Italy

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in Italy, independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

Nira Montana Hotel

11/04/2017 by .
nira montana hp

Discreetly tucked away in a quiet corner of La Thuile, a delightful village in the foothills of Mont Blanc’s Italian slopes, Nira Montana is the very essence of Alpine luxury. A 5 star retreat to pamper weary limbs after a hard day skiing, exploring Skyway Monte Bianco or hiking in the Aosta Valley.

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Hotel NH Torino Lingotto Congress

15/03/2017 by .
Racetrack on roof w City

In my time, I’ve stayed in many places that have been converted into hotels, including lighthouses, prisons, lunatic asylums, but Hotel NH Torino Lingotto Congress is in a former Fiat car factory.

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Il Borro Hotel

10/10/2016 by .
Il Borro Village with Bridge

If it’s every middle class Englanders dream to own a villa in Tuscany, fashion magnate Ferruccio Ferragamo went one better with Il Borro Hotel. In 1993, he bought a 700 hectare dilapidated estate, complete with manor house, vineyards and medieval village, and proceeded to convert it into a unique Relais and Chateau property.

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First Luxury Art Hotel

09/10/2016 by .
Dusk at Restaurant

I always think the best way to see Rome is on foot but you need a central base for that to work. Just a short walk from Piazza del Popolo, the designer shops of Via del Corso, and the Spanish Steps, the 5 star First Luxury Art Hotel is situated down a quiet back street and has just 29 rooms and suites. It was built as a 19th century nobleman’s palace and only opened as a hotel 5 years ago.

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Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi

03/10/2016 by .
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Early morning in Amalfi and the sun is nearly melting the tiles on my balcony. It is however a small price to pay for such a heavenly view, on the cliff top some 80 metres above the town and the endless expanse of the Mediterranean. The NH Collection Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi has had to endure this same view for over seven centuries, when it was originally a monastery and I have to admit, right now, I am having something of a religious experience myself.

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NH Collection Palazzo Cinquecento Hotel

05/05/2016 by .
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It’s not every day you can boast you’ve sat on a 3,000 year old piece of history, but I’m not ashamed to say I did just that on the front garden of Rome’s brand new NH Collection Palazzo Cinquecento Hotel

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CASTELLO DEL NERO. TUSCANY

30/10/2015 by .
Castello del Nero   Front View

It’s just what you hope for when you book a five-star hotel in Tuscany.   A 12th century castle adapted for modern comforts with a Michelin-starred restaurant to boot.    Castello del Nero offers all this, plus a world-class ESPA spa and a rustic taverna where dining is actually more enjoyable than in the formal room next door.

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Hotel Leone. Montelparo

09/06/2015 by .
Le Marche 142

The historic hilltop town of Montelparo has witnessed many things during her long lifetime; more than a few wars, an odd feuding baron or two the advent of electricity and of course, stunning views of the Marche landscape. But surely none perhaps more bewildering for the old girl than finding a young couple from England turning up one day as the proud new owners of a ruined palazzo at the top of the town, abandoned for over thirty years. Three years later and after much personal toil and sweat, the old palazzo was alive once again, transformed into the stunning eight bedroom luxury boutique hotel and restaurant that is Hotel Leone.

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Il Giardino di Ballaro

08/01/2015 by .
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The weather in Palermo may well have been unseasonably freezing, almost arctic some might have said, but inside Il Giardino di Ballaro the warmth was contagious, from the roaring log fire in the lounge to the hospitality of owner Annalise and her team. Il Giardino di Ballaro is a luxury B&B converted from an ancient bakery and stables right in the heart of Palermo’s old town and just a few steps from Ballaro, the biggest of the city’s four iconic outdoor markets.

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Antica Corte Pallavicina Relais

13/02/2014 by .
Emilia Romagna 136

It’s not often you would find me deep in a damp ancient cellar, down and dirty among racks of hanging meat, but on this particular occasion it was well worth it, for this particular cellar was under the Palazzo Antica Corte Pallavicina Relais, the domain of Massimo Spigaroli, the undisputed King of Culatello, the Rolls Royce of prosciutto.

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