8 Best Hotels in Lombardy and the Lakes, Italy

A refreshing minimalist influence, attention to detail, and creative touches (like the room number projected onto the hall floor) create a welcoming ambience with contemporary flair. Natural fabrics add to the relaxed feel; common areas include a reading room, gym, and an indoor garden.

With modern interiors and eclectic but comfortable designer furniture, this aptly named hotel makes a nice counterpoint to the historical surroundings of Cremona. Though it's a fine base for leisure travelers, conference rooms and other amenities make it popular with a business clientele.

Just a few minutes' walk from the Duomo and the Museo del Violino, this comfortable hotel with functional yet pleasant rooms (the best of which overlook the piazza) is well equipped to satisfy both leisure and business travelers. Note, too, that the Impero makes a convenient base for those (wisely) disinclined to navigate old Cremona by car.

Amid a large garden on the hillside above Tremezzo, this hotel offers small, private, comfortably simple rooms; a pool with a nice view; and a popular restaurant that serves tasty Italian classics. A shuttle for arrival and departure at the Tremezzo ferry stop can be arranged.

A 15th-century palazzo in the center of town is the setting for this classic, comfortable, and relatively affordable hotel, where front rooms have terraces with breathtaking lake views and the rooftop terrace is a perfect retreat from summer's crowded beaches.

Using space formed from a 17th-century monastery merged with an adjoining 19th-century textile factory, this hotel offers plain, functional rooms, some overlooking a lovely garden. Locals are lunchtime regulars at the restaurant, which offers attentive service, good value, and an emphasis on regional cuisine. 

Set in a restored 19th-century palazzo, this Bergamo Basso hotel has modern comforts and a friendly, efficient staff, making it a good choice for both business and leisure travelers. Although rooms can be a bit dark, they're quite spacious, and some have views of the old town.

The tranquillity and flavors of Lake Iseo permeate through this relaxed retreat in the tiny village Sensole on car-free Monte Isola—nine simple rooms in a 19th-century palazzo have black and white contemporary decor and the best have sweeping lake views; or soak up the panorama from the top-floor terrace. The high-energy and hospitable team running the show, with Giovanni Lo Presti in the house and Giulio Pittioni helming the kitchen, met while working at Michelin-starred restaurants in the Veneto. Their culinary acumen includes house-made sourdough bread and pastries for breakfast alongside local jams, tasting menus with organic vegetables, and lake-caught fish in the restaurant, and an extensive cantina of regional and natural wines. Take a stroll along the placid waterfront and then unwind on a private beach among an olive grove (which also supplies Sensole's kitchen with olive oil), while lounging on oversized turquoise bean bags as you watch the sun set on the lake.