781 Best Hotels in Italy

This laid-back contemporary guesthouse above Venissa’s osteria is the perfect place to enjoy a food- and wine-centric getaway far from the hectic Venetian mainland. Modern, light-colored rooms have beamed ceilings, wood floors, and comfortable beds; bright large-sized bathrooms include standalone showers. To complete the gourmet experience, be sure to reserve a table in Venissa’s popular restaurant or osteria well in advance to avoid disappointment.

The 18th-century Villa Athena, updated into a sleek, luxurious place to stay, complete with gorgeous manicured gardens and swimming pool, holds a privileged position directly overlooking the Temple of Concordia, a 10-minute walk away—an amazing sight both during the day and when it's lit up at night. Although the hotel's bar and lobby area are on the small side, the whitewashed guest rooms have either pretty blue-tile or polished wood floors, and many feature a balcony or terrace; just make sure to request a room with a temple view, since some overlook the parking lot instead. The amenities are top-notch, too: the well-regarded restaurant serves up a bountiful breakfast buffet, and the spa is a lovely place to unwind after a day hiking around the temples.

Scotts David and Catherine Gardner transformed a ramshackle, 16th-century villa into a retreat where no two rooms are alike—all have stenciled walls; some have four-poster beds, others small mezzanines. Bathrooms are a riot of color, with tiles from Vietri. The second floor, with a cozy fireplace, is the perfect place for a cup of tea or a glass of wine. The hotel's restaurant and its talented chefs offer cooking lessons in the modern kitchen.

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. 

Renaissance gardens, beautiful rooms with high ceilings and elegant furnishings, a panoramic pool, and expert staff are just a few of the things that make a stay at this 16th-century villa memorable. A short walk outside the small town of San Casciano Val di Pesa—with bus service to Florence—Il Poggiale sits on a ridge with spectacular views of the Chianti hills. An excellent breakfast is served on an outdoor terrace in fine weather, and the hotel's restaurant provides a buffet of antipasti along with a menu of Tuscan dishes for guests in the evening. The numerous public sitting rooms are intimate and cozy, and a small spa, with a sauna, massage room, and whirlpool tub complete the picture.

This art-filled boutique hotel (one of the two sister-owners is a photographer) surrounded by vineyards exudes a sense of casual luxury and a modern design aesthetic, from the sitting room with an open fireplace to the lively outdoor pool with retro snack bar. Guest rooms in soothing colors include vintage furnishings, high-end fabrics, and mod brightly tiled bathrooms (all with showers). Enjoy well-prepared seasonal dishes for lunch or dinner in the arch-ceilinged restaurant, or nibbles outside by the pool in the summer season. The large yoga studio (an instructor is available with advance booking) affords wonderful views, and you can borrow bikes for free to explore the surrounding hillsides.

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.

Once the home of the Viviani della Robbia family, this 16th-century villa in a grove of ancient cypress trees retains many aspects of a private country dwelling, including homey guest quarters. The honor bar allows you to enjoy an aperitivo (Italian happy hour) on the terrace while admiring the views, of which there are many. Guest rooms have white-plaster walls, timber ceilings, and some tile floors. The restaurant uses fresh produce from the owner's farm in western Tuscany.

The hotel, a 19th-century merchant's mansion modeled after a Chinese temple, has a pool, a private park, access to the famed clifftop walk, and magnificent ocean views; request a tower room for the best vantage point. This retreat is the best of both worlds, as you can enjoy peace and quiet or be in bustling Genoa in 15 minutes.

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.

Set inside a 12th-century monastery, this romantic boutique hotel is surrounded by greenery and filled with art. Rooms fuse mid-century modern with Italian style; most have king-size beds and underfloor heating. Some suites offer a private terrace, garden, or whirlpool tub. The restaurant focuses on local, organic ingredients, with vegetables at the center. The outdoor pool is lovely, and although there’s no spa, treatments are offered in the rooms upon request.

Patrizia and Paolo run this homey upscale B&B in a handsome stile-Liberty (Italian Art Nouveau) palazzo on the well-to-do Vomero hill. Breakfast of home baking and relaxation revolves around the kitchen and adjoining cozy lounge; most guest rooms have tasteful decor although some corners look dated and have odd layouts; overall a lovely, homey reliable spot, with a chic suite with a Jacuzzi.

Breathe in the scent of orange blossoms as you arrive at this modern boutique hotel surrounded by 32 acres of gardens and citrus orchards just five minutes from the sea by car. The manor house and its adjoining palmento (the wine-making building, which is now the restaurant), was built in 1800; separate cottages were subsequently added for guest rooms. Designed by Iraci Architetti, one of Italy's preeminent architecture firms, the modern accommodations incorporate clean lines, lots of white, lava stone, and a copious amount of glass to open the space to the property's most valued asset: its natural surroundings. Zash offers a modern style without sacrificing a sense of place.

Run by an American couple, this welcoming, community-oriented hostel near Termini Station offers private rooms as well as regular hostel beds in dorms. There's a lovely garden for lounging with a cup of coffee and a bagel in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. Aperitivo evenings feature cocktails, beer, and organic wine. There are no TVs in the rooms, but all rooms have air-conditioning. Rooms with a shared bathroom have a sink in the room. All rooms have access to self-catering kitchen facilities. Dorm beds start from as little as €25–€30 in low season.

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.

Traditional, tasteful Venetian decor takes on a Carnevale theme in cozy, well-appointed, and comfortable rooms are enlivened by fanciful wall murals. A relaxed atmosphere pervades at this hotel's divine hot breakfast, where it is common to become engrossed in conversation with other guests as gondolas glide lazily by the water-level windows: this lovely state-of-mind is created by the hotel's attentive staff (but can be ruined by a plague of singing gondoliers!). Common areas have warm mahogany paneling, tufted leather furniture, beamed ceilings, and tapestries.

At this all-suites property, tucked away on a leafy street known for its art galleries, the amenities are top drawer, the design is contemporary, the restaurant features a verdant terrace, and the accommodations have a hip New York–loft feel. Some suites are in the main building at Via Margutta 19; others are in an annex at Via Margutta 54, which once held studio lofts used by Picasso and other great painters. Travelers looking for a little more privacy or space can rent the entire top floor of the annex, as the rooms are adjoining. These rooms are less expensive than the rooms in the main building, but don't come with breakfast; and note that light sleepers might be able to hear the Metro pass underground at night.

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.

Just southeast of Nuoro, in the foothills of the Supramonte range, Su Gologone combines luxury with rural flavor in guest rooms that feel like country retreats (exposed beams, wooden chests, traditional Sardinian fabrics) and a rustic restaurant that pairs local cannonau reds with such Sardinian specialties as maccarones de busa (thick homemade pasta twists), culurgiones (ravioli), suckling pig, and, for dessert, sebadas (fried-dough pockets stuffed with cheese and lemon peel). Relax around the large swimming pool and in the lounging areas, or coordinate with staff members to organize 4WD or hiking expeditions.

Spending time at this charming guesthouse secreted away down narrow Calle Racheta near the Ca' d'Oro vaporetto stop is like staying with a friend: service is warm and helpful, with lots of suggestions for dining and sightseeing. Attractively appointed guest rooms overlook canals or the spacious enclosed garden and patio—a perfect spot to scribble postcards.

On a pedestrian-only street near the Pantheon, this lovely little hotel has an air of warmth and serenity, as well as a rooftop bar with great views of Rome. The exterior hasn't changed much since Stendhal stayed here in the 1800s; the interior, however, has been nicely restyled, with tasteful contemporary color schemes and furnishings, hardwood floors, and fully updated bathrooms.

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.

An open-hearth fireplace and hand-hewn stone porticoes hark back to the 13th century, when this was a fortress, and although it's now a small hotel with modern amenities, including a beautiful outdoor pool, the traditional tone is maintained by the wood-beamed ceilings and simple, country-style furniture. The scent of lavender and rosemary wafts from the gardens, and all rooms have soothing views of the surrounding vineyards and hills.

This rustic farm stay and restaurant is a few miles out in the countryside beyond Polizzi, but a stay here gives you a sense of tranquility and the opportunity to admire the beautiful landscape of the Madonie.

This family-run agriturismo is set on a working farm surrounded by gently rolling hills, 4 km (2½ miles) southwest of Corleone. The farmhouse dates from the 19th century and has warm-color guest rooms that brim with character (one has a vaulted ceiling and a four-poster bed) and are equipped with air-conditioning and private bathrooms. There's also a self-catering apartment that can accommodate a family. For many, the best part of staying here is the evening meal, when large portions and numerous courses of rustic fare are served, so half- or full-board is definitely recommended. There's a small swimming pool, and horseriding is available for beginners or experts.

The refreshingly funky surroundings in this self-styled art hotel include sponge-painted walls, brush-painted chandeliers, and views of the spires and cupolas of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio. The color-theme guest rooms, from eye-popping red to meditative white, upend sterile hotel decor, and there are tranquil corners including a flowery courtyard garden.

Understated Venetian decor, original exposed-beam ceilings and terrazzo flooring, and large rooms suitable for families or small groups are hallmarks of this intimate, family-owned guesthouse. Guest rooms overlooking tranquil side canals are the best in terms of size and view. The spacious common salon overlooks the Rio San Sofia. The location is serene, but only a short street away from the main Cannaregio thoroughfare (Strada Nova), the Ca' d'Oro vaporetto stop, the traghetto across to the Rialto Market, and the San Marco area. Al Palazzetto is also good for small groups or families, as there are triple and quad rooms; some are connecting. Spring for the attic suite if it's available.

The renovated home of owner Eleonora behind the Fenice Opera House offers three spacious, comfortable, and conscientiously appointed rooms; each has its own private bath and overlooks a gondola-filled canal. The largest room has a broad balcony. An ample breakfast (served at a common table) and exceptional service make Al Teatro an excellent value and a relaxing choice in the sometimes-frenetic San Marco atmosphere. Book well in advance.

Ask for a room with a balcony: the view of the imposing Dolomites is the real attraction in accommodations that pleasantly blend rustic and contemporary furnishings. The reception area is spacious and welcoming, and the spa is a lovely place to relax.