41 Best Hotels in Italy

Inspired by the beach resorts of the Greek isles, La Guardia is a minimalist retreat with sweeping sea views and plenty of wicker lamps, seagrass accents, and wooden furniture. Aperitivi on the terrace are a large part of this hotel's appeal, as is the Mediterranean menu conceived by chef Milena Andretto and prepared using only island-sourced ingredients.

The first thing you’ll notice about this elegant resort in the hills above Gargnano are the stupendous lake and mountain views; the second thing will be its enormous spa, which is so filled with amenities (heated indoor-outdoor pool, saunas, well-equipped lake-view gym, extensive treatment menu) that you might just want to stay all day—and some guests do. The large rooms are modern and airy, and all afford panoramic views from their private terrace or balcony.

This goal of this hotel, opened in 1924, is to relax the body and the spirit—and it certainly makes a smashing effort by offering year-round outdoor pools, an indoor pool, a delightful spa, and beautiful park surroundings. You can stay in a traditional room, a luxury suite, or even in the unique tree-house room. They also run the nearby San Luis Retreat Hotel & Lodges, with chalets and 16 tree houses.

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.

Set in a quiet residential neighborhood amid 15 acres of lush Mediterranean parkland, the Rome Cavalieri is a true hilltop oasis with magnificent views as well as three outdoor pools, one indoor pool, and a palatial spa. Rooms (ask for one facing the city) are spacious, with private balconies, striped damask, puffy armchairs, and no shortage of luxe amenities, including a pillow menu and luxurious bath products. The rooftop restaurant, La Pergola, is one of the best in the city.

Designed by postmodernist Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi, this resort hotel has sweeping views of the Maremman countryside on all sides. The pool and gardens are magnificent, the rooms are tastefully decorated, and the staff is helpful and friendly. 

Driven by their passion for wine and the island of Lipari, the visionary Lentsch family decided to embark on a project of great scale beginning in 2006 (spanning 2,000 square meters) ending with the beautiful and unique result that you see today: three micro-residences designed with the most modern amenities and plant technologies in keeping with full respect of nature. Everything on this property is eco-friendly (solar chimneys, a wind tower, and thermal labyrinth to name a few) and features primarily local products, an external lava stone pool, and a patio completely immersed within the vineyard. This is slow Sicilian living to the utmost degree. 

Spa living might not get any more top-notch than at this resort, where you can roam in a plush white bathrobe (waiting in your room) before dipping into the 37.5°C (100°F) sulfurous pools and where seemingly every possible health and beauty treatment is available. Sleek elegance pervades public and private rooms: tall windows have floor-to-ceiling draperies in rich colors like steel blue and gray or burnt umber and sage; floors are polished wood. Eclectic furniture includes some sleigh-shape benches and oval night tables. You can opt for half or full board to complete the experience.

The only five-star hotel on the island, this dramatically situated resort excels at the concept of Italian benessere (well-being) with a spa that uses salt water in their treatments. Opt for a massage outside overlooking the sea. Four on-site bars and restaurants (including one vegetarian option and two with one Michelin star) mean that you can fully relax into vacation mode and never leave the property.

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.

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.