The Hotels Behind My Favourite Italy Itineraries
Image courtesy of Il Sereno Lago di Como
Como is full of villas dressed in antiques and gilt, and then there's Il Sereno, which ignores all of that on purpose. Rome has grand hotels everywhere you look, and then there's Casa Monti, 36 rooms tucked into Monti, closer to a residential feel. Picking the right hotel in Italy isn't about picking the famous one. It's about knowing what each place is doing differently, and knowing which clients and which trips they suit best. These are a few of my favourites, the properties that make the cut when I'm building a client's Italy itinerary:
Lupaia, Tuscany
Twelve rooms, set among vineyards in the Tuscan countryside. Mornings mean fresh bread and coffee on the terrace. There's no real agenda beyond that, which is exactly the point. If your Italy trip is about slowing down rather than checking off cities, this is where you stay.
Il Sereno, Lake Como
A departure from the villa aesthetic that defines most of Como's hotels. Il Sereno is sleek and contemporary, designed by Patricia Urquiola, with clean lines instead of antique furnishings. It's the pick for travelers who want Como's setting without the period-drama trappings that come with it elsewhere on the lake.
Forestis, Dolomites
Forestis sits at 1,800 meters above Brixen, built on the site of a sanatorium that was never finished due to World War I and reopened as a hotel in 2020 after a careful renovation. Every suite faces the mountains, and the spa, inspired by Celtic wellness traditions, spans two floors with an indoor-outdoor pool that looks straight out at the Dolomites. This is where you go for altitude, quiet, and a wellness stay that doesn't feel manufactured.
Casa Monti, Rome
Tucked into the Monti district between the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, Casa Monti is small by Roman luxury standards, with just 36 bold and colourful rooms. The spa was developed with Susanne Kaufmann, the restaurant leans into old-school Roman trattoria warmth, and the rooftop bar is where you’ll want to end most nights. It's a residential feel in a city that doesn't always offer one.
Lungarno Collection
The Ferragamo family's hotel group, with properties along Florence's Arno and in Rome's historic center. Design-forward, well-run, and consistent, if you're moving between cities and want a throughline of quality without needing to research every hotel individually, Lungarno is a reliable answer.
The Place Firenze
A few steps from Florence's Piazza Santa Maria Novella, The Place feels more like a private residence than a hotel. Small, art-filled, and personal, this is the choice for travelers who want intimacy over amenities.
Vocabolo Moscatelli, Umbria
Umbria sits right next to Tuscany and gets a fraction of the attention, mostly because it's quieter and less obviously photogenic, not because there's less to love. Vocabolo Moscatelli makes the case for it better than any explanation could: the same rolling countryside and unhurried pace, without the crowds or the price tag that come with staying just one region over. A countryside retreat with gardens, a pool, and seasonal dining that leans on what's actually grown nearby.
Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel, Sardinia
Built in the 1960s by the Aga Khan and designed by architect Michele Busiri Vici, Romazzino still carries that era's whitewashed, low-slung glamour on its own private beach on the Costa Smeralda. It's the pick if your Italy trip is headed for the coast of Sardinia rather than the mainland, and you want a hotel with the same pedigree as the Tuscan and Como properties on this list.
Braccialieri, Sicily
Braccialieri offers two distinct ways to stay: three suites in the main house, or eco-glamping in one of six tented villas scattered through an olive grove. Either way, expect high-end furniture from well-known Italian designers set against old-world Sicilian details, not the rustic simplicity "tent" might suggest. It sits in the Val di Noto, minutes from Noto and the beaches of Avola, with a striking red-and-white checkerboard pool and a restaurant, Dodici Zappe, housed in an old mill. It also happens to be a good pick for a destination wedding.
*Most of these stays come with partner perks such as room upgrades when available, property credits, early check-in or late check-out, breakfast daily, and more.
A hotel is only ever part of the plan. For the destinations behind these picks: Lake Como, Lake Garda & Milan for the north, and more coming soon.
Which one's calling you?
Different regions, different trips, from a wellness retreat in the Dolomites to a twelve-room farmhouse built for doing nothing at all. Let's talk about the type of trip you're envisioning. Fill out the Inquiry Form and tell me what you're after.
