It’s the sheer variety that strikes you first. Italy has as many hotels as it has destinations, from old-fashioned family-run pensioni in historic city centres to elegant lakeside resorts where you dine by candlelight at the water’s edge. There are mountain lodges with Michelin-starred restaurants, aristocratic townhouses with museum-standard collections of art and antiques, rock-hewn Amalfi Coast cliff hotels, Tuscan hilltop castles and ancient Sicilian wine estates.
Compiled by Telegraph Travel’s Italy experts, who have stayed at, reviewed and rated all these properties, this list represents a selection of special places that distil the Italian verve for dolce vita hospitality. Some – especially the coastal, island and lake resorts – are seasonal, which generally means that they open from April through to October. Not all are fabulously expensive, but all, in our view, are fabulous. Buona vacanza!
Lakes
Lake Como
Lake Garda
Lake Iseo
• The best Italian Lakes hotels
Lake Maggiore
Lake Orta
• Europe's best hotels for wedding venues
Florence
• The best beach holidays in Italy
Milan
Rural
Coast
Islands
Contributions from Kiki Deere, Fiona Duncan, Anne Hanley, Tim Jepson, Gabriella Le Breton, Lee Marshall, Belinda Maude, Mark Nicholls, Nick Trend and Nicky Swallow.
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This luxury boutique retreat is not only one of the best hotels of its kind in Italy, with fabulo... Read expert reviewFrom £ 667per nightRates provided byBooking.com
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The Gritti – in an enviable spot on the lower reaches of the Grand Canal – has been a favourite w... Read expert review
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Often included in 'World's Best' lists and frequented by such stars as George Clooney and Julia R... Read expert review