10 Romantic Italian Hotels for an Idyllic Getaway

Michelin-starred restaurant La Sponda, Aldo’s Cocktail Bar & Seafood Grill, Spa designed by renowned architect Gae Aulenti, Outdoor pool, Gym outfitted with the Megaformer, Complimentary boat tours and other activities

A symbol of la dolce vita, this family-run hotel has rightly earned the status of an icon. It’s one of the original luxury hotels on the Amalfi Coast and still wows guests with friendly, attentive service, a classic coastal design amped up with contemporary art, excellent dining and drinking offerings, and plenty of activities, both on and off the property. Couples can sip Champagne at Aldo’s Bar, enjoy a romantic meal at La Sponda, go for a scenic ride in the hotel’s restored fishing boat, and indulge in a treatment at the Gae Aulenti-designed spa. Just don’t oversleep—the breakfast buffet is worth waking up for.

Buffet breakfast included, helpful concierge, honor bar, clawfoot bathtubs in some rooms

Housed in the top two floors of an 18th-century building, this 14-room boutique hotel has a charmingly eclectic design by Betty Soldi, Matteo and Marco Perduca, and Francesco Maestrelli, who are also behind AdAstra and OltrArno Suites. They’ve restored faded frescoes, dusted off beautiful old chandeliers, and peppered the place with eclectic furniture and decor, including vintage maps, old typewriters, and neon signs. Step outside and you’ll find yourself in one of Florence’s loveliest neighborhoods, where the streets are lined with artsy boutiques and Soldi’s calligraphy studio in Giardini Corsi is a quick walk away.

Stables, tennis court, outdoor swimming pool, bikes and e-bikes for rent, spa with Roman baths, sauna, private treatment room, Ristorante al Castello, Ristorante alle Scuderie, Palm Court Bar

Count Benedikt Bolza, a London-trained architect, joined his father in revitalizing this massive estate in 1999, starting with the derelict farmhouses. He and his wife, Donna Nencia Corsini, raised their five children in the castle before transforming it into a luxurious hotel that couldn’t be more picture perfect if it tried. They filled the rooms and public spaces with bespoke furnishings designed by the count himself and precious antiques collected at the antiques fair in Parma. Guests spend their days lounging by the pool, playing tennis, horseback riding, or foraging for wildflowers. 

Gourmet restaurant, wellness center, private jacuzzi in some rooms, swimming pool, e-bikes

Though he was born in Germany, chef Oliver Glowig has spent more than 20 years in Italy, cooking at some of the country’s most luxurious hotels and earning accolades along the way. He recently decamped to Umbia to run Locanda Petreja, the gourmet restaurant at Borgo Petroro. The hotel is set in a medieval castle and in the warmer months, guests can savor Glowig’s sublime tasting menus that make the most of the local produce, enjoyed outside under a covered terrace. 

Florio restaurant, Igiea Terrazza Bar, Alicetta Pool Bar, pool overlooking the sea, extensive gardens, tennis courts, Irene Forte spa, gym with Technogym equipment

Owned by the illustrious Florio family during the early 1900s, this elegant hotel has hosted royalty, dignitaries, and movie stars. Rocco Forte Hotels made sure to honor its rich history, restoring the Art Nouveau murals by Ernesto Basile, hanging archival photographs of the hotel in the small lounge next to the bar, and keeping the overall feel of a classic hotel with modern touches. Couples can relax on the striped lounge chairs by the pool, sip an aperitivo on the terrace, and savor fresh, Mediterranean dishes by acclaimed chef Fulvio Pierangelini during a romantic meal at the restaurant.

V Bart & Restaurant, I Dodici Gatti Pizzeria, concierge available via WhatsApp

Some rooms in this hotel have balconies looking into Milan’s famed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which makes for a once-in-a-lifetime view. A small South American brand run by Carrie and Alex Vik, Vik Retreats are known for their contemporary art and Galleria Vik Milano certainly delivers on that front. There’s art everywhere and even a fun digital photobooth where couples can take photos of themselves for posterity. 

Meo Modo restaurant, Trattoria Sull’Albero, Seed to Skin bath products, extensive gardens, treehouses by the stream, Satori yacht, cooking school, fermentation lab

Danish couple Claus and Jeanette Thottrup originally purchased this property as a vacation home, but it has become their passion project for the past 20 years. The sprawling estate comprises the 800-year-old villa, where guests check in, lounge in the library, and enjoy meals at the Michelin-starred Meo Modo. It also includes a series of villas, each with its own private pool; the casual Trattoria Sull’Albero; a pampering spa; outdoor pool; and extensive organically cultivated vegetable and herb gardens that produce ingredients for the restaurants and botanicals used in the resort’s Seed to Skin skincare line. Guests can even see the chickens that lay the eggs served at breakfast and staff are happy to set up a romantic picnic in one of the treehouses by the stream.

La Libreria gourmet restaurant, casual restaurant Alici with panoramic views, beach club, pool, private jetty, Acqua di Parma bath products

The Amalfi Coast is full of romantic hotels, but for couples who want to lounge on a sandy beach, this is the place to stay. It’s the newest five-star hotel on the coast and it happens to be a stunner, with a midcentury-meets-Mediterranean design inspired by Gio Ponti. Guests can enjoy Neapolitan pastries like sfogliatella at breakfast on the terrace, then take the elevator down to the beach club to sunbathe, swim, and savor spaghetti with clams. The hotel’s concierge can charter a boat for excursions on the water and recommend other things to do in the area—if you can tear yourself away from the beach, that is.

L’Aria restaurant, CO.MO Bar & Bistro, two villas, floating pool on the lake, spa and fitness center, vintage Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Housed in the 18th-century Villa Roccabruna, which was the home of Italian soprano Giuditta Pasta who used to entertain artists and writers like Rossini, Manzoni, and Stendhal, this luxurious hotel now hosts today’s movers and shakers. A revamp by Milan-based designer Eric Egan upped the glam quotient, with bespoke wallpaper and plush modern furnishings that complement the historic details. Some rooms have lake views and balconies, and there are two standalone villas for extra privacy. 

Michelin-starred restaurant La Stüa di Michil, Les Stües half-board restaurant, Bistro La Perla, Osteria L’Murin, Alpine Inn Ladinia, spa with indoor pool and saunas, wine cellar with 30,000 bottles, owner Ernesto Costa’s collection of vintage motorcycles

At this family-run mountain chalet in the Dolomites, staff members wear pins with their names on them and guests dining in the half-board restaurant greet each other in Italian or, more often than not, German. The hotel is only 90 minutes from the Austrian border and offers a very different sort of Italian experience than what you find at hotels on the Mediterranean. Alpine style rules here, with cozy wood paneling and quaint textiles throughout. If you want to spend your days skiing on the slopes and then relaxing at the spa or enjoying an après-ski drink, this is a fabulous place to do it. In the summer, the area is known for hiking and cycling.