Must-see hotels in Mediterranean Europe

  • AdAstra

    Oltrarno

    There is no other address quite like it in Florence. Seductively at home in a 16th-century palazzo overlooking Europe's largest private walled garden,…

  • RomeHello

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    Funnelling all of its profits into worthy social enterprises, this street-art-adorned hostel is the best in the city. Opened in 2018, it offers 200 beds,…

  • Residenza Amblingh

    Abruzzo

    Don't even think about leaving Vasto off your itinerary when you can stay at this debonair accommodation offering four beautifully decorated suites (two…

  • Prendiparte B&B

    Bologna

    You will never – repeat, never – stay anywhere else like this. Forget the B&B tag: you don't just get a room here, you get an entire 900-year-old tower …

  • Barbialla Nuova

    Northwestern Tuscany

    Creamy Chianina cows graze on the hillside and wild boars ferret for white truffles between tree roots on this heavily wooded, 500-hectare biodynamic farm…

  • SoprArno Suites

    Oltrarno

    This boutique gem, tucked in a quaint Oltrarno courtyard, creates an intimate home-from-home vibe while making each guest feel special. Thirteen designer…

  • Hotel Soho Boutique Palacio San Gabriel

    Ronda

    Despite new chain-hotel management, this heavyweight historic edifice retains its age-old charm, filled with antiques and faded photographs that offer an…

  • Koza Cave Hotel

    Göreme

    Koza is a masterclass in stylish sustainable tourism. Passionate owner Derviş spent decades living in Holland and has incorporated Dutch eco-sensibility…

  • El Palace

    L'Eixample

    Launched in 1919 as the Ritz (with Paris, London and Madrid), Barcelona's dazzling luxury original continues to wow a century later. The 120 exquisitely…

  • La Minerva

    Capri

    This gleaming establishment is a model of Capri style and considered by many to be one of the best hotels in Italy. The 19 rooms, which cascade down the…

  • Villa Spalletti Trivelli

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    Furnished with 16th-century tapestries, antique books and original period furnishings, this mansion was built by Gabriella Rasponi, niece of Carolina…

  • Student Hotel

    Florence

    Designed for anyone with a fun 'student-for-life' spirit, this hostel-hotel hybrid embodies 21st-century living – in a historic palazzo from 1864. Sharp…

  • Lido Palace

    Lake Garda

    If you're flush with euros, Riva's captivating Lido Palace is the place to offload them. The exquisite building dates back to 1899 when it opened as a…

  • Hotel Palazzo Murat

    Positano

    Positano personified. Hidden behind an ancient wall away from the tourists who surge along the pedestrian thoroughfares daily, this magnificent hotel…

  • Sextantio

    Abruzzo

    This enchanting albergo diffuso, with 28 distinctive rooms and suites scattered throughout the village, was what helped rescue Santo Stefano from oblivion…

  • Capri Palace

    Capri

    This really lives up to the 'palace' in its name – a regal mix of chicness, opulence and unashamed luxury that takes the concept of la dolce vita to…

  • Mezzatorre Resort & Spa

    Ischia

    Occupying its own promontory above the sea, this luxurious resort is surrounded by a 2.8-hectare pine wood, with sitting rooms and some guestrooms located…

  • Castello di Monterone

    Perugia

    This fairy-tale castle comes with all the turreted, ivy-clad, vaulted trappings you would imagine. Its 18 individually designed rooms have been finished…

  • Grande Bretagne

    Syntagma & Plaka

    If you aspire to the best, the most prestigious place to stay in Athens is – and always has been – the Grande Bretagne, right on Syntagma Sq. Built in…

  • Imaret

    Macedonia

    Occupying a former Islamic seminary built in 1817 by Pasha Mohamed Ali, this stunning hotel complex in Panagia blends original stone features such as…

  • Belmond Hotel Caruso

    Ravello

    There can be no better place to swim than the Caruso’s sensational infinity pool. Seemingly set on the edge of a precipice, its blue waters merge with the…

  • Agriturismo Vultaggio

    Western Sicily

    Head 15km south of Trapani, into the countryside, to find this outstanding farm retreat. Four of its 13 attractive rooms have sea views and there are…

  • Villa Franca

    Positano

    Cue a fanfare of trumpets. Even by Positano standards, the Franca is high-class: an operatic mix of stylish white minimalism with a few regal touches…

  • S Nikolis Hotel

    Rhodes Town

    The life’s work of builder Sotiris Nikolis and his Danish partner Marianne, this fine hotel ranges through several restored buildings and a flowery…

  • Aire de Ronda

    Ronda

    Located in a particularly tranquil part of town, this hotel is one of those old-on-the-outside, supermodern-on-the-inside places that Spain does so well…

  • Marco Polo Mansion

    Rhodes Town

    This 15th-century pasha's house lovingly recreates an Ottoman ambience with verve and style. Some rooms are in the mansion itself, the rest open onto the…

  • Iconic Santorini

    Fira

    This five-star cave hotel is something special, with great attention paid to tiny details. Terraces look out over the caldera, the Cliff Suite comes with…

  • Gritti Palace

    Venice

    Guests at the Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal don't need to leave their balconies to sightsee. This landmark 1525 doge’s palace features Grand Canal…

  • Casa Maria Luigia

    Casa Maria Luigia

    Modena

    Aiming to capitalise on the worldwide foodie frenzy created by Osteria Francescana, top chef Massimo Bottura and his American wife, Lara Gilmore,…

  • Sina Brufani

    Perugia

    From its hilltop perch, this historic five-star hotel has captivating views of the valley below and hills beyond. This has been a local landmark since the…

  • The charming palace entrance to Hotel Nani Mocenigo

    Hotel Nani Mocenigo Palace

    Venice

    Live like a doge in a 15th-century Venetian-Gothic palace that once belonged to one of the most famous of them: Agostino Barbarigo, who was responsible…

  • Al Benefizio

    Northwestern Tuscany

    Squeeze your car along the narrow road to this farm, framed by fig trees, olive groves, vines, acacia and chestnut woods on a steeply terraced hillside…

  • Bonjuk Bay

    South Aegean

    This remote back-to-nature escape offers a unique experience. Occupying a secluded private cove, Bonjuk Bay draws an in-the-know crowd of creative guests,…

  • The Church

    Naples

    On the 4th floor of an anecdote-rich 16th-century palazzo, this intimate, cultured B&B is decorated with contemporary Neapolitan photography and cleverly…

  • Molino Tejada

    Cantabria

    A wonderful place to kick back, this 16th-century watermill amid extensive riverside gardens, 1km east of Polientes, has been stunningly renovated by its…

  • Enagron Ecotourism Village

    Rethymno Province

    This working farm offers an immersion in the traditional Cretan way of life. Its attractive villas, laid out like a small village, have elegantly rustic…

  • Das Wanda

    Trentino & South Tyrol

    Verena Huf is a third-gen hotelier and her gorgeous 12-suite place combines that rich lineage with youthful enthusiasm and a relaxed style. Rooms are…

  • Miramonti

    Merano (Meran)

    This extraordinary small hotel, a 15-minute drive from Merano, nestles high on a secluded mountainside at 1230m. Run by an incredibly vibrant young couple…

  • Sota Cappadocia

    Ürgüp

    Ürgüp's hippest hotel. Nil Tuncer, with help from acclaimed interior decorator Oytun Berktan, has stamped the nine rooms with a minimalist design as much…

  • B&B Al Salvatore di Lipari

    Lipari

    Once you reach this peaceful hillside oasis 2km south of town, you may never want to leave. Artist Paola and physicist Marcello have transformed their…