La Dolce Vita, Italy
With a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and Italy opening up again here are some of my favourite Italian hotels where you can enjoy la dolce vita.
The Place Firenze, Florence
The Place Firenze (ex JK Place Firenze) was one of the first boutique hotels to open in Florence in 2003 and I was the first ever guest to stay in this 20-room luxury hotel which sits directly on the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella in the heart of the city. GM, Claudio Meli has been here since its opening and knows all the secrets of his beloved Florence. The interiors are so immaculate you’ll be forgiven for thinking this is a new boutique hotel opening. The bedrooms are exquisite with luxury en-suite marble bathrooms and a terrace on Piazza Santa Maria Novella serves mouth-watering Italian dishes with a contemporary twist. Some of the city’s best cafés, restaurants and shops are within a 2-minute walk.
Rates at The Place Firenze from £325 per night, book here.
La Bandita, Tuscany
Not long after JK opened the modern and relaxed La Bandita opened halfway between Florence and Rome, in the Val d’Orcia just south of Siena. This beautiful hotel has a modern look and a relaxed atmosphere, the perfect barefoot retreat where you can leave all of your cares behind. The 8 rooms can be taken over exclusively turning La Bandita into your very own hideaway in the hills. If village life is more your thing head to La Bandita Townhouse a 12-room boutique hotel hidden inside the historic centre of Pienza, a tiny village in southern Tuscany famous which has been producing for Pecorino the same way for thousands of years. The building is a wonderful renaissance palazzo where nuns had lived for over 500 years.
Rates at La Bandita and La Bandita Townhouse from £217 book here.
Follonico, Tuscany
If you’re after a Tuscan experience with a slow pace of life look no further than Follonico, a 6-suite authentic country hotel serving a home-grown organic breakfast. Follonico is a working farm and vineyard with all sorts of animals; dogs, horses, cats, chickens and geese. It's isolated, still and quiet, a place where you can simply be and yet it’s just a 10- minute drive from Montepulciano. Sit back, relax and soak up the beautiful surroundings from the infinity edge saltwater pool.
Rates at Follonico from £200 per night, book here.
Castello di Ugento, Puglia
If you’re in search of warm blue waters head to Puglia in the heel of Italy where you’ll find Castello di Ugento, a magnificent castle hotel that combines old-world elegance with modern sophistication. Surrounded by olive groves and some of Italy's most beautiful coastline this five-star luxury hotel has 9 contemporary rooms and suites where restored frescoes rub shoulders with modern art and artisanal pieces. The food is outstanding and you can polish up your culinary skills at The Puglia Culinary Centre the hotel’s in-house cookery school.
Rates at Castello di Ugento from £363 per night, book here.
Relais Rione Ponte, Rome
If a trip to the Eternal City is on the cards and you don’t have the budget for a large luxury hotel then try Relais Rione Ponte a cute and relative newcomer to the boutique hotel scene in Rome. With a constantly evolving art gallery this 9-room hotel is hidden away on the second floor of a 17th-century palazzo and is less than a 5-minute walk from Piazza Navona.
Rates at Relais Rione Ponte from £129 per night, book here.
Crossing Condotti, Rome
My fleeting visit to Rome at the beginning of March this year (2020) took me to this charming boutique hotel in Rome, less than a minute’s walk from the Spanish Steps. An unassuming door hides 9 beautiful, unique rooms and suites, each featuring family antiques, oil paintings, beautiful draped curtains and high ceilings. Modern en-suite bathrooms are kitted out with fluffy bathrobes, slippers and bath and body products from L’Occitane. If you’re after a more private affair, Crossing Condotti has a luxury self-catering apartment just a couple of streets away which sleeps a family of four. Charming staff and a great location amidst designer boutiques and some great cafés and restaurants make Crossing Condotti a firm favourite amongst those in the know.
Rates at Crossing Condotti from £190 per night, book here.
Ca Maria Adele, Venice
I have worked with boutique hotel Ca Maria Adele since it opened and it is still one of the best boutique hotels in Venice. You’ll find this little hidden gem in Dorsoduro, the modern art district of Venice, beside the Basilica della Madonna della Salute.
These luxurious and opulent rooms, there are 12 of them, are just one vaporetto stop from Piazza San Marco. One of the most romantic hotels in Venice, Ca Maria Adele is the perfect choice if you’re after opulence, atmosphere, romance and a touch of magic.
Rates at Ca Maria Adele start from £363 per night, book here.
Castello Banfi il Borgo, Tuscany
Foodies and wine lovers with a taste for luxury should book in to Castello Banfi il Borgo, an award-winning 14-room boutique hotel in the Tuscan countryside near Montalcino, not far from Siena. This 13th-century castle is part of a wine estate and boasts beautiful romantic bedrooms and suites with stunning views across the vineyards and surrounding countryside. The pool is heated and the hotel has two restaurants as well as an Enoteca which has the atmosphere of an authentic Tuscan wine shop where you can buy the estate's still and sparkling wines, grappa, extra virgin olive oil and Salsa Etrusca, all at a 15% discount if you are a guest of the hotel.
Rates at Castello Banfi il Borgo from £364 per night, book here.
Hotel Villa Ducale, Sicily
The Quartucci family opened Hotel Villa Ducale in Taormina in 1990. ‘In 1990 we opened Villa Ducale with an ambition to create a boutique hotel that captured the very best of Taormina and Sicily.’ says owner Andrea Quartucci. Not only as he achieved that and won many hotel awards along the way, but he and his wife Rosaria went on to open another amazing boutique hotel in Taormina, Hotel Villa Carlotta in 2009. Exquisite interiors are match by exquisite service at both properties. Hotel Villa Ducale is perhaps the more romantic and intimate of the two with just 19 rooms and suites and it’s difficult to beat an aperitivo on the terrace watching the sun going down. Hotel Villa Carlotta however, in my view, serves the best breakfast in town with far-reaching views across the coast. Whichever you choose you won’t be disappointed, in fact why choose? Why not book in for a night or two at both? See below their newest boutique hotel opening in Noto, Q92 Noto Hotel, which will no doubt set new standards for small boutique hotels in Sicily.
Rates at Hotel Villa Ducale start from £185-£790 per night, book here.
Rates at Hotel Villa Carlotta start from £193-£1058 per night, book here.
NEW OPENINGS
Q92 Noto Hotel, Sicily
Don’t forget that 9-room Q92 Noto Hotel a Baroque palazzo in one of the best locations in the UNESCO world heritage site of Noto, Sicily will be opening soon. It’s private and romantic with a small garden and pool.
Rates at Q92 Noto from £167 - £700, book Q92 Noto here.
Paragon 700, Puglia
Paragon 700 the only red palazzo in the white city of Ostuni, Puglia, will also be opening its doors this summer with just 11 rooms and suites private, restaurant, pool and bar.
Still in Puglia 4-room hideaway Casa Litarà will be waiting to welcome guests looking for a few days escape in the sunshine by the pool.
Rates at Casa Litarà start from £61 per night, book here.
Borgo 69, Tuscany
Borgo69 in Tuscany has been busy with finishing touches to the 12 luxury villas (with shared pool) before its summer opening. There’ll also be Emporio de Ines, a restaurant showcasing authentic Tuscan dishes and it promises to be one of the best places to enjoy relaxed al fresco dining.
Rates at Borgo 69 start from £516 per night, book here.
Castello di Reschio, Umbria
In neighbouring Umbria, not far from Perugia, a thousand-year-old castle has been meticulously restored and transformed into a dazzling luxury hotel, Castello di Reschio. Dating back to 1050, this castle has been transformed into a unique hotel with pool, restaurant and spa in Umbria, a hotel that dreams are made of. A dream for all seasons, Castello di Reschio is surrounded by the undulating hills of Umbria, the green heart of Italy.
Book here.
Another boutique hotel opening in Puglia was about to happen before/during the lockdown and it promises to be a beauty.
Masseria Calderisi, Puglia
Masseria Calderisi is a luxury boutique hotel in Puglia surrounded by ancient olive trees & views over the Adriatic Coast. They had planned for it to open in May and I’ll update this page with a new opening date as soon as I have one! I suspect it will be July. In the meantime, they are working hard on recipes for the restaurant, plans for the kitchen garden which will overflow with local herbs and flowers and perfecting new designs for when they can welcome guests for the first time.
Book Masseria Calderisi here.