Best Luxury Hotels in Italy

Boasting two Michelin stars, The Piccolo Principe is this establishment’s destination restaurant and sits opposite the seafront. There’s a further dining room, Maitò Viareggio, on the top floor. Both exude five-star elegance and tables are in demand. Located on Pisa’s edge, on the coastal road, guests can combine a historic city trip and a lido break in one (those staying can use the exclusive Teresita Beach club with hotel service). Rooms and suites are neutral and simple, yet plush and deeply refined. The spa includes a Thermarium, Kneipp water-treading pool and Blue Sun tanning shower. The Grand Hotel Principe Di Piemonte also accepts feline/canine guests.

Stay in Bologna’s oldest hotel, just yards from the historic centre. Housed in a Palazzo created by architect Alfonso Torregiani in the 18th century, its build was ordered by a Cardinal who went on to become Pope. Inside are 109 bedrooms, reflecting the property’s past, in antique furnishings and an opulent Regency style of decor. The restaurant serves traditional Northern Italian cuisine with wines from the Grand Hotel Majestic’s own huge cellar and features original frescoes. Guests also have access to a terrace bar, a cocktail lounge with piano music and a spa.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Arrive via Aman Venice’s private jetty into the gardens that lead down to the water. Built in the 16th century, this was once the Palazzo Papadopoli, a grand Baroque masterpiece which retains its original frescoes to this day. The decor is Neo-Renaissance and very opulent, its 24 bedrooms balancing this period grandeur with the modern niceties like Bang & Olufsen flatscreen TVs and Nespresso coffee makers (as this was the first building in the city to get electricity, it’s fitting that it should include some cutting-edge gadgets). Aman Venice has a small spa, Arva restaurant, a bar and a library stacked with books, board games and puzzles.

What was once a reef side fortress has been lovingly restored, to create a whitewashed ten-bedroomed boutique hotel right in Monopoli. Original features such as vaulted stone ceilings, fireplaces and limestone floors have been maintained, complimented by handicrafts, carved wood headboards and mod cons including hydro showers. The rooftop terrace is a romantic spot in which to savour some seasonal Puglian cuisine or take a dip in the little sea-view pool that’s sheltered by a rustic stone wall. Massages can be booked in-room or taken in a dedicated outdoor treatment area and breakfast is served in the 16th-century cellar.