- La Residenza Hotel (Rome; tel. 06-4880789; www.hotel-la-residenza.com): This town-house hotel, close to Via Veneto, is elegantly old-fashioned and homey. With its ivy-covered courtyard, this converted villa has spacious and tastefully furnished guest rooms.
- Hotel Bellettini (Florence; tel. 055-213561; www.hotelbellettini.com): If you're looking for a place with A Room with a View atmosphere, head for this Renaissance palazzo midway between the Duomo and the rail station. It's a family-run affair with an old-time atmosphere evoked by terra-cotta floors and stained-glass windows. The rooms are a bit plain but very comfortable.
- Palazzo Ravizza (Siena; tel. 0577-280462; www.palazzoravizza.it): Right in the heart of Siena, a short walk from Piazza del Campo, this elegant building was converted from a 19th-century palace. Every guest room has a few antiques along with ceiling frescoes.
- La Residenza (Venice; tel. 041-5285315; www.venicelaresidenza.com): In a 14th-century building that looks like a miniature Doge's Palace, this little hotel is on a residential square. You enter through an enormous salon filled with antiques, 300-year-old paintings, and some of the most marvelously preserved walls in Venice. The guest rooms aren't as grand, but they're comfortable and offer remarkably good value for pricey Venice.
- Hotel Menardi (Cortina d'Ampezzo; tel. 0436-2400; www.hotelmenardi.it): Built a century ago, this family-run Alpine inn is adorable, with wooden balconies and shutters and blazing fireplaces. Its rear windows open onto a flowery meadow and a view of the Dolomite peaks. The Menardi is a great buy in a high-priced resort town.
- Victoria Hotel (Turin; tel. 011-5611909; www.hotelvictoria-torino.com): One of Turin's best hotel buys, the Victoria has the distinct flavor of a British manor. You get touches of luxury and even a private garden.
- Hotel La Villarosa (Ischia; tel. 081-991316; www.hotellavillarosa.com): In a semitropical garden setting, this is the island's finest pensione. It's like a Mediterranean-style country villa with antiques and tiles adorning bright, airy rooms.
Italy Travel Experiences
-
The land of the Truffle
We arrived in Turin via train from Zurich late in the afternoon, decided (stupidly?) to walk to Hertz from the train stations which turne... Continue reading »
-
I am back to civilization!!
The past two weeks were some what of a 21st century experiment. Take the girl out of the city - from the office in Times Squar... Continue reading »
-
X marks the spot
Castles, ancient Forts, an entire island coastline of beaches... pirates ;) ...Sardinia, how I adore thee.The ferry docked on a cold and... Continue reading »
-
Day 9: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel , Colos...
Ancient and modern Rome awaits your discovery. Why not start your day with a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel? In yo... Continue reading »
