3 Best Hotels in Padua, The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

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.

One of the best-situated hotels in the city provides understated modern rooms and public areas that tend toward the minimalist without being severe, while the intimate breakfast room with mid-century Eames Eiffel chairs and adjoining terrace is a tranquil place to start the day. The hotel's combination of well-maintained rooms, friendly staff, and a quiet yet central location make it an attractive choice. There's 24-hour room service but no minibars in the rooms.

Housed within a 16th-century palace, where renowned Florentine architect Bartolomeo Ammannati carved colossal statuary, the four spacious suites and three apartments with kitchenettes here offer a wonderful atmospheric alternative to regular hotel accommodation. Beyond the handsome courtyard there are cavernous rooms with some period furniture and historic artworks.