34 Best Hotels in Lombardy and the Lakes, Italy

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.

A narrow winding road takes you from town to this imposing villa, now a luxurious hotel retreat thanks to its valley and lake views and its peaceful grounds, which have an outdoor pool and a tennis court. You may think twice about a busy sightseeing itinerary once you've settled into a sunny spot, cool drink in hand.

This 1892 Art Nouveau villa hotel, named for the Italian publishing family who once vacationed here, has attracted the likes of Winston Churchill, D.H. Lawrence, and Benito Mussolini to its private lake-view gardens; extensive library; sumptuous and palatial rooms (as befits the final bill); and overall opulent interior of fresco ceilings, wood paneling, and antique ceramics. If you can afford it, take the tower room or one of the independent guesthouses.

A fine restaurant and five tastefully furnished guest rooms are housed in the pink-and-white lakeside villa given to Benito Mussolini's mistress, Claretta Petacci, by Il Duce himself. The Art Nouveau restaurant features seasonal ingredients especially in salads and soups; for even more romance, dine outside, beside the lake.