Best Luxury Hotels in Italy

Providing guests with stunning views of the bay of Portofino, this refined hotel is set on the lush hills set above the fishing village. There are just sixteen rooms and suites for guests to choose from, which gives the hotel a very exclusive and intimate feel. Guests should make sure that they secure one of the rooms that look out over the village, which come complete with pretty wrought-iron balconies and spacious en suite bathrooms. The hotel really excels when it comes to its amenities and people who want the chance to get fit while having fun are treated to large tennis courts to make use of as well as a pretty outdoor swimming pool. Those who simply want to unwind in style will love the sauna and luxurious spa.

Patria Palace is a historic 18th-century palace that has been transformed into a luxurious hotel, combining modern design with its storied past. The hotel, located in nestled in the heart of Baroque Lecce, was originally designed by 18th-century architect Mauro Manieri, and underwent a meticulous four-year renovation, preserving its classic and Baroque features while incorporating contemporary Art Deco details. It operates from March to December, benefiting from Lecce’s mild Mediterranean climate. With its prime location overlooking the Basilica of Santa Croce, the hotel offers 58 artfully designed rooms and suites, a stunning rooftop bar, a gourmet restaurant, and an outdoor lounge. Despite its central location, it provides a serene escape, embodying the ‘slow’ lifestyle of Salento. The Patria Palace has a long history of hospitality, evolving from a noble residence to a welcoming inn and now a five-star hotel, that emphasises quiet luxury and attentive service. Guests can also enjoy activities like guided city tours, food tours, and a shuttle service to a partnered beach club during the summer months.

This Grande Dame hotel opened in 1907, under the original name of the Hungaria Palace Hotel. Nicolo Piamonte was the architect of the building’s neo-Rennaisance exterior, whose interiors followed an Art Noveau and Liberty style. Now the five-star venue close to Lungomare d’Annunzio Beach includes a full-service spa with 12 treatments rooms, an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a winter garden and two bars (one of which is on the rooftop). A lavish refurbishment has retained original details and stunning frescoes but added many modern amenities like espresso makers and air-con. There are 60 bedrooms in total, including suites, all filled with lashings of character.

Right on the Lido, this luxurious resort has a subtly Moorish interior design. Reminiscent of a former era, the turn of the 20th-century building’s furnishings encapsulate a sense of North African mid-century style. The Excelsior boasts bedrooms with terraces overlooking the sea, tent-like private cabanas on the beach, a swimming pool, complimentary water shuttles, in-room Salvatore Ferragamo bath products, and a renowned intimate candlelit restaurant and some incredible seafood. It may be a glamorous venue – an optimum place to star spot during the film festival – but the resort is very welcoming of families, offering a kids’ club among its amenities.

Hotel Cala di Volpe is found in one of the most popular areas for tourists, known as the Emerald Coast. It takes the form of a village, with its jetty stretching out into the water and was originally designed by Jacques Couelle’s in the 1960s. Boasting a barbecue area, an Olympic-size saltwater pool, direct access to the sea and 121 bedrooms with private terraces, it provides ample opportunity to enjoy the alfresco life. Hotel Cala di Volpe’s Shiseido Spa is uber-modern – fewer than three years old – and the restaurant, Le Grand, provides unrestricted water views.

With the glittering coastline on one side and fragrant gardens on the other, this is a beautifully calming and quintessentially Sardinian setting for the 7Pines Resort. It comprises 76 individual suites accommodated either in the gardens, close to the Laguna pool or beside the beach. The Pure Seven spa offers mindfulness sessions, treatments using organic and vegan products, a Relax Tour and a Kneipp bath coming in 2023. Additionally, there are three restaurants and three bars, the seafront Cone Club and the 7Pines Yachting Services, for sea-based adventures taking you to the far reaches of this picture-perfect region.

This 5-star resort has taken pride of place on Marinella Beach in Porto Rotondo, since its inception in 1963. 59 bedrooms and suites are decorated with Sardinian and Mediterranean furnishings, marble from Orosei, Samugheo rugs and picture windows showcasing the stunning outlook. There are three dining options, two of which are in-house; Mediterraneo (serving family-friendly breakfasts and evening meals), Tzia Maria (for lunch and dinner) and the Marinella Beach Restaurant (for which guests receive a credit). The Lobby Bar accompanies drinks with live piano music, the Pool Bar for beverages, snacks and ice cream and the elegant Marinella Lounge Bar. Hotel Abi D’Oru also has an excellent spa and the Bee Happy Kids’ Club.

Take the helicopter flight from Olbia to arrive at Li Finistreddi’s private heliport in suitably exclusive style. The country retreat overlooks Costa Smeralda and the archipelago of La Maddalena from its hilltop perch. Every room here has main door access, sea views and Frette bed linens, with local materials and handiworks incorporated into the decor. A four-minute shuttle transfer takes guests staying here to the retreat’s private area of Barca Bruciata Beach, or guests can lounge by the pool and visit the spa. Dining takes place at Osteria Gourmet with its glass-fronted veranda overlooking the sea, and dishes crafted using produce from the resort’s own organic kitchen garden.

Adjacent to the Conca Verde Beach on the north coast, La Coluccia offers views across to Spargi island. This was one of Sardinia’s first boutique resorts, in a secluded spot, providing chic accommodation. Accommodation categories range from design rooms overlooking the garden or inner courtyard, through to suites with spacious living areas — many are accessible and cots can be provided. In the restaurant, a team of specialist chefs handcraft items such as bread and pasta and desserts, with food served overlooking the sea, on a terrace over the pool. The spa encompasses a relaxation area with herbal teas, massage cabins and a gym.

While Poetto beach is just minutes away, Palazzo Doglio is very much a city hotel, found in the historic centre of Cagliari. 72 bedrooms are bathed in natural light and feature precious Carrara marble. Created for both business and leisure, there are meetings rooms, a conference theatre and the Doglio Club provides Natura Bissé treatments. Osteria del Forte, a classic trattoria, has the esteemed Executive Chef Alessandro Cocco at the helm. Saudade is the Japanese-Brazilian eatery, Maiori is a contemporary pizzeria, the American Bar serves cocktails and Colonial is the new restaurant concept coming soon.

Named after the piazza in which it’s found, Palazzo Dipinto was once a 13th-century palace. Now it is an elegant design hotel. Bedrooms feature Italian made wooden parquet flooring, stylish furnishings in muted tones and spacious bathrooms. There isn’t a restaurant in-house, but there is a bar (in which breakfast is served), an inner courtyard and room service. And, bringing all of the senses into the experience, the hotel has its own scent, chosen in partnership with Acqua dell Elba, so guests staying at the boutique property, are welcomed with a delightful aroma, as well as a smile.

Offering superb views over Saint Martino’s Cathedral and many of the city’s monuments, the Grand Universe Lucca is a fusion of old and new. Its wall foundations date back to Roman times and there are the remnants of an ancient glassblower’s fountain in the cellar. But in terms of interior design, there’s plenty of contemporary flair, with luxe features such as modern glass chandeliers. Legacy Bistro Wine Bar is the hotel’s restaurant, while the Symphony Lounge pays subtle homage to Lucca’s musical connections. There’s also a stunning rooftop bar, Sommita, with wonderful views over the old town and Piazza del Giglio. And you can book a horse and carriage ride with canapes and aperitifs.