3 Best Hotels in Asti, Piedmont and the Valle d'Aosta

Just outside Asti in the Monferrato hills, this striking contemporary property in a gorgeous natural setting features a Michelin-starred restaurant, designer furnishings, and art-lined walls. The hotel building, made of raw concrete, crushed stones, and glass, contains ample suites that include bathrooms with soaking tubs and oversized walk-in showers. Many visitors come just for the gastronomic restaurant, overseen by famed Italian chef Antonio Cannavacciuolo; there’s also a bistro for smaller meals. The hotel’s art and music collection includes more than 30,000 vinyl records and CDs as well as 160 paintings by 100 artists, including Leonard Cohen and Miles Davis. Save time for the lovely, though petite, wellness area, which includes a sauna with views of the surrounding scenery and steam room, plus an outdoor pool.

You may be surprised to learn that this now delightfully peaceful and elegant retreat—with a luxurious spa and swimming pool, surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills—was once home to the Inquisition in the 16th century. Some rooms are in cells that monks once occupied, but they are far from the austere chambers of yesteryear. A splendid buffet breakfast awaits you in the morning, and the hotel's restaurant offers finely prepared Piedmontese cuisine in the evening.

Spacious rooms in an 18th-century building on Asti's main square are eclectically decorated, with a mix of contemporary and period furniture. Though this is one of the oldest hotels in Asti, most of the bathrooms have been modernized and well maintained.