Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà

Amid Valpolicella vineyards outside Romeo and Juliet’s hometown of Verona, this classical Venetian-style villa appears ripe for an old-world romance. If the star-crossed lovers were to step through the arched doorway today, they would be in for a surprise. Proprietor Dino Facchini (who also owns the fashion line Byblos) has updated the estate with a frescoed ballroom tarted up with photographs of red-haired nudes by Vanessa Beecroft. The 60 rooms have whimsical details like harlequin patterns, fridges with painted faces, and asymmetrical mirrors. But the hotel is more than a house of fun. Couples can wind down in the Roman-style pool, detox in the spa, or head to the restaurant for sea bass sweetened with rose petals.