Best Luxury Hotels in Italy

With a view across to the lovely village of Bellagio, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo is one of the most imposing hotels in the heart of Lake Como. Set in lush gardens with the Grigne Mountains as the backdrop, the lovely art nouveau hotel offers luxury accommodation in rooms and suites including a number of historic suites with facilities such as access to private garden areas, and also rooftop suites for spectacular views. Guests can dine in excellent gourmet restaurants (once patronised by Greta Garbo), enjoy treatments in a luxury spa, and swim in various lovely pools and from the lake’s only private beach.

Enjoying its status as the only 5-star hotel in Bellagio, Villa Serbelloni has been owned and run by the Bucher family since 1918. One of the oldest and most elegant hotels in this area of Lake Como, this hotel offers 95 air-conditioned rooms and suites decorated in classic and antique Italian styles with all mod cons including flat-screen TVs. Guests can enjoy a swimming pool with large sunbathing area, a spa with sauna and steam room, a fitness room, and beach facilities. A choice of restaurants and bars, a jazz trio performance each night, and white-gloved service means a pleasurable stay in luxurious surroundings.

A Michelin-starred restaurant and freshwater infinity pool set right on the lake are just two standout features of this luxury hotel in the village of Torno. Offering luxury accommodation (suites only) decorated by a Wallpaper Magazine Designer of The Year, Il Sereno has Lake Como lapping at its foundations. Panoramic views are complemented by high style and classic Italian design and guests can enjoy excellent facilities including a spa (in the original century-old boathouse) with sauna and steam room, beautifully kept gardens, on-site cooking lessons, and fishing.

Enjoying the dually beautiful location of the small town of Bellagio and Lake Como’s Bay of Pescallo with the Alps in the background, Hotel Belvedere is a charming hotel that has been in the same family for five generations, since 1880. Just a short walk away from the picturesque town centre, this hillside gem is a true retreat complete with swimming pool, jacuzzi, and spa. Luxury rooms and suites, a library, a bar, a restaurant that serves the best of local produce, and immaculate gardens make the Hotel Belvedere an ideal place to enjoy Lake Como.

A 19th-century mansion at the water’s edge, this five-star hotel by R Collection occupies an idyllic spot, surrounded by extensive gardens. Inside, the Art-Nouveau design building celebrates art concepts and Made in Italy. It has a lake view restaurant and gourmet restaurants, two bars, an outdoor heated swimming pool and a Technogym. Grand Hotel Victoria’s Erre Spa is quite something, with water paths, aroma and chromotherapy, an ice room, Himalayan Salt Room, tropical and waterfalls showers, a Kneipp path and an indoor pool surrounded by four-poster day beds. Rooms are sleek and contemporary, with style nodding to the early 20th century. Some come with balconies, but all have minibars and aircon.

This was a palace back in the early 16th century. Now it’s a palatial boutique hotel with 25 bedrooms that are fit for royalty. Just five minutes walk from the waterside, it has a suitably grand exterior, which gives way to minimal North-Italian designer interiors that are skillfully blended to accentuate original features (think beams, terracotta tiles and frescoes). There’s no restaurant as such, but a memorable breakfast is taken on the rooftop terrace. And with so many Genoan culinary hotspots on the doorstep, you’ll want to try as many as you can manage during your time here.

A boutique stay in a residential area, Meliá Genoa places guests within a short stroll of attractions, yet offers lots of onsite amenities. Its Blue Lounge & Restaurant is a hit with visitors and locals alike, cooking up regional specialities – don’t miss its stone-baked pizza and Genoan focaccia. The lounge area frequently hosts events, plus there’s an excellent range of aperitifs and finger food for those wanting a lighter bite. Meliá’s wellness centre boasts an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, Turkish bath, rain shower and a 24-hour gym, and there’s a relaxation/reading room. Bedrooms have minibars, seating areas and soundproofing.

Dating back to 1897, this is one of the oldest hotels in the land. And during its century and a quarter of business, the Grand Hotel Savoia has welcomed an illustrious list of guests. Each room is individually styled, with Belle Époque features and art representing the city’s connection to overseas adventure. Its pretty seventh-floor terrace provides views across Genoa’s rooftops – a charming spot to breakfast. Evening meals can be taken here, or in the interior dining room of Ristorante Salgari, with its frescoed walls and dark wood furnishings. And there’s the enveloping Spa La Spiaggia Segreta for a little self-care time.

Offering a very different experience to the Grand Hotel, this is a six-storey boutique design hotel. At its heart is the i-CE AGE swimming pool, a water ‘sculpture’ for swimming, that’s heated to 31-34 degrees and open 24 hours a day. It has a bubble mat, elevated whirlpools, foot water jets and a large cervical blade waterfall that make bathing a luxurious indulgence. The i-FEEL GOOD Seaview Spa is an uber-modern light-filled space and the i-FAME restaurant features high-quality raw materials and a focus on fish. Bedrooms are known as i-SUITES and follow the minimalist design found throughout.

Made famous by Rimini’s own Federico Fellini, who used the building in his films, the Grand Hotel is also sought after as a five-star residence with an exclusive area of private beach across the road. It opened at the turn of the 20th century, but experienced damage during the war and due to a major fire, resulting in major refurbishments. Fortunately many original features including incredible stuccoed ceilings have survived and the property contains beautiful antique furniture. It has 121 bedrooms, a restaurant with an open-air terrace, a beachside eatery,  a seasonal kids’ club, a beach splash pool, as well as further pools on the terrace and in the spa.

Surrounded by seven beautifully tended acres of land, this 52-bedroom residence is the place to choose for seclusion and private walks. It has an authentic Ischian feel, with local dishes created in the il Corbezzolo restaurant from the freshest island ingredients (many of which originate from the hotel’s organic vegetable garden). An outdoor pool and jacuzzi is fed by the natural thermal waters, as is the spa. Botania Relais & Spa is ideal for older families (children over 12 are welcome) or as a romantic boutique break. Lacco Ameno is just a short stroll away, accessed by a series of stone steps.

Perched on a quiet hilltop surrounded by lemon and pine trees, the elevated views enjoyed by this property are quite something. The pool, terrace and La Veranda dei Sapori restaurant take full advantage of this vista, allowing guests to watch the glamorous marine activity below. A second restaurant, Franco’s, also overlooks the bay and serves cuisine crafted from ingredients grown in the onsite kitchen gardens, while a piano bar on the roof terrace provides a magical backdrop for sampling cocktails under the stars. All rooms have their own balcony, overlooking either the lush gardens or the sea.