Plan your trip in Italy

With its classical paintings, grand marble staircase and Gio Ponti-designed saltwater pool, Royal Hotel Sanremo combines the best in Côte d’Azur luxury and Italian hospitality.

Turning 120 this year, the Grand Hotel Bristol Spa Resort in Rapallo is a sleek six-story hotel where the panoramic views of the Portofino promontory and the Gulf of Tigullio steal the show.

Italy Magazine took the local temperature around the canals and calli (streets) of Venice during the inaugural days of a new €5 access fee — the first of its kind in the world.

There are some fabulous hotels and agriturismi in the countryside surrounding Perugia, but the Sina Brufani, which turns 140 this year, is the five-star standout of the historic city.