151 Best Hotels in Italy

This estate, one of the largest still in private hands in Tuscany, was purchased at the beginning of this century and meticulously converted into a second-to-none resort that incorporates a medieval borgo (village) and surrounding farmhouses and has luxurious suites, as well as opulent three- to five-bedroom villas, each with its own pool. There are two on-site restaurants, one formal, the other casual, where cooking lessons are also offered. The highly acclaimed, 18-hole golf course, designed by Tom Weiskopf, is open only to members of the golf club and hotel guests.

This oasis has stunning views of the Marina Corricella, with its terrace overlooking the pretty fishing village. The whitewashed rooms are tastefully furnished in bohemian style, with wicker tables and chairs, and the ground floor restaurant Il Pescatore, with outdoor seating on the dock, is open to nonguests. Book early, as this is one of the best hotels on the island. 

Originally opened by César Ritz in 1894, this grande dame has a Belle Epoque lobby filled with classic and contemporary art, a ballroom with painstakingly restored ceiling frescoes, and an intimate library where you can sip a cup of tea or something stronger. Rooms and suites feature a crisp neutral color palette (either powder blue or cinnamon) and mix furniture in the Empire, Regency, and Louis XV styles.

Whimsical design details evoking the Venetian landscape abound in this elegant, contemporary hotel constructed from five historic palazzi with phenomenal views onto the Grand Canal. Lovely guest rooms reflect the colors of the city at either dawn or dusk, and include such details as bed headboards echoing the curve of the gondolas and patterns on the bathroom mirrors reminiscent of Murano glass; some feature large furnished terraces with views of the canal and Santa Maria della Salute. Grey-and-white marble bathrooms include walk-in showers; some also have deep soaking tubs. Gio's Restaurant serves Venetian and Italian dishes, or try a seasonally changing cocktail indoors or out at one of the two bars, the St. Regis Bar or the Arts Bar. The compact yet well-stocked fitness room is open 24 hours a day, and spa suites are available for massages and facials.

Following a magnificent renovation by the Rocco Forte group, this Art Nouveau fantasy created by architect Ernesto Basile for the Florio family at the turn of the 20th century has been restored to its original glamour and glory. Set on the edge of a beautiful bay, a stroll around the tropical gardens reveals such relics as an ancient Greek temple-folly at the water's edge, while the jewel in the crown of the interior is the gorgeously frescoed Basile room. Rooms are large, and lavishly appointed, and many have balconies. A spacious and highly rated restaurant and bar unfold onto a panoramic terrace. Superb cocktails as well. 

In this tall and imposing villa, 15 minutes out of town, public rooms are outfitted in Renaissance style and guest rooms have high ceilings, plush carpeting, and deep bathtubs. A pool and beautiful views of the Arno are bonuses. So, too, is the up-to-the-minute spa. A shuttle bus runs every hour to and from the center of Florence, but the place is so peaceful, you might not want to bother.

Hoteliers Sara and Elena Maestrelli partnered with solely Italian designers on every aspect of their 17th-century palazzo-turned-hotel, from ceramics to window frames to wall paintings, in what they call an “Italian artisanal product,” overlooking Rio San Moise canal. Light and bright guest rooms range from cozy classic style to decadent suites with panoramic water views. Il Piccolo restaurant serves homestyle Venetian cuisine, with a strong focus on vegetables, while Il Piccolo Bar dishes out lighter meals of cicheti (also with a vegetarian version) and cocktails. This is one home-away-from-home you may never want to leave.

This luxurious retreat, magnificently set on a bluff high over the Bay of Naples, is one of Italy's most legendary hotels, complete with Art Deco touches throughout; lounges and salons decorated with avant-garde artwork and trompe-l'oeil frescoes; and guest rooms that range from sleekly modern to sumptuously fanciful. Breakfast and dine in style in the Mimmo Iodice room surrounded by gorgeous photography and panoramic vistas over the bay---or under the cliff-top wisteria pergola.

From the cozy yet sophisticated lobby, with its stone columns, to the guest rooms decorated with prints, you might feel as if you're a guest in a manor house. In fact, painstaking care has gone into making this hotel among the prettiest and most intimate in town. It has the bonus of being in the center of the centro storico, making this a luxurious base from which to explore the city.

Designed by Le Corbusier, this former private villa became a satellite headquarters for America's central command during World War II and hosted Churchill and Eisenhower; today, it's one of Capri's most beautiful hotels, with a breathtaking location on Punta Tragara; public areas adorned with baronial fireplaces, gilded antiques, and travertine marble; and guest rooms that are simultaneously sumptuous and cozy-casual. The dreamy garden is a showstopper, with two pools (one jet-powered) beside the idyllic arbor-covered restaurant, Monzù.

Set dramatically in the foothills, the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti is a luxe chalet home base for skiing the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage peaks—with two lifts within walking distance—or exploring the spectacular surroundings with cable car rides, hiking, and mountain- or e-biking. Dating to 1810, this family-friendly property has remained in the Sanoner family and was the first of their Adler resort group. Its 108 rooms are understated in warm wood, with some opening to balconies facing the 10,436-foot-high Sassolungo, the landmark of Val Gardena. The gym also highlights the view, as do some areas of the 37,000-square-foot spa, which features two heated indoor-outdoor pools (open year-round), a rooftop sauna, heated whirlpool, subterranean salt grotto, and treatments using organic house-brand face, hair, and body products. Regional, seasonal food is a focus here, with an impressive breakfast buffet and daily multi-course dinners.

The restored Palazzo Papadopoli (sometimes referred to as "the place where George Clooney got married") provides its guests with sumptuous period details alongside elegant contemporary design, an expansive private garden facing the Grand Canal, a rooftop terrace, and light-filled and spacious rooms with garden or canal views. Some rooms feature exquisite frescoed ceilings (including one by Tiepolo), painted friezes, wood paneling, and silk wall coverings—the palace is a testament to neo-Renaissance and rococo architecture. The private landing dock makes arrivals effortless. From the reception area, a sweeping staircase brings guests to the main dining room set in the palazzo's ballroom, with stunning views of the Grand Canal.

You'll experience exquisite service and pampering at this neoclassical landmark on the Piazza della Repubblica built on the foundations of the Baths of Diocletian—it's now run by Anantara, a luxury hotel brand with roots in Thailand. The public spaces, including the reception, lobby bar, fine dining INEO Restaurant, SEEN by Olivier rooftop restaurant and bar (offering spectacular city views), and Anantara Spa with hydrotherapy treatments and an outdoor pool were renovated in 2022, so they feel sleek and modern, while the rooms have kept a more traditional style, with heavy draperies and antique furniture.

If you're looking for a room with a view you'll find it here, where just about every room looks out onto the awe-inspiring Duomo or the Arno (some even have small terraces). When it's warm you can sit on the rooftop terrace with a glass of wine and enjoy a 360-degree panorama. The tastefully furnished rooms, with their high ceilings and sweeping draperies, create a fine backdrop for historic Florence.

The former home of Queen Margherita of Savoy, the Baglioni Hotel Regina, which enjoys a prime spot on the Via Veneto, is still a favorite among today's jet-setters. Right across the street from the American Embassy and next to its noisy neighbor, the Hard Rock Cafe, the luxury hotel radiates royal elegance with sumptuous crystal chandeliers, rich red carpets, elaborate staircases, and decorative statues. Rooms have luxury brocades, wall silks, and period antiques. Eighth-floor suites enjoy superb views of the Eternal City. The Art Deco–style Brunello Bar and Restaurant serves elegant dishes inspired by local recipes.

In a grand palazzo on the highest point of Ravello, with some buildings dating from the 16th century and with a Bay of Salerno panorama that's incomparable and timeless, this member of the exclusive Belmond hotel brand has been a slice of hospitality paradise since the 19th century; today it shimmers with modern luxuries amid its frescoes, Norman arches, and beautifully terraced garden. Fans rave about the rooftop dining area and heated infinity pool with views so stunning it feels as if you're swimming between sea and sky. The lush hillside garden includes an herb garden that provides seasoning for the renowned Belvedere Restaurant, poolside bar, and the cocktail and piano bar, where happy guests can savor a great Bellini with a side of stellar views. Rooms are truly sumptuous—most have a sea view, and some have a private garden. The bar's patrons are welcome to wrap up the evening by joining the pianist for a song.

This 1920s luxury hotel oozes charm, taste, and lovely scenery, with a particular attention to color—from the coordinated floral linens in corals and gold in the guest rooms to the fresh flowers in the reception rooms, the two restaurants, and on the large terrace. Offering a tennis court, water sports, boat excursions, and plenty of activities for children, the hotel has become quite family-friendly, and a spa offers further pampering. A frequent shuttle runs down to Portofino's center.

Housed in an 18th-century palazzo on a quiet street a short stroll from Brera and Montenapoleone shopping, the Bulgari offers up chic yet restrained rooms, an enormous garden, and a celebrity-chef-helmed restaurant. Rooms vary in size and shape (and some have balconies or terraces), but all feature oak-paneled walls, wood floors, and black or cream marble bathrooms stocked with the renowned Bulgari products. The inviting lobby is filled with couches perfect for chilling or having tea, while Il Ristorante Niko Romito serves solid modern Italian cuisine. Look for such touches as complimentary herbal tea in a thermos delivered to your bedroom each night.

Nestled within Piazza Augusto Imperatore, Bvlgari Hotel Roma is an architectural gem born from a meticulous four-year restoration of a 1930s edifice. The interiors heavily incorporate opulent marble in varying shades, which were inspired by the floor of the Pantheon. With a team of four dedicated staff members per room, Bvlgari's white-glove service reigns supreme. Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito helms Il Ristorante Niko Romito, and his team oversees the ground floor Il Caffè, the Champagne Bar, and the sprawling rooftop terrace. The Bvlgari spa, an oasis spread over four floors, is worthy of royalty, with a pool featuring mosaics inspired by the Baths of Caracalla.

Sophistication, serenity, and seclusion combined with luxury and warm Italian hospitality are at the heart of this Relais & Chateaux hotel. The Tasca d’Almerita family were drawn to the land here as they traveled around the Isole Eolie, and they developed the sprawling estate designed around the historic lighthouse and the remarkable amphitheater vineyard into this deluxe hotel. It's the ideal escape for utter tranquility, not to mention the perfect wedding destination.

Clinging to a cliff, this little house is beloved for its homey restaurant; its owners, the Cinque family; and its Italianate charm, complete with rooms that have high ceilings, tile floors, bright fabrics, and sea and coastline views. Car or motorboat excursions to surrounding towns and attractions can be arranged. You can't drive your car to the doorway, but porters will ferry your luggage.

These ultramodern surroundings abandon all things traditionally Venetian, opting instead to create the air of a stylish residence with impeccable, minimalist decor and a contemporary, warmly romantic, and occasionally even dramatic atmosphere. Some rooms overlook small canals and side calli; apartment options with kitchenettes are available. The location is convenient to the Guggenheim, Accademia, and the Zattere. Art borrowed from neighboring museums is on display in common areas.

In a cliff-top garden overlooking the Bay of Naples, the Cocumella occupies a Baroque monastery, complete with frescoed ceilings, antique reliquaries, and a marble cloister; the lobby and grand suites (with stone fireplaces, Empire-style bureaus, and marble-clad bathrooms) have Italian-Victorian grace, although some of the smaller rooms and bathrooms are due for a revamp (check before booking). Added amenities include a vast pool, a beauty spa and exercise room, a 90-foot-long 19th-century yacht for daily excursions on the bay, and even summer-night chamber-music recitals in the monastery's former church. Although its luster has faded a bit, many cognoscenti adore this hotel, once one of the most aristocratic in Italy.

At this intimate hotel, comfortable and soothingly designed guest rooms—some with canopy beds, pastel walls, and ultramodern bathrooms—are spread across two small 19th-century town houses on a quiet backstreet. The hallways can seem like a labyrinth, but every corner of the hotel is graced with a high level of service. There's also a lovely garden, with a hydromassage Jacuzzi, where breakfast is offered in warm-weather months.

At this elegant hotel, swank reception rooms have comfortable couches and contemporary artwork, and guest rooms feature parquet floors, high ceilings, and furnishings that combine Scandinavian sleekness with the Italian love for fine fabric (think: damask draperies).

This 15th-century palazzo is perhaps the city's most luxurious hotel, where many guest rooms have original 17th-century frescoes, and an 11-acre garden is dotted with centuries-old trees. There's also a pool, a state-of-the-art spa, and 16th-century courtyard that sweeps along to an elegant bar where Florentines enjoy aperitivi.

Built in the 15th century as a convent, with a colonnaded cloister, this sophisticated retreat certainly exudes a feeling that is anything but urban. Although this hotel is the perfect location for serious shoppers, it's on a quieter side street slightly apart from the fray. Parts of the original frescoes can still be seen in the lobby and lounge, and some rooms have balconies looking onto a glassed-in courtyard. The sophisticated spa area boasts a lap pool beneath 19-century vaulted ceilings along with modern treatment rooms and a well-equipped fitness center.

Only blocks from La Scala, you'll find everything you would expect from a traditionally elegant European hotel, where tapestries and persimmon velvet enliven a 19th-century look without sacrificing dignity and luxury. The place is sometimes called the Hotel Verdi, because the composer lived here for 27 years; his apartment, complete with his desk, is now the Presidential Suite. The on-site Don Carlos restaurant comes highly recommended.

Classic Riviera elegance prevails at this palatial hotel overlooking the bay, where antique furniture and crystal chandeliers fill the high-ceiling rooms. The five-star grading meets all expectations, not least for the fantastic service and facilities. Stroll through the lush garden, then take a dip in the curvaceous swimming pool (April–October) or in the sea, at the beach across the street. The hotel has a state-of-the-art fitness center and beauty treatments.

This stylish 1960s hotel, designed by Gio Ponti, is all white walls and blue glass accents and funky geometric shapes; outside blooms the fabled Parco dei Principi, a lush 19th-century giardino, and paths lead to a romantic, bayside, Rococo villa—a splendiferous setting for the pool area. A shuttle bus connects with downtown Sorrento.