing, too, as it compensates for the highly overpriced food.

Built into the rocky shoreline just outside Atrani, this small, friendly, family-run hotel with fresh blue-hued rooms has the feel of a private villa hideaway, one with peaceful lemon- and flower-scented terraces that tumble down the cliffs and access to the Mar Tirreno waves.

This yellow, two-story, Mediterranean-style hostelry built in 1974—complete with Capri's signature round windows and a setting amid lovely gardens in a tranquil residential district—has lots of Caprese family spirit and simple but homey, brightly accented rooms that will make you feel like a guest in a private villa. The restful nights do come at a price: it's a 15-minute walk down to the action of the piazzetta. 

Many of the guest rooms at this well-situated hotel have private terraces with gorgeous Instagrammable views of Etna without the crowds (or high prices) of nearby Taormina. Along with a refreshing swimming pool, colorful public spaces include a lobby, bar, and lounge that make the most of the stellar vista, plus a restaurant with a wine bar.

This hotel on the main drag is housed within one of Sciacca's few palazzi that have been renovated to showcase their period finery. The building dates from the 17th century and retains its arched doorways and a splendid internal courtyard. The decor is a mixture of old and new, while the rooms (some with patios) are mainly spacious and equipped with fridges and modern bathrooms—there's also a family suite. It's just steps away from Piazza Scandaliato, and you can park close by. There's a week-long minimum stay in August.

This modern ski chalet-style hotel just south of Cervinia hits all the marks for an active yet relaxing holiday, with on-site equipment rentals, a large spa complete with swimming pool, and even personal saunas in some guest rooms. Rooms feature woodsy, if a tad basic, decor; all have balconies with views of either the forest or the nearby ski slopes. Panorama Restaurant—with panoramic views of the mountains—serves up traditional Italian dishes with a local spin, as well as an expansive breakfast buffet, while cozy wood-paneled Abrì Restaurant (winter season only) specializes in heartier Valle d’Aosta cuisine such as meat platters, cabbage soup, fondue, and raclette. The spa, which must be reserved in advance, includes an indoor pool, whirlpool, steam room, saunas, a salt relaxation room, and a small gym. Though getting to the town isn’t very walkable, a fast and frequent complimentary shuttle takes guests directly to Cervinia and to the ski lifts.

A striking white and artsy contemporary building on the lungomare offers a dozen spacious, immaculately whitewashed apartments that make for a fabulous beachside base.  

On a quiet street between Via Veneto and the Spanish Steps, the W Rome brings a calculated cool to an upscale old-world area. Spread across two adjoining 19th-century palazzos, the hotel embraces contemporary luxury with bold colors, sleek leather, and maximalist murals and art in the common spaces. With a rooftop terrace, small pool deck, full gym, interior garden, modern Sicilian restaurant by lauded chef Ciccio Sultano, pastry shop, and a sneakers pop-up store by Big Soup, the hotel embodies la dolce vita and offers more amenities than most in the center of Rome.

The Excelsior's imposing, Moorish-style building with its green cupolas and inner courtyard comes complete with potted lemon trees, a reflecting pool; and dramatic windows overlooking the Adriatic Sea; the feel is decidedly Mediterranean. No longer a haunt of the noble and famous of the dolce vita days (except during the Biennale and Venice Film Festival), the hotel nonetheless offers the same panache, luxury, and space as ever. Rooms are spacious and tastefully modern, done in bright colors, and face either the inner garden or the beach below; there are all the services you might expect from a five-star hotel, including a pool, fitness center, tennis, and restaurants and bars in the hotel and on the beach. A shuttle boat between the hotel and San Zaccaria runs every half hour.

Ablaze with lights at night, this seven-layer-cake hotel—topped off by its famous cupola—is popular with visiting diplomats (who might be headed to the U.S. Embassy across the street), celebrities, and American conference groups. The interior is classically lavish, with mirrors, elegant moldings, Asian rugs, crystal chandeliers, and huge floral arrangements. Although guest rooms have elegant drapery, marble baths, top-quality linens, and big, firm beds, some could use a face-lift to better match the grandeur of the lobby and the other public areas. The hotel is home to Orvm Bar and Doney's—once the epicenter of Fellini's paparazzi, which features a pâtisserie, a cocktail bar, an opera-themed brunch on Sunday, and fine dining.

Don't be fooled by the functional exterior of one of Milan's key business addresses: inside, rooms have a contemporary look with soothing gray walls and marble bathrooms. Although there's no pool, many of the 30 suites have their own Turkish baths. The in-house PanEVO restaurant focuses on seasonal northern Italian cuisine and has a lovely outdoor terrace in season.

This chic hotel may fool you into thinking the digs are expensive, but the contemporary coolness of Yes Hotel, located around the corner from Termini station, actually comes at a bargain. Guest rooms are decorated in crisp neutral colors and modern fabrics, and come with amenities such as flat-screen TVs, top-of-the-line toiletries, and electronic safes.

The friendly and laid-back owners will pamper you at this small agriturismo (farm stay) where two cottage apartments open onto gardens and the pool is right on the edge of corn and sunflower fields. You may wake up to find that local produce from the surrounding farms has miraculously appeared on your doorstep. The farmer across the way takes pride in showing guests around his small winery and offering tastings of his potent white wine.

Nice wood flooring, comfortable rooms, and contemporary furnishings that maximize space and bring in light all help recommend this conveniently located bargain in pricey Milan. Flat-screens, Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and free use of the minibar are among the many amenities for guests.

Don't let the rustic appearance of the buildings fool you—this is one of the plushest agriturismi (farm stays) in Umbria. The rooms are furnished in varying ethnic styles, with nice little extras thrown in such as bedside kettles and an array of teas and herbal infusions. The owners also organize a series of outdoor activities.