World's Best The Best Resort Hotels in Italy in 2016 By Lindsey Olander Lindsey Olander Instagram Twitter Website Lindsey Olander is a New York-based writer, editor, and photographer with a passion for travel and lifestyle. Her work has appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Departures, Business Insider, Jetsetter.com, Oyster.com, and others. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on July 6, 2016 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Castello di Casole From the cypress-dotted hills of Tuscany to the sorbetto-hued villas on the Amalfi Coast, the glittering social scene in Lake Como to the rugged Sicilian seaside, Italy has timeless appeal as a travel destination. And many of the country’s hotels are enduring classics, too. Among the properties that made our list of the best resort hotels in Italy—a new category for T+L’s World’s Best Awards—are a handful of repeat winners from the Best in Europe list. Apparently it’s tough to tire of the Mediterranean views from the lap pool at Palazzo Avino, a 12th-century patrician palace in Ravello that we named the top resort in Europe in 2010 and the fourth best in Italy this year. The appeal of the planted terraces at the Hotel Santa Caterina, near the town of Amalfi, is lasting—it ranks second in Italy this year, and was the best in Europe in 2012. What To See in the World’s Smallest Country 01 of 10 No. 10: Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo Courtesy of Belmond Score: 93.00 02 of 10 No. 9: Grand Hotel Miramare, Santa Margherita Ligure Courtesy of Grand Hotel Miramare Score: 93.03 03 of 10 No. 8: JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa Courtesy of JW Marriott Venice Resort Score: 93.33 04 of 10 No. 7: Hotel Le Sirenuse, Positano Courtesy of Hotel Le Sirenuse Score: 93.39 05 of 10 No. 6: Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello Courtesy of Belmond Score: 93.42 06 of 10 No. 5: Belmond Hotel Splendido, Portofino Courtesy of Belmond Score: 93.83 07 of 10 No. 4: Palazzo Avino, Ravello Courtesy of Palazzo Avino Score: 94.42 08 of 10 No. 3: J.K. Place Capri Courtesy of J.K. Place Capri Score: 95.46 09 of 10 No. 2: Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi Courtesy of Hotel Santa Caterina Score: 95.57 10 of 10 No. 1: Hotel Castello di Casole—A Timbers Resort, Casole d'Elsa Courtesy of Hotel Castello di Casole Score: 97.01 The 4,200-acre grounds that surround Hotel Castello di Casole are “everything you imagine Tuscany to be,” one reader said. The centerpiece of the property, a 10th-century castle, was once the home of film director Luchino Visconti and is now a 41-suite hotel with beamed ceilings, Murano-glass fixtures, and reclaimed terra-cotta tiles. The old wine cellar has been turned into a barrel-vaulted spa. Enjoy the estate’s own Dodici wine—a gift to all guests—in your suite, or rent out one of the brick-and-stone farmhouses set among the vineyards and pretend it’s all yours. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit