Italy did not become a single country until 1861. For centuries before that it was a constellation of city-states, republics and kingdoms, each with its own dialect, its own table, its own idea of beauty. That history is the reason a journey through Italy never feels like one destination. The coast, the lakes, the great art cities, the countryside and the deep south each keep their own character, and the pleasure of the country lies in moving between them.
There is an Italian word for the quality the country wears so lightly. Sprezzatura: an ease that conceals all effort, the art that hides its own art. It is the difference between luxury that announces itself and luxury that simply is, inherited and lived-in rather than new. From vineyard hills to volcanic coasts, from Renaissance cities to fortified farmhouses, Italy carries more beauty per square mile than almost anywhere on earth, and wears it as though it were nothing at all.
"Italians call it campanilismo: the conviction that one's own square, one's own recipe, one's own patch of hillside is the finest there is."
From a lakeside villa to a cliff above the sea, from a city of Caravaggios to a hamlet of stone, the addresses we have gathered across Italy share one instinct: that the truest luxury here is not grandeur but atmosphere, the light, the table, the centuries, and the rare art of making it all look effortless.
No country has mastered the art of living beautifully quite like Italy. The pace, the food, the light, the way an afternoon by the sea can feel like a complete life in miniature, it's something you feel the moment you arrive.
From the vertical cliffs of Capri to the lemon groves of the Amalfi Coast to the glacial blue of Lake Como. Italy's landscapes are so extraordinary they seem almost fictional. Every view is a painting waiting to happen.
Italy's luxury hotels are also home to some of the world's greatest restaurants. Michelin stars earned not through molecular gastronomy but through perfect simplicity: the freshest catch, the finest olive oil, the right glass of wine.
Handpicked by AiA Waves
Belmond Collection
Ravello · Amalfi Coast, Italy
Perched on a cliff above Ravello, more than 1,100 feet above the Tyrrhenian Sea, this 11th-century palazzo has hosted Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo and Jackie Kennedy. Its legendary infinity pool, suspended between sea and sky, ranks among the world's most spectacular. Ristorante Il Pantaleone serves seasonal Campania cuisine on an open terrace with infinite coastal views.
The infinity pool at Caruso is one of those places that stops you mid-sentence. Carved into the cliff at the highest point of Ravello, with the Amalfi Coast falling away below, it feels genuinely suspended between sea and sky. Add the open terrace of Ristorante Il Pantaleone and the fragrant subtropical gardens, and you have a hotel that justifies the entire journey to Italy.
Lakeside
Blevio · Lake Como, Italy
A sequence of 19th-century villas transformed into one of Lake Como's most extraordinary retreats. Private lakefront terraces, an acclaimed spa, Michelin-starred cuisine and the shimmering backdrop of the Alps create an experience that transcends ordinary luxury, this is Italy's most serene address.
What makes the Mandarin Oriental special is the silence. After the bustle of the Amalfi Coast or Capri, arriving here feels like stepping into another world entirely, one where the Alps are reflected in a lake so still it looks like glass.
Official photography
coming soon
Capri Town · Capri, Italy
The grande dame of Capri, standing proudly since 1861 in the heart of Capri Town. With magnificent gardens, three restaurants, elegant pool terraces and 148 impeccably appointed rooms, Quisisana embodies the island's legendary golden age, when emperors, artists and royalty all came to Capri, and all stayed here.
There's a particular magic to sitting on the terrace of Quisisana at dusk, with a Campari in hand and the whole of Capri Town unfolding below. This hotel has hosted everyone from Gracie Fields to Jackie Kennedy, and it still carries that golden-age energy. It feels less like a hotel and more like the beating heart of the island.
Official photography
coming soon
Positano · Amalfi Coast, Italy
Owned by the same Sersale family since 1951, Le Sirenuse is the most romantic hotel on the Amalfi Coast. From its terraced pool overlooking Positano's colourful cascade of houses tumbling to the sea, to its Michelin-starred La Sponda restaurant glowing with candlelight, this is Italy at its most enchanting.
Dinner at La Sponda is one of those experiences that justifies an entire trip. Hundreds of candles, a terrace over the rooftops of Positano, the scent of jasmine in the air. Le Sirenuse is family-run in the truest sense, the attention to detail and personal warmth here is something no luxury chain can manufacture.