27 Best Hotels in Umbria and the Marches, Italy

This small, rustic-chic hotel between Assisi and Gubbio, dating from 1266 but thoroughly modernized inside, is a relaxing base for exploring the pretty Umbrian countryside. Spacious rooms feature beamed ceilings and stone walls; some have kitchens, soaking tubs, and terraces. Many rooms can be connected and equipped with extra beds for children—perfect if you’re traveling with family. Osteria Panicaglia’s chef, who hails from Naples and has cooked around the world, prepares delicious gourmet lunches and dinners that incorporate local ingredients, including herbs and vegetables from the hotel’s garden. In summer, you can enjoy the Borgo’s outdoor pizza oven, outdoor cinema, and last but not least, the expansive swimming pool. Note that there's a seven-night minimum stay in July and August.

This atmospheric, 12th-century castle 15 km (9 miles) from Gubbio has spacious, antiques-filled, individually decorated rooms—some with decorated or beamed ceilings and stained glass, many with whirlpool tubs—as well as excellent in-house breakfasts and dinners. In the evening, the menu in the stone-walled dining room, where there's a roaring fire in colder weather, features regional specialties, including many dishes prepared with Chianina veal raised on the castle grounds, as well as a special menu of medieval dishes.

Dating from 1050, this imposing castle-turned-hotel includes two restaurants, tennis courts, an equestrian center, a spa inspired by Roman baths, and exquisite guest rooms featuring beamed ceilings and bespoke furniture designed by the hotel’s owners. Ristorante Al Castello serves up contemporary Italian cuisine with amazing views, while Ristorante Alle Scuderie has soaring ceilings and an organic kitchen garden; there’s also a cooking school located on-site. The lovely Bathhouse spa features saltwater pool, large-sized steam room, sauna, and treatment rooms.

This tastefully renovated convent right nearby Ascoli Piceno’s historic center includes everything you need for a pleasant stay—a well-regarded restaurant, a relaxing spa, and modern guest rooms that have comfy beds and bathrooms with showers. Ristorantino Cibo serves well-prepared regional dishes for lunch and dinner. The Seta Spa includes treatment rooms, a whirlpool tub, saunas, and a pool. The hotel also offers guided tours of Ascoli Piceno on Sunday.

Hand-painted friezes decorate the walls of the spacious guest rooms, and elegant comfort is the grace note throughout—you can sip afternoon tea in oversize armchairs by the fireplace or take a walk in the sweet-smelling rose garden. The service is very gracious, and the attention to detail includes a generous selection of up-to-date magazines for your reading pleasure. The staff will give you route maps or help you book a guided bicycle tour. Enjoy an ample breakfast buffet, including homemade cakes, served in a cheerful room facing the courtyard.

This friendly, centrally located, converted 18th-century palazzo off the bustling pedestrian-only Corso Vannucci features spacious rooms soothingly decorated in muted colors; some include original frescoes and beamed ceilings. Rooms on the upper floors at the back have great views and are quieter than those in front. Guests can refill their water bottles and have tea or coffee all day long from a convenient refill station on the main floor; complimentary snacks are also available from the front desk.

Spending the night in this 13th-century building just 5 km (3 miles) northwest of Orvieto is like staying in a sophisticated country home, albeit one with vineyard views, a private chef, and two-level rooms with modern furnishings. Relax in the comfy sofas surrounding the fireplace in the lounge, or go for a dip in the pool tucked amid grapevines. Each night, the in-house chef whips up a four-course menu paired with wines from the Palazzone vineyards. The charming hosts ensure that your itineraries are packed with interesting activities—or lots of time to chill, if you prefer. The hotel has two-night minimums during the summer months.

Within walking distance of Assisi's restaurants and shops, this monastery built in 1275 has been converted into a thoroughly contemporary, high-end place to stay with a fabulous spa carved out of 2,000-year-old Roman baths. Most suites are furnished in sleek, minimalist style, with neutral colors; the three Privilege Suites feature frescos or exposed brick walls. The atmospheric Nun Spa Museum includes limestone pillars dating from the 6th century AD along with gorgeous pools of varying temperatures plus an oversized steam room, cold room, and sauna.

This charming boutique hotel, set in an 18th-century palace overlooking the main square, has spacious, individually decorated rooms, where original frescoes and beamed ceilings contrast with modern furnishings and some bathrooms have deep soaking tubs. In the medieval cellars, a small spa with a Turkish bath, sauna, and saltwater soaking pool is for the private use of two guests at a time and can be reserved by the hour.

This hotel in a renovated, 14th-century, historic center palace is an appealing mix of antiquity and modernity, including an expansive spa with a sauna and Turkish bath; a swimming pool that features a glass bottom so you can see the Roman ruins beneath it; and magnificent guest rooms with frescoed walls, vaulted ceilings, and charming decorative fireplaces. Though there’s no restaurant on-site, there's easy access to many choices in Urbino’s center.

Fabulously landscaped gardens, complete with fountains and sculptures, along with panoramic views provide a grand entrance to this late 13th-century residence turned charming hotel high up in Spoleto's old town. Atmospheric rooms have beamed ceilings, plenty of antiques, and views onto the Umbrian hills. Though there's no on-site restaurant, rates include breakfast, and it's just a short walk to wonderful restaurants in town.

The Bianconi family oversees this elegant hotel, which is housed in a 16th-century palace—just around the corner from Norcia’s main square—and features stone floors, vaulted ceilings, and a Michelin-star restaurant. Comfortable, spacious guest rooms have oak or terra-cotta floors, antique furnishings, and black granite or Turkish marble bathrooms. The palace itself has lots of comfortable public spaces, including a library and sitting rooms. Reservations are essential for the renowned Vespasia restaurant, which serves inventive tasting menus using local ingredients. The small basement spa has a hot tub along with a steam bath and sauna; massages can be booked by appointment.

Beguilingly comfortable guest rooms set on lovely grounds—where gardeners go quietly about their business—along with a small but charming spa and a well-regarded restaurant make this historical hotel south of Perugia worth a stay. For memorable ablutions, take advantage of the huge showerheads, commissioned from a Florentine artist. The hotel's excellent restaurant, the Pantagruel, has a wine list with more than 500 labels.

Inside a 14th-century manor house 9 km (6 miles) southeast of Todi, this elegant hotel sits adjacent to working vineyards (don't forget to sample the Todini wines) and features such welcome amenities as a spa, outdoor pool, and gym. Good-size rooms, with beamed ceilings and stenciled wall patterns, have a rustic country feel. Dine on Umbrian cuisine at the in-house restaurant while enjoying vineyard panoramas. The spa features special treatments using wine and truffle extracts, as well as a large range of massages, a Turkish bath, and a Jacuzzi.

Set inside a 12th-century monastery, this romantic boutique hotel is surrounded by greenery and filled with art. Rooms fuse mid-century modern with Italian style; most have king-size beds and underfloor heating. Some suites offer a private terrace, garden, or whirlpool tub. The restaurant focuses on local, organic ingredients, with vegetables at the center. The outdoor pool is lovely, and although there’s no spa, treatments are offered in the rooms upon request.

For a more spiritual slant to your vacation, spend a night or two at this “modern monastery,” where you’ll sleep in a cell, eat vegetarian food by candlelight, practice yoga, and relax in a whirlpool tub. This boutique hotel about a 45-minute drive from Orvieto provides an escape from daily life, especially since you won’t have Wi-Fi during your stay. Though “cell” rooms are quite small (as are the beds), they include good-sized showers, sinks, and writing desks. All the set-menu meals are included in the rates, and dishes often feature ingredients grown in the hotel’s own gardens; there's plenty of local wine as well. In addition to enjoying a morning yoga class, you can go on a hike in the surrounding countryside or just hang out in one of the cozy public spaces, perhaps reading or getting to know other travelers.

Just inside the city walls and close to the Palazzo Ducale, this hotel has pleasant, if worn, rooms decorated with a smattering of antiques; those in front also have views of the valley below Urbino. A terrace in the tranquil garden to the rear of the hotel adjoins the cozy breakfast room and bar.

In a 12th-century monastery, vaulted ceilings and exposed stone walls, along with wooden beams and polished terracotta floors covered with rugs, establish rustic elegance in guest rooms. The rolling park around the hotel provides wonderful views of the valley and is the idyllic location for a lovely pool. The good restaurant may tempt you to stay put at dinnertime.

This 16th-century family palazzo has been beautifully restored, with inviting public spaces and handsome guest quarters where contemporary surroundings are accented by old beams, vaulted ceilings, and other distinctive touches. This hotel is often preferred by local winemakers and other professionals for its updated look. With a convenient location near the church of San Giovanni, it's a lovely, short walk past Piazza della Repubblica to the Duomo.

This pleasant and affordable family-run hotel in a quiet residential area outside the old city center is pleasantly set amid a grove of olive trees. Some of the spacious rooms, though a tad dated, have views of the city. Adjacent parking is ample and free.

Rooms on the upper floors of this charming 16th-century town house near Piazza del Comune look out over the Assisi rooftops to the valley below, as does the sunny, vine-covered terrace. The tone is traditional, and the owners and staff will go out of their way to make you feel at home.

Magnificent valley views are paired with 19th-century charm at this property filled with paintings, antique furnishings, and period knickknacks. Don't be put off by the lack of modern comforts, the rather dark entrance, or the long flight of stairs—this is an intriguing and delightful place to stay.

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.

If you want to be pampered in the refined atmosphere of a private villa, this is the spot, with the warmth of a fireplace in the winter, a pool to cool you down in summer, and cozy reading nooks and guest rooms year-round. It's just outside the town walls and is a short walk from all the local sights. Cooking courses are given on the premises; horseback-riding and golf trips can be arranged; and shopping excursions for local textiles, cashmere, and ceramics are popular diversions.

The friendly and laid-back owners will pamper you at this small agriturismo (farm stay) where two cottage apartments open onto gardens and the pool is right on the edge of corn and sunflower fields. You may wake up to find that local produce from the surrounding farms has miraculously appeared on your doorstep. The farmer across the way takes pride in showing guests around his small winery and offering tastings of his potent white wine.

Don't let the rustic appearance of the buildings fool you—this is one of the plushest agriturismi (farm stays) in Umbria. The rooms are furnished in varying ethnic styles, with nice little extras thrown in such as bedside kettles and an array of teas and herbal infusions. The owners also organize a series of outdoor activities.

Slow life is the motto for this rustic chic agriturismo in the hills near Todi. The various cottages are surrounded by pristine grounds and the attentive staff make you feel at home. The position is excellent for visiting southern Umbria.