Best Beach Hotels in Italy

This family-friendly establishment has grown up around a traditional 16th century Masseria and provides a wide range of activities for guests to take part in during their stay. In addition to activities that are organised in the two private beach clubs, regularly cooking classes are held here. The pretty garden is set with pomegranate trees as well as bougainvillaea and hibiscus. There are 36 spacious guestrooms and suites to choose from and luxury lovers can book a large private villa, while those who book the Suite Aranceto, will be treated to a sunken swimming pool that is shaded by orange trees.

People who want the chance to get back into the swing of things while surrounding themselves with luxury are sure to love staying at this traditional Puglian Masseria as it comes complete with its own golf course. Forty bougainvillea-draped rooms feature balconies that face the ocean, while there is a pretty a vine-shaded collonaded pool. Guests are also treated to a private beach as well as several beachside restaurants to unwind at.

Walking into this sumptuous establishment is like wandering through the set of a lavish Hollywood set with plenty of decadent elements for guests to appreciate. Borgo Egnazia boasts two private beaches as well as four swimming pools and five international restaurants, each of which offers a variety of culinary adventures. Guests will find everything they need here for a holiday filled with the ultimate in pampering, including a Michelin-starred restaurant for food lovers and free daily yoga classes. The most luxurious villas here are elegantly furnished and feature private pools that are set in picturesque gardens.

Set right on the edge of a beautiful sandy beach, the Canne Bianche Lifestyle & Hotel invites luxury lovers to make this establishment their home away from home. While the amenities and decor runs towards the lavish, the atmosphere here is friendly and laidback. There are plenty of places here to unwind in style such as at the huge outdoor pool area, while each guestroom and suite comes complete with a patio or balcony that looks out onto the ocean. Guests can book an hour-long session at the sauna each day, while a wide range of treatments are waiting to be enjoyed in the modern spa, which also features an adjoining fitness centre.

Close to the beach and port, rooms here provide air-conditioning, tiled flooring, mosaic-decorated marble bathrooms, free WiFi, and flat-screen satellite TVs. A spa, hot tub and wellness centre with sauna, Turkish bath and gym, together with a tennis court and outdoor pool, ensure guests’ well-being. The JKitchen Restaurant serves regional cooking with organic produce, catering for special diets, and meals can be eaten on the terrace with its panoramic vistas.

A shrine to Italian modernist icon Gio Ponti, the Parco dei Principi opened in 1962 and retains many of the hotel’s original features. It may be outside the centre of the town, but this allows for true peace and quiet alongside incredible views and space for some fabulous facilities. The hotel boasts a private beach accessed by a tunnel through the cliff rock, an amazing salt water pool, the Gio Ponti restaurant with floor the ceiling windows of the sparkling gulf, a three-hectare botanical (and very romantic) garden featuring many rare plants, plus a lounge bar and high spec gym. Like many properties in the area, the land on which the hotel sits has some cultural and historical importance too as it belonged to the King of Naples, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, who acquired the land in the 18th century to build a stunning villa for his cousin. The current building designed by Gio Ponti is a stunning example of the architect’s modernist work, a structure rooted in the earth, inspired by the ancient villa and the Sorrento coast. Inside, this inspiration continues through a 1960s-aesthetic mixed with blue and white tones influenced by the local natural beauty. Some may find the extensive cubism and cool colour scheme too minimal, but we think it makes for a very tranquil atmosphere throughout.

Those who want the chance to get back into the swing of things while surrounding themselves with pure luxury are sure to love this boutique resort, which comes complete with its own 18-hole golf course. Guests are treated to more than 4,000 metres of space to explore or for those who like something less strenuous, they can retreat to the serenity of the expansive spa.  The Landscape suites provide guests with stunning views of the beautiful Sicilian beach, while those who opt for a Deluxe or Junior suite will be able to gaze out at the ocean from their private balcony.

Set within the Isola Bella Nature Reserve, this luxurious resort features its very own beach club, meaning that guests will find it very easy to enjoy their time in the sun. The resort underwent a full refurbishment in 2016 and guests are sure to love the modern amenities, which include the award-winning Expire Spa featuring a Turkish bath, Jacuzzi and a selection of skin treatments, the onsite Fusion Restaurant and more than 200 sun loungers set right on the sand. There are just 58 guestrooms and three large suites, which means that guests at La Plage Resort are treated to plenty of privacy and a feeling of intimate decadence that is absent from larger establishments. Taking the cable car down the side of the hill to reach the town centre is an enchanting experience that guests who have a strong sense of adventure will not want to miss.

Clinging to the cliffs below the main coastal road, this family-owned hotel has achieved legendary status since its opening in 1970. Popular with celebs like Gregory Peck, Peter O’Toole, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, King of Jordan, and more recently Julia Roberts and George Clooney., the San Pietro is suitably glamorous, but discreetly so. The star dust from the fabulous regulars mixed with the attention to detail and friendly service characteristic in a family-run affair, creates an ideal luxury hotel. Facilities here are second to none with everything you would want on site from private boat hire and a Michelin-starred restaurant to a private beach and tennis courts. The rooms and suites echo Positano’s set-up as they graduate down the cliff side in a series of terraces, each with its own private outside space and of course, stunning sea views. Décor is fresh and vibrant with white walls, hand-painted ceramic tiles, and bright textiles in Mediterranean-inspired colours. 

Hotel Le Agavi, Positano invites guests to unwind where the sky meets the sea, perched above the sparkling Mediterranean Sea along the iconic Amalfi Coast. This 5-star hotel offers stylish, contemporary rooms and suites with terraces to enjoy unrivalled vistas. La Serra gourmet restaurant serves indulgent Mediterranean cuisine and Remmese offers guests the opportunity to dine alfresco with an inviting, sea breeze at the beach club. Relaxation is taken seriously here, there is a heated, 70’s-inspired outdoor pool and access to Alma Spa & Beauty which offers a host of outdoor massage treatments, a sauna and a Turkish bath. The sheltered, outdoor gym at La Agavi overlooks the Gulf of Positano ensuring a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

Once the private estate of film director Franco Zeffirelli and having played host to well-heeled visitors such as Elizabeth Taylor, Villa TreVille is no stranger to a bit of glamour. Enjoy total peace and privacy at this stunning estate consisting of four villas, filled with much of Zeffirelli’s collection of art and curiosities with each of the 16 guest suites being uniquely decorated to reflect their namesake cultural icons. Our favourite might be the Aida suite decorated in refreshing blues and whites and featuring delicate Arabic decorations and paintings to bring a subtle exotic flavour to the room, reminiscent of Verdi’s epic opera. The villas are surrounded by verdant gardens with lovely reclusive spots to relax, cooling plunge pools to escape the heat, and private balconies for a romantic view like no other. Meticulous attention to detail is the key here and the resort promises discreet and personalised service, whether you have an Elizabeth Taylor attitude or not. 

Over a century old, this elaborate and effortlessly classy villa first belonged to a Cornish native. Found in the seaside suburb of Taormina, it has direct access to a private beach and charming views from the wrought iron balconies. Inside you’ll find Baroque artwork, marble staircases and room scents by Ortigia. There’s a kids club and programme of themed activities for the bambinos, watersports onsite, a spa and a terrace restaurant. Guests also have access to its sister hotel, the Grand Hotel Timeo, in Taormina itself (a free shuttle bus will whisk you there in moments).