In Italy, there are 601 hotels classified as five-star. However, it’s known that this is no longer the primary parameter for evaluating them. Apart from the hospitality landmarks with fascinating family histories and examples of contemporary luxury in classic destinations (who doesn’t love Sorrento and Venice?), we can count on many small hotels with carefully curated design and plenty of courtesies for guests in unexpected destinations. Like Lake Orta with its little monastery island and the sunny Altopiano del Salto (with more than 300 sunny days a year), where you can horseback ride through a fairytale landscape. And like the deep and silent countryside of our south; all with the requirements of today’s hospitality: good taste (in style and at the table), wellbeing (inner first, then the rest), nature, and authenticity.
Hotel TYROL, selva di val gardena, dolomites
WHY: Hospitality as it once was
The rooms renovated this year do not alter the Tyrolean atmosphere of this hotel, which has always been run by the same family. Its strengths? The warmth of Bibiana and Maurizio, the cheerful comings and goings, an excellent spa, and the tastiest half-board in the area. They also have a Michelin-starred restaurant: Suinsom. WEBSITE
Eco Hotel Saltus, San Genesio, dolomites
WHY: 100% local with an eye toward sustainability
There’s only a thin sheet of glass to separate you between the minimalistic interiors and the tree-filled outdoors. The property is situated in the largest larch plateau in Europe, and offers a stay centered around mental and physical wellbeing. READ MORE
Nolinski, venezia
WHY: A Bohémien touch in the romantic city
Poetry, from roses everywhere to the library with 4000 books, a concert, and a spritz. At the bistro in the courtyard on the ground floor, you can taste well-cooked regional Italian cuisine (the meatballs in sauce are delicious). In the theatrical restaurant, housed in the former Venice Stock Exchange trading hall, you’ll find the two-star French cuisine of Philip Chronopoulos, who prefers to use ingredients from the Lagoon here. READ MORE
Casa Fantini Laketime, Pello, lake orta
WHY: A romantic, lake-side escape
11 rooms matched with the design by Pietro Lissoni on Lake Orta; this small lake has been a well-kept secret located only one hour away from Milan; a destination of spiritual wellness, meditation and excellent cuisine. At Casa Fantini, savour refined cuisine that exalts local ingredients, and, on the other side of the lake there’s Antonino Cannavacciuolo’s 3 Michelin starred restaurant. READ MORE
Wine & Balsamic Relais Roncolo 1888, Emilia Romagna
WHY: Country-style vacation
One hundred thirty hectares of an organic estate producing quality Lambrusco and balsamic vinegar. Surrounded by the hills of Emilia Romagna, at the center is an Italian garden and a village transformed into a relais with 6 rooms and a particular focus on design that gives a contemporary atmosphere to the historic villa. Genuine and authentic cuisine, with an unmissable balsamic tasting. A tip: rent a Ferrari and visit the nearby Food and Motor Valley between Parma and Modena. READ MORE
Vocabolo Moscatelli, Calzolaro, umbria
WHY: A nest in the heart of the Umbrian countryside
The owners, Frederik Kubierschky and Catharina Lütjens, passionately care for their small monastery nestled in the Umbrian hills. Today, it is a design resort with 12 rooms, a pool, and a natural inclination to tell the story of the region and its traditions through craftsmanship and local products. WEBSITE
Borgo dei Conti Resort Relais & Chateaux, Boschetto Vecchio, Umbria
WHY: Elegance in touch with nature and history
A medieval village has been revived thanks to a project by the architecture studio Spagnulo & Partners. The project combines the beauty of Umbrian painters and their perspective techniques with the surrounding landscape’s splendour: 16 hectares of parkland with a pool, tavern, spa, and open-air cinema. This year, 21 rooms with frescoes and antique fireplaces are finally opening. WEBSITE
Portrait Firenze
WHY: Perfect location with unparalleled views over Ponte Vecchio
This five-star hotel by the Ferragamo family was conceived as an elegant portrait of their city, and it is just that. Only suites designed by Florentine architect Michele Bonan, a selection of archival photos depicting Florence as the first city of Italian fashion, and an unmistakable location: on the Lungarno, in front of the Ponte Vecchio. High-level cuisine and aperitifs in the outdoor area. WEBSITE
Pieve Aldina, Toscana
WHY: A provençal touch to a Tuscan farmhouse in the Chianti Classico
Its walls still preserve the 10th century Romanesque church, magnificent frescoed features, Tuscan cotto floors and characteristic original stone porticoes; these alternate with a rustic, country decor. Days are lived at a slow pace: enjoying breakfast in the internal courtyard, taking a swim in the lengthy pool, booking a treatment or a cooking class learning to make fresh-egg pasta and tuscan recipes, exploring the breathtaking surroundings only to savour an aperitif in the garden as the sun begins to set. WEBSITE
La Felicina, Mugello, toscana
WHY: For an out-of-the-box vacation
In Mugello, among Medici villas and green walks, a small family guesthouse has become a bohemian retreat with an Academy of Thought. Collections of handbags and model kits, two planes built by the owner, and many historical photos from Vogue Italia. WEBSITE
Casa Newton, TOSCANA
WHY: Contemporary design engulfs a traditional countryside setting
Casa Newton is nestled along the sweet, sinuous hills of the Val d’Orcia, between Montalcino and Montepulciano, only ten minutes from the charming village of Pienza. The estate, belonging to a distant relative of Isaac Newton, has been acquired by Swiss architect and interior designer Antonie Bertherat Kioes together with her husband, Philippe. The property itself is a treasure trove of iconic designer pieces including Dedar fabric wall coverings, Pierre Frey fabrics and Ico Parisi chairs. There’s also Casa Newton’s winery close to the estate for tastings and meandering among the fields. WEBSITE
Interno Marche, Tolentino, marche
WHY: To live the history of Italian design
In a liberty-style villa (the former headquarters of Nazzareno Gabrielli and later, Poltrona Frau) houses 30 rooms furnished with iconic pieces of renowned Italian designers from the 20th century including Gio Ponti, Gae Aulenti and Michele de Lucchi. WEBSITE
Palazzo Talìa, Roma
WHY: The ultimate set design for a Roman holiday
A newly opened hotel located within a 16th century palazzo, with 26 contemporary designed rooms. The suite, a spa, communal areas including a bar and restaurant designed by Oscar-winning director Luca Guadagnino. WEBSITE
Casa Monti, Roma
WHY: A design-focused abode in the artsy Monti neighbourhood
Every inch of this hotel has been thoroughly planned; a melting pot of colour, textures, materials that unveil the expertise of Laura Gonzalez with local craftsmanship and savoir-faire. It’s an intimate space, with 36 rooms, a restaurant, rooftop bar and the most vibrant, ochre-coloured spa with a jacuzzi overlooking the roman forum. WEBSITE
Gallicantu Stazzo Retreat, Luogosanto, sardinia
WHY: Everything is how things used to be
A traditional Sardinian stazzo farmhouse delightfully renovated on the edge of a forest. Every view is pure poetry: the living room among ancient olive trees, the bar carved out of granite rocks, the dining room with a view of Corsica, and the interiors 100% made in Sardinia (many from Gallura, to be even more local). The beaches of Costa Smeralda are half an hour away by car. READ MORE
Cascioni eco retreat, Sardegna
WHY: Lose yourself in the untouched, wild, Sardinian nature
Here the typical stazzo has been revisited, with a more contemporary and aesthetic approach to the rustic country dwelling. The interiors are well presented in each of the suites – there are fifteen of them, each with a private heated pool and outdoor area, as well as a spacious spa and three eateries each with their own identities yet centred around natural, seasonal and traditional. WEBSITE
Hotel Santavenere, Maratea, Basilicata
WHY: Like a holiday of yesteryear
From balconies and windows, you can see a garden that descends to the private beach on a sea as beautiful as the Amalfi Coast, but without the crowd. The antique pink of the hand-painted ceramics is a distinctive feature, enhanced by the scenic restyling of Pino Brescia. WEBSITE
Palazzo Luce, Lecce, Puglia
WHY: An unconventional stay in the Baroque hub of Puglia
Palazzo Luce was conceived as an art hub, product of Anna Maria Enselmi’s desire to create the perfect place for her collection of design and contemporary art. Spaces have been furnished with unique pieces by world renowned artists, architects and designers such as Gio Ponti, Ettore Sottsass, Martino Gamper and Antonio Marras to name a few. There are seven suites, each with their own personality. Other than the rooms, Palazzo Luce features a rooftop terrace, a ground floor secluded garden, a library, a pilates suite, a breakfast garden, a bar and a very own living room – just to make you feel even more at home. WEBSITE
Villa Paola, Tropea, Calabria
WHY: The charm of a mysterious Calabria
Only 12 rooms in a former 16th-century monastery and a balcony for aperitifs with a sunset view, on terraces descending towards the sea (a 20-minute walk away). The surprise is the cactus and Mediterranean plant garden. In the kitchen, Emanuele Pucci offers a gourmet take on the monks’ humble cuisine, the ancestor of the Mediterranean diet: fish, vegetables, and lots of creativity. Simple interiors, with super design projects for the near future (by Palomba-Serafini). WEBSITE
Susafa, Polizzi Generosa, Sicilia
WHY? A bucolic stay surrounded by a golden wheat field
ABOUT: This family-led hotel is a breath of fresh air, located on the outskirts of Palermo in the Parco delle Madonie. Each aspect has been meticulously curated to revolve around the rural, agricultural heritage of Susafa and the Saeli-Rizzuto family. The organic olive oil is made from their own olive trees, the bread and pasta are made from the wheat cultivated onsite and the farm-to-table cuisine is focused around vegetables and herbs picked by Chef Salvatore in their garden every morning. Not to mention that breakfast and dinner is served in the old barn, where the siblings used to play together among the haystacks. WEBSITE
La Segreta Country House, Menfi, Sicilia
WHY: Countryside with a view of the sea
Opened in June 2024, this welcoming house has 10 rooms named after Sicilian flowers. Guests can stroll through the woods, go biking or horseback riding, and discover local traditions. The cuisine? Health-oriented and full of vegetables. The sea is at most half an hour away. WEBSITE