Hotels
Best hotels in Italy: where to stay, from Rome to the Amalfi Coast
Italy is too varied for one hotel list. A palazzo in Rome, a lakeside villa on Garda and a thermal spa in southern Tuscany are three different holidays. Here are the hotels we pick in nine regions, and how to choose between them.
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In short: the best hotels in Italy
For a first trip, stay in Rome, Florence or Venice and walk everywhere. For the sea, the Amalfi Coast and Taormina in Sicily have the most memorable hotels. Our first choice overall is Le Sirenuse in Positano, with a roof terrace above the bay and a pool facing the sea.
Our first choice: Check availability and prices at Le Sirenuse
How to choose where to stay in Italy
The cities: Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan suit a short break. Choose a hotel within walking distance of the sights, as taxis and traffic eat up the day.
The coast: The Amalfi Coast, Sicily and Sardinia are for swimming, long lunches and sunsets. Hotels here often close in winter, so check the season before you book.
The lakes and the countryside: Lake Garda, southern Tuscany and the hill towns around Orvieto give you space, gardens and pools. You usually need a hire car.
Many people combine two styles on one trip, for example three nights in Rome and four on the coast. The train links the big cities in a few hours.
Rome
From the rooms and the rooftop restaurant at Palazzo Manfredi you look straight at the Colosseum. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Rome
Stay between Piazza del Popolo and the Pantheon for the classic Rome, or near the Colosseum for the ancient city on your doorstep.
Hotel de Russie
Hotel de Russie is a Rocco Forte hotel a stone’s throw from Piazza del Popolo and Via del Corso. It was on the Condé Nast Gold List in 2021. The spa offers Ayurvedic treatments and aromatherapy, with an indoor pool, a sauna and a steam room. Behind the hotel lies a terraced garden that feels far from the city.
Best for: travellers who want classic Roman luxury within walking distance of the Spanish Steps.
Good to know: Flaminio metro station is a four-minute walk away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel de Russie
Palazzo Manfredi
Palazzo Manfredi is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and sits on Via Labicana, directly opposite the Colosseum. Several rooms look straight at the arena, and the rooftop restaurant Aroma has the same view at dinner. Guests rate the hotel 9.0 out of 10 across more than 700 reviews.
Best for: couples who want the ancient city right outside the window.
Good to know: The hotel is a little outside the historic centre, so allow time for the walk or a taxi to the Pantheon.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Palazzo Manfredi
More picks in our guide to the best hotels in Rome.
Florence
Portrait Firenze sits on the Arno, with the Ponte Vecchio in view from several suites. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Florence
Florence is small enough to cross on foot. Stay near the Duomo or the Arno and you can walk to the Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio and the markets.
Brunelleschi Hotel
Brunelleschi is built around a medieval round tower, five minutes on foot from the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria. There is a restaurant, a bar and a terrace, and the gym is open around the clock. Guests rate it 9.4 out of 10 across more than 700 reviews and praise the staff.
Best for: first-time visitors who want the old centre on the doorstep.
Good to know: The hotel can arrange airport transfers.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Brunelleschi Hotel
Portrait Firenze
Portrait Firenze belongs to the Lungarno Collection and sits on the river by the Ponte Vecchio. The suites have kitchenware, so they work like a small apartment with hotel service. Guests rate it 9.8 out of 10, among the highest scores in the city.
Best for: couples and families who want space and a view of the river.
Good to know: Pick up from the airport and the station can be booked.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Portrait Firenze
More picks in our guide to the best hotels in Florence.
Venice
Londra Palace faces the lagoon, five minutes on foot from St Mark’s Square. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Venice
Stay near St Mark’s or on the Grand Canal for the views, or further in for quiet canals. Everything happens on foot or by boat.
Londra Palace
Londra Palace sits on the lagoon, five minutes on foot from St Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace. The LPV Ristorante serves Italian food at dinner, and room service runs around the clock. Guests rate it 9.6 out of 10 and praise both the staff and the upkeep.
Best for: travellers who want the lagoon outside the window and St Mark’s close by.
Good to know: The waterfront is busy by day and calm in the evening.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Londra Palace
The Gritti Palace
The Gritti Palace is a Luxury Collection hotel on the Grand Canal, where breakfast is served almost at the water’s edge. There is a spa with massages and facials, a steam room and a gym open around the clock. It is one of the classic grand hotels of Venice.
Best for: a special occasion with the Grand Canal as the backdrop.
Good to know: St Mark’s Square is about ten minutes away on foot.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Gritti Palace
More picks in our guide to the best hotels in Venice.
Milan
Bvlgari Hotel Milano has an indoor pool and a spa behind its private garden. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Milan
Milan is for design, shopping and opera. Stay near the Duomo for the sights or around Brera for the restaurants.
Hotel Spadari al Duomo
Hotel Spadari is an art hotel on a side street five minutes on foot from Piazza del Duomo. There is a bar, and guests especially praise the breakfast and the staff. With 9.6 out of 10 across more than 700 reviews, it is one of the best-rated hotels in the centre.
Best for: a city break where you walk to the Duomo, La Scala and the Galleria.
Good to know: The Duomo metro station is right nearby.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Spadari al Duomo
Bvlgari Hotel Milano
Bvlgari Hotel Milano sits behind a large private garden, ten minutes on foot from Via Montenapoleone and La Scala. The spa has an indoor pool, a hot tub and a steam room, and the gym is open around the clock. It is quiet in the middle of the fashion district.
Best for: travellers who want calm and a spa between shopping and the opera.
Good to know: Montenapoleone metro station is a four-minute walk away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Bvlgari Hotel Milano
More picks in our guide to the best hotels in Milan.
Southern Tuscany
Warm spring water fills the pool at Terme di Saturnia all year round. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Southern Tuscany and Orvieto
The countryside south of Siena and the hill towns around Orvieto are quieter than Chianti. Here you find thermal springs, Etruscan towns and villages built on cliffs. A hire car is almost essential.
Terme di Saturnia
Terme di Saturnia is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, built around the warm spring of Saturnia. There are four outdoor pools, a golf course, two restaurants and a spa with Ayurvedic treatments. Bikes are included, and guests rate the resort 9.4 out of 10 across more than 500 reviews.
Best for: couples and families who want a spa holiday in the Tuscan countryside.
Good to know: Pitigliano and its Etruscan sunken roads are a short drive away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Terme di Saturnia
Palazzo Piccolomini, Orvieto
Palazzo Piccolomini is a historic palazzo in the centre of Orvieto, ten minutes on foot from the cathedral. There is a bar, a gym and paid parking, and guests praise the staff and the location. From here Civita di Bagnoregio is a short drive away.
Best for: a base for the hill towns of Umbria and northern Lazio.
Good to know: Orvieto is on the main railway between Rome and Florence.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Palazzo Piccolomini
Read more about Pitigliano and staying overnight near Civita di Bagnoregio.
The Amalfi Coast
From the terrace at Poseidon you look down over the houses of Positano to the sea. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
The Amalfi Coast
Positano, Amalfi and Ravello cling to the cliffs south of Naples. Most hotels have terraces and pools above the sea, and the season runs from spring to October.
Le Sirenuse, Positano
Le Sirenuse is the classic hotel in Positano, five minutes on foot from the main beach. From the roof terrace and the pool you look straight across the bay, and La Sponda serves Mediterranean food. There is a spa, a sauna and a gym, and guests rate it 9.8 out of 10.
Best for: a once-in-a-lifetime trip or a honeymoon.
Good to know: Positano is steep, with many steps between the hotel and the beach.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Le Sirenuse
Poseidon Hotel, Positano
Poseidon is a family-run hotel near Piazza dei Mulini and the ferry pier in Positano. There is an outdoor pool, a roof terrace, a tennis court and the Il Tridente restaurant, open from breakfast to dinner. Guests rate it 9.6 out of 10 across more than 600 reviews and praise the location.
Best for: travellers who want Positano with a pool, at a lower price than the most famous hotels.
Good to know: Book early for high season, as the hotel fills up fast.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Poseidon Hotel
More picks in our guide to the best hotels on the Amalfi Coast.
Lake Garda
Grand Hotel Fasano sits on the lake shore at Gardone Riviera, with its own private beach. Photo: Picolo
Lake Garda
Garda is the largest lake in Italy, with lemon gardens, castles and ferries between the towns. It is easy to reach from Verona and Milan.
Grand Hotel Fasano, Gardone Riviera
Grand Hotel Fasano has a private beach on the western shore of the lake, with indoor and outdoor pools and a spa. The Il Fagiano restaurant serves modern European food, and the Vittoriale is fifteen minutes away on foot. Guests rate it 9.4 out of 10.
Best for: couples who want a grand lakeside hotel with a beach.
Good to know: There is also a kids pool, so it works for families.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Grand Hotel Fasano
Villa Cortine Palace, Sirmione
Villa Cortine is a member of Relais & Châteaux, set in a park in Sirmione, five minutes on foot from the Scaliger castle. It has a private beach, a roof terrace, a seasonal pool and two restaurants, including Le Gardenie. Guests rate it 9.6 out of 10.
Best for: travellers who want quiet gardens with Sirmione’s old town close by.
Good to know: There is a tennis court and a beach bar.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Villa Cortine Palace
More picks in our guide to Lake Garda.
Sicily
The terraces at Grand Hotel Timeo look out over the sea from high above Taormina. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Sicily: Taormina
Taormina sits on a terrace above the sea, with Etna in the background. It has some of the most beautiful hotels in Italy, and the season is long.
Grand Hotel Timeo, Taormina
Grand Hotel Timeo is a Belmond hotel next to the ancient Greek theatre, ten minutes on foot from Corso Umberto. There are three restaurants, two bars, an outdoor pool with a pool bar and a spa. Guests rate it 9.8 out of 10 and praise the staff.
Best for: a grand stay with the best view in Taormina.
Good to know: The cable car down to the beaches is within walking distance.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Grand Hotel Timeo
Villa Carlotta, Taormina
Villa Carlotta is a boutique hotel with a roof terrace and a seasonal pool, ten minutes on foot from Corso Umberto. The Miraggio restaurant serves local food from breakfast to dinner. Guests rate it 9.8 out of 10 across more than 400 reviews.
Best for: couples who want a personal hotel with a sea view.
Good to know: The hotel can arrange transport in the area and to the airport.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Villa Carlotta
More picks in our guide to the best hotels in Taormina.
Sardinia
Villa Las Tronas sits on its own headland by the sea in Alghero. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Sardinia
Sardinia has white beaches, granite coves and a mountainous interior. Alghero in the north-west is easy to reach and has a walled old town.
Villa Las Tronas, Alghero
Villa Las Tronas is a former royal villa on a headland by the sea in Alghero. It has a roof terrace, an indoor pool, a seasonal outdoor pool and a spa with hot stone massage. Guests rate it 9.6 out of 10.
Best for: couples who want the sea on three sides and the old town close by.
Good to know: The hotel also has a sauna, a steam room and a hot tub.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Villa Las Tronas
Su Gologone, Oliena
Su Gologone is a hotel in the mountains of central Sardinia, known for its art and its food. The restaurant serves Sardinian and Italian dishes, and there is an outdoor pool, a roof terrace and a spa with hydrotherapy. Guests rate it 9.0 out of 10.
Best for: travellers who want the inland Sardinia of shepherds, wine and mountains.
Good to know: You need a car to reach the coast.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Su Gologone
More picks in our guide to the best hotels in Sardinia.
Our first choice in Italy
Le Sirenuse
Le Sirenuse is the hotel most people picture when they think of Positano. From the roof terrace you look over the colourful houses and down to the beach, and the pool faces the same view. In the evening you eat at La Sponda, lit by candles, and the main beach is five minutes away on foot.
Frequently asked questions about hotels in Italy
Where should I stay in Italy for the first time?
Rome, Florence and Venice are the classic first trip, and the train links them in a few hours. Stay central in each city so you can walk to the sights. If you want the sea as well, add a few nights on the Amalfi Coast at the end, reached by train to Naples and then a transfer.
When is the best time to visit Italy?
May, June and September are the best months for most of the country, with warm weather and fewer crowds than July and August. The cities work all year. Many hotels on the coast and the lakes close from November to March, so check the season before you book.
Should I hire a car in Italy?
Not for the cities, where trains are faster and parking is expensive. For southern Tuscany, the hill towns, the lakes and Sardinia, a car gives you far more freedom. Read our guide to car hire in Italy before you drive, especially about the restricted traffic zones in old towns.
How many nights should I spend in each place?
Two or three nights in each city is a good minimum, and four or more on the coast or a lake. Changing hotels every night costs time on trains and packing. A week split between one city and one beach or lake gives you both without rushing.
Is it worth paying more for a hotel in Italy?
Location matters more than stars. A simple hotel in the right street saves you hours of transport, while a grand hotel far from the centre can feel isolated. On the coast, a room with a sea view is often worth the extra cost, since you will spend a lot of time on the terrace.