From the collection
Italy We Love
Seven Italian addresses and the regions they stand for.
Italy cannot be told in a single journey. Between the Venetian lagoon, the hills of the Val d'Orcia, the Ligurian rock and the western shore of Lake Como lie not only kilometres but different ideas of how a day should unfold.
This selection is not a ranking. It arranges places by the feeling they leave behind — by light, by pace, and by whether you want to go out again in the evening or simply stay.
The addresses
Houses in this collection
San Polo, Venedig
Aman Venice
Twenty-four rooms in a 16th-century palazzo, arrival by water gate, a private garden in the middle of Venice.
- Suits:
- Returning Venice travellers and couples who value privacy over infrastructure
- Suggested length:
- Four nights
- Season:
- November to early December, late September
Giudecca, Venedig
Belmond Hotel Cipriani
Garden, pool and vineyard on the Giudecca — Venice sits opposite, the boat runs around the clock.
- Suits:
- Travellers who want Venice with space, a pool and breakfast outdoors
- Suggested length:
- Three to four nights
- Season:
- May to June, September
Portofino, Ligurien
Belmond Splendido
A former monastery above the bay of Portofino, revisited by the same families since the thirties.
- Suits:
- Couples after the quiet side of the Riviera
- Suggested length:
- Four nights
- Season:
- Late May to June, September
Val d'Orcia, Toskana
Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco
A medieval borgo on 1,100 hectares of the Val d'Orcia, with its own Brunello and suites in the old farmhouses.
- Suits:
- Families and couples who want one place for a whole week
- Suggested length:
- Five to seven nights
- Season:
- May to June, September to October for the harvest
Florenz, Toskana
Four Seasons Firenze
A Renaissance palazzo with eleven hectares of garden behind it — Florence on foot, silence at breakfast.
- Suits:
- Families and cultural travellers who want city and garden together
- Suggested length:
- Three to four nights
- Season:
- April to June, September to October
Blevio, Comer See
Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como
Historic villas on the quiet eastern shore, with a private jetty and terraced gardens.
- Suits:
- Couples who want the lake from the water rather than the road
- Suggested length:
- Three to four nights
- Season:
- May to June, September
Chianti, Toskana
COMO Castello Del Nero
A 12th-century castle in Chianti, with a kitchen and spa that genuinely structure the day.
- Suits:
- Couples combining Tuscany with wellness and serious cooking
- Suggested length:
- Four to five nights
- Season:
- May to June, September
Our perspective
Italy rewards travellers who plan fewer stops. Two addresses across ten days usually work better than four, especially between Tuscany and the coast, where driving times run longer than the map suggests.
May, June and September show the country at its most generous. For Venice and the lakes, the shoulder weeks in October are worth considering too.
Journeys alongside
Routes that belong here
Read on
From the Journal
Hotels
Our Favourite Hotels in Tuscany
Three houses, three very different Tuscan journeys, and the question of which one suits you.
Destinations
Tuscany Beyond Florence
Val d'Orcia, Maremma, Casentino: three landscapes that carry a second Tuscan journey.
Destinations
Puglia, Beyond the Postcard
Where travelling in Puglia genuinely rewards you, and why May and October make the difference.
Pure Voyage Atlas
Where this leads
The Atlas connects what belongs together: the region, the collections, the right season and the houses that sit within the same story.
Related Houses
When to Go
Rooms and Suites
In the Journal
An Invitation
Once a month: hotels, new openings and travel ideas
One hotel that convinced us, with our advice on suite and season. The openings that actually matter. And a destination at its best right now. No offers, no advertising.