Venice is a city I love but often hate to visit…the crowds are legendary; the heat can be unbearable. Sam Clemente Palace to the rescue. Located on its own private island, this ever so luxurious hotel is a haven from…
Read More best bed: San Clemente Palace, Kempinski, Venice, Italy
Villa Cora is my favorite type of hotel…scandalous history, immaculate restoration with over-the-top glamour, yet unpretentious and comfortable with perfect service. Baron Oppenheimer, of the banking family which financed the Suez Canal, built this villa to impress his new Italian…
Dream location, fabulous value and Paris. What more could you ask for! The Hyatt Paris Madeleine surprises on every front. So not the American chain hotel you might expect when you hear Hyatt. Built in the 1850’s, this Haussmann building…
Grand Hotel Imperiale is a family-owned gem on the banks of Lake Como. It was built in 1922, though the main building is quite modern; there are still a few traces of its Art Nouveau heritage. I recommend staying in…
Read More best bed: Grand Hotel Imperiale, Moltrasio, Lake Como, Italy
Opulent, serene and a magnet for the fashionista crowd, the Bvlgari Milano was the company’s first venture into hotels back in 2004 (there are now 6 with a few more in the pipeline). And though it is a joint venture…
La Locanda is a historic gem in a tiny medieval town, definitely off the beaten track. Yet situated at the crossroads of a magic, underappreciated area of Italy that encompasses Bologna, Ravenna, Faenza and Imola. This cluster of buildings began…
Read More best bed: La Locanda di Bagnara, Bagnara di Romagna, Italy
