284 Best Hotels in Italy

A 17th-century palace in the historic center of Colle has rooms that exude warmth and comfort, with light-color wooden floors, soothingly tinted fabrics, and large windows. Among the many modern amenities are a wellness center and an indoor swimming pool.

Just a few minutes' walk from the Castel Nuovo, Palazzo Turchini is one of the city center's more attractive smaller hotels. In a 17th-century building, it has an elegant design that incorporates several historical styles, as seen in the combination of marble floors and piperno stairs throughout. Guest rooms are small but soundproofed, and many have views over the roofs and domes of the old town.

Overlooking the Arch of Janus and offering glimpses of Palatine Hill, boutique Palazzo Velabro combines timeless architecture and contemporary design in a quiet corner of the neighborhood. Sleek, modern furniture and fittings are complimented by vintage photographs and amenities like Nespresso machines. Each suite comes with a kitchenette, a rarity in Rome. The lobby features ceiling murals inspired by the Tiber, while a rotating selection of contemporary art adorns the walls and books line the shelves. The hotel also offers free nightly screenings of classic Roman films in its cinema room and serves modern Italian meals at the on-site restaurant.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Set in a former monastery—still an extraterritorial part of the Vatican—abutting Bernini's colonnade of St. Peter's Square, the Paolo VI (pronounced "Sesto," a reference to Pope Paul VI) is unbeatably close to St. Peter's, with basic, quiet guest rooms. Replete with a stone terrace that directly overlooks Bernini's 17th-century porticoes, this hotel enjoys one of the most spectacular perches in Rome. For a truly exceptional stay, ask for one of the six "Deluxe Superior" rooms.

Renaissance- and Baroque-style common areas are soaring spaces with Venetian terrazzo flooring, frescoed and exposed-beam ceilings, and Murano chandeliers; guest rooms tastefully mix historical style with contemporary furnishings and appointments. Even smaller rooms are quite comfortable, and some of the larger doubles and suites showcase paintings by Tiepolo's maestro, Gregorio Lazzarini. Suites are supplied with coffeemakers, bathrobes, and DVD players.

If you wish to stay in hilltop Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, this efficiently run hotel provides airy and pleasant lodging and a good bed to fall into after a meal at Don Alfonso 1890 or a walk to the Deserto belvedere. The second floor on the road-side has a glimpse of a sea view, but for more stylish furnishings you should opt for the newer annex. The swimming pool is a welcome addition if you don't want to trek down for a dip at sea level. There's a quirky wee vintage motor museum.

Just a short walk from the old town, this well-kept and well-equipped hotel offers modern rooms with contemporary furnishings and spa and gym facilities. Some guest rooms are in a stylish annex 50 meters away, while the common areas in the lobby and outdoor garden have modern furnishings with pops of color. The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable and will arrange local tours for you.

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. 

Perched atop the Spanish Steps, this charming boutique hotel is so popular that it's often booked far in advance. If you're lucky enough to find a vacancy here, you'll enjoy stylish rooms, some of which are accentuated with cheery turquoise and yellow decor. You'll also have a chance to get some Rome insider tips from the friendly owner who is usually in a room near the front desk. The gorgeous rooftop is a wonderful spot to enjoy the free breakfast or a glass of wine.

At this quiet family-run hotel—a short walk from Citara Beach and the crowded Giardini Poseidon spa—each of the tastefully decorated rooms has its own theme; the best and most expensive rooms take advantage of the hotel's panoramic views from the upper-terrace wing. Breakfast is served on a terrace with a view of the sea, and, in the hanging gardens there are four swimming pools, including an infinity pool and one filled by geothermal aquifers 30 feet deep.

Though a tad old-fashioned, this elegant, centrally located hotel dating from 1884 with a magnificent spa is the most upscale accommodation in town. Sophisticated rooms are individually decorated, with lovely marble bathrooms, and offer views either over the town's rooftops or the Umbrian countryside. The formal in-house restaurant prepares Italian classics, while the bar in front offers outdoor seating in the summer with panoramic vistas. The pièce de résistance is the subterranean spa, including an indoor pool under medieval vaults and a clear, lighted bottom showcasing 3,000-year-old Etruscan ruins underneath.

Drawing inspiration from the neighborhood's artsy ethos, the first international hotel brand to open in San Lorenzo functions as a members club, with both traditional rooms and apartments. Amenities include wraparound balconies on every floor, a club restaurant that serves international cuisine, a spa, a state-of-the-art gym, a 42-seat screening room, a content-creation studio, and a rooftop terrace with a pool and outpost of Cecconi's with 360-degree panoramic views. Pets are accepted if they're certified as emotional support animals.

At this comfortable lodge with a distinctive wooden facade, flower-bedecked balconies catch the sun, and contemporary guest rooms and suites have views of the forested slopes. The restaurant serves home cooking as well as international dishes.

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. 

You need to make your way north to the Campo Carlo Magno Pass to reach this grand if dated hotel, the former summer residence of Habsburg emperor Franz Josef, replete with verandas, Persian rugs, and bay windows. A modern wing has been added, but there's still tons of old-world charm. In summer the golf course attracts a tony crowd. Note that the hotel requires minimum night stays during many months.

A perfect retreat for families, this tranquil hilltop agriturismo (farm stay) offers simple, comfortably decorated accommodations on extensive grounds 5 km (3 miles) from the hubbub of San Gimignano. Directly on the Via Francigena, a medieval pilgrimage route, it's also ideal for those who like to walk; you can order a relaxing massage at the end of a day of trekking. A restaurant is on the premises, so you may choose to stay put in these pleasant surroundings for meals.

Set within a thoughtfully restored palazzo, UNA HOTELS Trastevere blends modern comfort with the character of one of Rome’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Its comfortable, light-filled rooms feature contemporary details like universal sockets and smart TVs. Set an easy walk from Trastevere’s lively piazzas, the hotel provides quiet escapes as well—whether in the tranquil inner courtyard or on the rooftop terrace with views of the city all the way to the Apennine Mountains.

An elegant villa painted antique rose appears at the end of a tree-lined driveway perched on top of a hill off the main road just before Montemerano. It has expansive views and quintessential Tuscan charm. Tastefully decorated rooms—with curly ironwork or tapestries as bed headboards—are in both the main villa and a guesthouse. The farm that fans out around the villa produces fine wine and olive oil.

A 10-minute walk from the Piazza Duomo, this secluded hotel with a garden is family-run and shares the same exhilarating view of the Bay of Salerno as Ravello's most expensive hotels. Rooms are generally small (some feature an outside space with a table for two) and have modern furnishing; suites are in a different league.