Italy
The Best in Italy
Best For: Exclusives; local connections
Many of the 80 gems offered by Florence-based Countess Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda are owned by her friends. She has visited all the properties and regularly spends the night.
What We Love: Want to taste wine with the owners of Antinori or Frescobaldi, or meet the jockeys behind the scenes at the Palio in Siena? The countess can make it happen.
Standout: A 16th-century manor with five bedrooms built by the bishop of Fiesole ($20,000 a week). 39-055/233-064; thebestinitaly.com.
Think Sicily
Best For: Exclusives; regional expertise; special excursions
The group’s 80 listings are pure fantasy, and Think Sicily’s strict standards ensure every villa is up to snuff.
What We Love: Unique outings, such as helicopter flights over Mount Etna, wine-tasting trips, and in-villa spa treatments.
Standout: Don Arcangelo all’Olmo, a 12-bedroom manor in the countryside between the sea and Mount Etna ($50,850 a week).
What’s Next: January saw the launch of Think Puglia, from the same company, with a handful of properties on the fashionable Salento Peninsula. 44-20/7377-8518; thinksicily.com.
