Hotel Villa del Sogno - Gardone Riviera

The vast grounds of the Villa del Sogno hold many secrets, hidden temples and secluded paths that lead to ancient hillside clearings where one can enjoy memorable views of the sunsets over Lake Garda. There is a distinctly arcadian feeling and scholarly guests will reach for their Catullus and Virgil. The hotel itself, by contrast, is a masterpiece of  fin-de-siècle opulence and was once the the private home of the flamboyant Viennese silk manufacturer Maximilian Heydweiller, who built the villa in 1904. The rooms are imaginatively decorated in a variety of styles, reflecting Maximilian's eclectic taste. Call in advance to express a preference for Venetian, Liberty or Biedermeier. There is a choice between excellent standard rooms or luxury suites with gym, Jacuzzi, massage beds and private terraces. There is a swimming pool, a wellness centre and two restaurants. The informal Garden Bar serves lunch throughout the day and the very grand Maximilian Restaurant has a fine view of the lake from its terrace.

Villa del Sogno
Via Zanardelli, 107
25083 Gardone Riviera

Manager: Mr Davide Calderan

Park Hotel Faloria - Cortina d'Ampezzo

The Hotel Faloria has been a renowned mountain retreat for over a century. It is becoming increasingly popular to visit outside the ski season and explore the surrounding mountains on foot or by bike - the flora and fauna of a Dolomite spring and summer are magically uplifting. The Faloria comprises two chalet-style buildings, typical of the region, connected by a central area comprising the lobby, restaurant and an informal bar. The 31 rooms and suites have bracing views over the main piazza of  Moena and the surrounding Dolomites. The restaurant is friendly, intimate, and overlooks the Avisio river. It serves classic seasonal Trentino dishes. There is a Wellness centre on the top floor offering a variety of fitness programs and relaxing therapies. The views alone are sufficient to make you feel appreciably better even before you embark on the therapies.

Loc. Zuel di Sopra, 46
32043 Cortina d'Ampezzo

Managers:
Mrs Fabiana Rea

Hotel Villa Michelangelo - Vicenza

The Villa Michelangelo is a peaceful 18th century mansion close to the historic centre of Vicenza, well placed for exploring the nearby cities of Venice, Padua and Verona and the great Palladian villas along the Brenta Canal. The size 52 rooms vary in size and are well and luxuriously decorated with glassware, marbles and luxurious fabrics. The restaurant, La Loggia, has two elegant rooms with views over the Berici Hills. There is a swimming pool is set in the villa's olive grove with its own pleasant, informal bar. Vicenza itself is a World Heritage Site and there is a remarkably high concentration of beautiful architecture there. These include Andrea Palladio's masterpiece, the Basilica Palladiana, and his Teatro Olimpico, an enchanting 16th century theatre with an original stage set by Vincenzo Scamozzi. The food in Vicenza is widely and justly celebrated. Dishes are simple and are complemented by Asiago cheese, Marostica cherries, Nanto truffles and Breganze Cabernet wine.

Via Sacco, 35
36057 Vicenza, Arcugnano

Manager: Mr Pietro Rusconi

Hotel Villa Franceschi - Veneto

Hotel Villa Franceschi is a 16th century villa set in verdant parkland on the banks of the Brenta Canal. It is the former summer retreat of a Venetian merchant and characteristic of the many spectacular villas that line the Brenta, the country houses of the Venetian merchant princes. One of Franceschi's façades overlooks the water while the other overlooks the gardens and domestic buildings. All rooms are vast and have original fireplaces and tiled floors. There is an abundance of antique furniture and Murano glass chandeliers and mirrors, acres of Carrara marble and cascades of Rubelli fabric. The old Barchessa, a former boathouse and repository of farm equipment, has been transformed into a reception area with a bar and public rooms, all having access to the gardens. The restaurant has a large, shady verandah and serves good Venetian seafood classics. The landscaped gardens are peopled with beguiling antique marble statues.

Via Don Minzoni, 28
30030 Venice, Mira
Managers: Alessandro and Dario Dal Corso

Villa Stanley - Florence

The Villa Stanley is a peaceful 14th century retreat set in acres of parkland to the north west of Florence. There are 25 large guest rooms, all with relaxing garden views. There are additional rooms in the restored outbuildings near the villa's lemon grove. Appealing original features include a well and a secluded private chapel in the grounds. There is a discreetly landscaped swimming pool, immaculately planted formal gardens and fine tennis courts. The hotel restaurant, La Limonaia, offers Tuscan and Italian specialties served either in the dining room  or on the terrace overlooking the park.

Viale XX Settembre, 200
50019 Sesto Fiorentino
Florence

Manager: Mr Umberto Giordano

Hotel Helvetia & Bristol - Florence

The small but exceedingly well-appointed Bristol stands reassuringly close to the Palazzo Strozzi and the elegant Via Tornabuoni. It continues to unite the two worlds of high art and high fashion, just it did in the days of the Grand Tour. There are 67 rooms, each individually furnished with pietro duro tables, antique porcelain, Old Master paintings, silks and brocades. The whirlpool baths bring one gently down from the cultural high ground to the rich pastures of self-indulgence. The two suites on the 5th floor have great views of the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence. There is a tangible sense of past glory - the hotel was visited by a number of luminaries including Stravinsky, Pirandello and Gorbachev. The Giardino d'Inverno - the courtyard gardens - remain as they have been for decades a meeting place for local literati and the Florentine upper crust. The Bristol has been expertly restored by its owner, the hotelier Luigi de Simone Niquesa who has lent a number of pieces from his private art collection. The Hostaria Bibendum restaurant overlooks the Piazza Strozzi and offers Italian and Tuscan classics. The wine list is exemplary.

Via dei Pescioni, 2
50123 Florence

Manager: Mr Stefano Venturi

Resort Valle Dell'Erica Thalasso & Spa - Delphina Hotels - Santa Teresa Gallura

Created in the late 1950s, this elegant holiday village has always been a sought after and sophisticated holiday resort. When the original buildings were given a spectacular makeover in 2005, the developers showed great respect for the natural ecology of the landscape. This consolidated Valle dell Erica's reputation and made it one of the most admired eco destinations in Italy. There are seemingly endless white sandy bays and innumerable secluded coves overlooking the Straits of Bonifacio. There are 140 rooms, all on the ground loor with independent entrances. For a pleasing mediterranean flourish, it is possible to arrange for the fresh catch of the day to be cooked and served to you directly on the beach. The thalasso spa, Le Hermae, lies in a cluster of natural granite rocks and has four sea water swimming pools set at different temperatures. There are thalasso-therapy cabins, Turkish baths and massage.

Valle dell' Erica
07028 Santa Teresa Gallura
Olbia - Tempio

Manager: Giuseppe Antonio Panunzio

Alborea Eco Lodges - Taranto

The Alborea Eco Lodges are part of the Nova Yardinia Resort and set in 16 hectares of natural parkland on the edge of the Stornara Nature Reserve, overlooking the Bay of Taranto. The 124 self-contained eco lodges are set in natural clearings of pine trees and wild herbs - the fragrance is heady and uplifting. The lodges are remarkably spacious with light modern wooden furniture, large verandahs, panoramic windows and hydro-massage baths. There is a good choice of food. The Silvo Grill has an eclectic international menu while the Taresco pool-side bar is informal, friendly and has delicious ice cream. A short walk through the pine groves leads to a private beach with fine white sand, sun loungers, parasols and bar service. There are heated indoor and outdoor sea-water swimming pools. Guests may use the thalasso spa facilities of the neighbouring Hotel Kalidria. The Stornara Nature Reserve was established in 1977 to protect the coastal forest of Aleppo pines. The word Stornara refers to the storni (starlings) that migrate here in winter.

Località Principessa
S.S. 106 km 466.6
74010 Castellaneta Marina

Manager: Mr Vincenzo Gentile

Hotel Villa Morgagni - Rome

The 19th century Liberty-style Villa Morgagni is outside the centre of Rome in a leafy residential area near the Baths of Diocletian and the park of the Villa Torlonia. There is a reassuringly long driveway leading to the villa and the setting is tranquil, unhurried. There are 34 rooms, some with private terraces. There is a sauna and Turkish bath.

Via G.B. Morgagni, 25
00161 Rome

Manager: Mrs Simona Gargari

Residenza Torre Colonna - Rome

The massive 13th century Torre Colonna used to be a defensive tower, a key point on the extensive Roman estates of the powerful Colonna family. It is now a very cleverly converted five-bedroom guest house. The location is perfect, very near Piazza Venezia. The Torre Colonna looks austere from the outside but is very seductive within - medieval minimalism with understated but unignorably lush touches of modernity. For example, a spiral staircase made of glass rises to the roof terrace where one can see Trajan's Column from the Jacuzzi. Breakfast is served at the top of the tower in a dramatically painted scarlet room with leather sofas. The contemporary Italian artist Natino Chirico exhibits at the hotel.  

Via delle Tre  Cannelle, 18
00187 - Rome

Managers: Gianni Montanari
and Sarah Hawker

Hotel Sole al Pantheon - Rome

The Hotel Sole al Pantheon dates from the 15th century and is one of the oldest hotels in Rome, overlooking the 2nd century AD Pantheon in Piazza della Rotonda. There is a palpable sense of ancient and modern history in the public rooms. The silverware on display in the lobby dates from the 18th century when the hotel was known as The Sun. There are reminders of distinguished visitors over the years including Ludovico Ariosto, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. The Italian composer Pietro Mascagni stayed here when his popular work, Cavalliera Rusticana, was first performed at the nearby Teatro Barberini. The rooms are grand, beautifully decorated. There is a clever balance, always difficult to achieve, between 15th century grandeur and 21st century comfort.

Hotel Sole al Pantheon
Piazza della Rotonda, 63
00186 Rome

Residenza di Ripetta - Rome

The Residenza di Ripetta is a former 17th century convent, dramatically converted, between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. The hotel's impressive contemporary art collection, with works by Pomodoro and Sinisca, fits in remarkably well with the historical frescoes and sculptures from Ripetta's past. There are 69 suites and apartments, a roof garden with tremendous views and a quiet courtyard garden that completely shuts out the bustle of Rome. The meeting rooms are memorable, especially the Bernini, a former church-oratory that can hold more than 200 people.

Via di Ripetta, 231
00186 Rome

Hotel Homs - Rome

The newly redecorated four star boutique Hotel Homs was founded in 1910 and has enhanced its international reputation consistently over the years. It is well placed near the Piazza di Spagna and within striking distance of all the main sights including the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona. The glamorous boutiques of Via Condotti, Via Borgogona and Via del Corso are a short walk away. The Homs has 53 elegant rooms and a clutch of top floor suites with private terraces that have incomparable views of the Roman skyline. The hotel's recently opened Vuda Bar overlooks two elegant streets, Via della Vite and Via Frattina. The Vuda is widely known and praised as a champagne bar and stocks all the best vintages.

Via della Vite, 71/72
00187 Rome

Manager: Mr Gildo Berardini

National Hotel - Rimini

The National is well placed in Marina Centro, overlooking the beach, close to shops and restaurants and to one of the great buildings of the Italian Renaissance, the Tempio Malatestiano. The National has 83 bedrooms and 3 roof-top suites with private terraces. The Villa dei Gelsomini is the National's new 12 suite annex close to the hotel. There are two restaurants, Il Ristorantino, with an elaborate à la carte and the less formal Ristorante Riviera directly on the beach. Both use local produce imaginatively and there is an excellent wine cellar. Other amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and the Oasi del Benessere, a rooftop Wellness centre. The Ninabella, the hotel's motor yacht, is available for trips on the Adriatic.

Viale A. Vespucci, 42
47900 Rimini

Manager: Mr Pier Luigi Grossi

Hotel & Fine Restaurant Miramare e Castello - Ischia

The Miramare e Castello in Ischia Ponte has a splendid private beach and excellent views of Castello Aragonese, the Bay of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula and the island of Capri. The rooms look towards Monte Epomeo, the highest point on the island, or across the bay towards the mainland. Breakfast is served on the roof terrace, light lunches and dinner at the sea front restaurant, the Miramare. Meals are often served on a unique floating deck over the water. There is Technogym itness centre, a beauty spa offering a variety of treatments including total body massages, sauna and hydro-massage and two roof-top Jacuzzis.

Hotel Miramare e Castello
Via Pontano, 5
80077 Ischia, Naples
Manager: Mr Giovanni Monti

Grand Hotel Continental - Siena

The Grand Hotel Continental in Siena occupies the former Palazzo Gori Pannilini, built by Pope Alexander VII and given to his niece Olimpia as a wedding present. Alexander VII was born Fabio Chigi, of the Chigi banking dynasty and a typical scion of the Tuscan mercantile aristocracy of the seventeenth century. Upon his enthronement in the Vatican, Chigi famously opposed the evils of nepotism but made notable exceptions in the cases of his own family and friends, many of whom he appointed to positions of great influence. Though a literary man he was not unopposed to luxury and even his tomb, by Bernini, is rather better appointed than most present-day five-star hotels. The Grand Hotel Continental is a byword in Baroque self-indulgence, lovingly restored by its owner Luigi de Simone Niquesa - a leading Italian hotelier and a Baroque potentate de nos jours - who has re-established the Grand Tour elegance for which the hotel was always renowned and enhanced it with exquisite pieces from his own collection. The Altana Suite is remarkable, on two floors at the top of a medieval tower overlooking the city and the Tuscan hills beyond. The hotel restaurant, Sapordivino, is excellent. The chef, Luca Ciaffarafà, serves an impeccable selection of Tuscan and Sienese classics. There is a strong wine list.

GRAND HOTEL CONTINENTAL

Via Banchi di Sopra, 85 – 53100 Siena (Italia)
Tel. +39 0577 56011 – Fax +39 0577 5601555
E-mail: reservation.ghc@royaldemeure.com

Cave Bianche Hotel - Favignana

A quiet and discreetly sybaritic citadel, the Cave Bianche is on Favignana, the largest of the Egadi islands off the westernmost tip of northern Sicily, near Trapani and Erice. The hotel is a bright and uplifting masterpiece of contemporary architecture set out within the protective walls of an ancient limestone quarry. This unique location puts the Cave Bianche very much at the forefront of the newly emerging upmarket eco hotels of southern Italy. There is a paradise within the walls - over 4000 square metres of it - with orange, lemon and fig trees, yuccas, oleanders, rock gardens and cool, deep pools. As one would expect in this part of Sicily the fish is superb. The chef here is the renowned Andrea Ventura, ably supported by Alberto Fiorino and Cristian Conigliaro. Their takes on mediterrananean seafood classics are zesty, uplifting and healthy.

The Cave Bianche
Favignana Island - Strada Comunale Fanfalo 91023
Manager: Mr Livio Gandolfo

Hotel Capo D'Orso Thalasso & Spa (Delphina Hotels) - Palau (OT)

Ever since Prince Karim Aga Khan IV acquired over 14 miles of Sardinian coastline in 1961, the Costa Smeralda has been a popular and very exclusive retreat for the rich and famous. Since the Aga Khan is that rare bird, a billionaire with an eco-friendly conscience, the coastline under his stewardship has always offered the visitor two very different experiences. On the one hand there are flotillas of diamond-studded mega-yachts replete with Russian playboys and their Susan Rosen-swimsuited handmaidens. On the other there are secluded woods, tranquil coves, bucolic backwaters, all reminiscent of a bygone classical arcadia, peopled by dryads and painted by Poussin. The secluded Hotel Capo d’Orso is an ideal base from which to contemplate both worlds.

Set in a private parkland of wild olive groves and juniper woods overlooking the Cala Capra Bay, the Capo d'Orso is cleverly designed to take advantage of and blend in with the natural features of the landscape. Its 84 rooms and suites, designed and furnished by local architects, are simple and stylish with pale-coloured walls, tiled floors and canopied beds. There is a choice of three restaurants: Il Paguro (the Hermit Crab) overlooks the sea and is bright and informal. Gli Olivastri (The Olives) is grand, romantically set among the ancient olive trees. L’Approdo (The Landing Stage) serves pizza cooked in traditional wood-fired ovens. Breakfast, accompanied by a harpist, is served on the terrace overlooking the sea. There is a Thalasso Centre and Spa with three multi-function seawater pools at different temperatures, 10 modern booths for Thalasso treatments, massages and beauty treatments, Turkish bath. There are boats available private marina for trips to the islands of the Archipelago, Costa Smeralda and Corse.

Local events: The Sardinia Cup regatta takes place in September. Polo matches are held seasonally between April and October at Gershan near Arzachena. There is a film festival in Tavolara and an annual vintage car rally.

Hotel Capo D'Orso Thallaso and SpaPalau - Località di Cala Capra - 07020
Manager: Mr Luca Cagliero

Grand Hotel Kalidria & Thalasso Spa - Castellaneta Marina (TA)

The Grand Hotel Kalidria is universally praised as an outstanding example of modern architecture and design, a purpose-built spa and health resort of the highest order. Despite its ultra-modern appearance it belongs firmly in the tradition of the great European resorts such as Baden-Baden, Nice and the Lido. For all the modern hi-tech, there is a decidedly nineteenth century exuberance in the scale of the building. A vast amphitheatre-shaped roof garden overlooks the Gulf of Taranto; the hotel is next to the expansive Stornara Nature Reserve, stocked with fragrant Aleppan pine trees; the Kalidria spa is set out over 3,500 square metres; there are heated indoor and outdoor freshwater and seawater swimming pools; guests enjoy thalasso-therapies, saunas, Turkish baths, massage, anti-stress remedies. And the restaurant performs the miracle – and it is a miracle – of serving healthy food that is both tempting and delicious. There are several acres of exquisite beach.

Nearby Castellaneta was the birthplace of Rudolph Valentino. The thirteenth century Santa Maria della Luce is a fine example of Angevine-Gothic architecture in the area, as is the bell tower in the Cathedral, the Chiesa di San Nicola.

Grand Hotel Kalidria
Castellaneta Marina - Località Principessa 74010
Manager : Mr. Vincenzo Gentile

Hotel la Floridiana - Capri

In ancient times the island of Capri was always the destination of choice for rich Romans. Since the days of Tiberius it had always been thought of a decidedly decadent backwater, a sun-drenched paradise uncorseted by bourgeois inhibition. This reputation persisted well into modern times, thanks largely to the writings of the antique dealer Jean-Jacques Bouchard. His diaries, published in the early seventeenth century, were a compelling mix of travelogue and confession, inspiring travellers from all over Europe to visit Capri or settle there.

La Floridiana is a small, modern Mediterranean-style hotel close to the centre of Capri town near Via Camerelle, the main shopping street. The walks down the hillside to the beach are spellbinding, as are the nearby Gardens of Augustus and the deserted Carthusian monastery, the Certosa di San Giacomo. The hotel is spaciously and generously designed, shaded by pine trees and looking south over the bay towards the Marina Piccola and the Faraglioni rocks. There are 36 individually designed rooms, some having balconies or terraces overlooking the sea or the gardens. The wine bar serves light meals and drinks throughout the day and offers a more substantial and sophisticated menu in the evenings.

Suitable music for the iPod might include Debussy's prélude Les collines d'Anacapri. There is much holiday reading to choose from including The Lotus Eater by Somerset Maugham, an unsettling but inspiring story about a Bostonian who is so captivated by the island that he gives up his job and abandons himself to a life of leisure. Norman Douglas's South Wind is a fictionalised account of the island and its inhabitants.

Local sights in Capri inlcude La Piazzetta, Marina Grande, Marina Piccola, Via Krupp, Tragara, Monte Solaro, Migliera, Punta Carena, the Fortini (Blockhouses), The Blue Grotto, Villa San Michele, The Charterhouse of St. Giacomo,the Villa Jovis, Villa Damecuta and La Casa Rossa

La Floridiana - Via Campo di Teste 16 - Capri80073
Manager: Mr Valerio Paone