23 Best Hotels in Tuscany, Italy

Pope Alexander VII of the famed Sienese Chigi family gave this palace to his niece as a wedding present in 1600, and, through the centuries, it has been a private home as well as a grand hotel—one that exudes elegance from its stately pillared entrance to its crisp-linen sheets. Some guest rooms take in panoramic views, whereas others have 18th-century frescoes and massive chandeliers. The excellent staff is reason enough to consider a stay here.

Spread across five buildings, this elegant lodging used to be a small medieval town, but now it's given over to luxury, which is immediately apparent upon entering the reception area—white walls, high vaulted ceilings, and furniture covered in exquisite chintz prints mingle with tasteful etchings and watercolors. Rooms have tile floors, spacious bathrooms, and windows that open out onto peace and tranquillity. The Michelin-starred restaurant, Il Poggio Rosso, serves Latin-influenced Italian cuisine.

This 11th-century monastery has been transformed into a luxurious hotel with, among other things, a large spa, indoor and outdoor pools, two restaurants (Cantina, serving traditional Tuscan food, and the more upscale Contrada), and expansive guest rooms featuring beamed ceilings and wallpaper showing local landscapes. There are also tennis courts and an open-air gym.

Enchantment reigns at this tiny 13th-century countryside hamlet, part of the fiefdom of the aristocratic Florentine Guicciardini family and reinvented by the modern Count Roberto Guicciardini. A castle, church, and cobbled streets set the stage. Guest rooms vary in style; high wood-beam ceilings, terra-cotta floors, and modern bathrooms are the rule throughout. Apartments sleep as many as eight people and have as many as two baths.

The pale yellow exterior only hints at the elegance inside this hotel created by joining two Liberty villas dating from 1899 and 1902. Refined furnishings include gem-color fabrics and dark wood. Many rooms have balconies that face the sea or the mountains, and all of them have comfortable beds with linen sheets and copious pillows. Though beach privileges come at an extra price, the pool is so pretty that going to the beach may seem irrelevant. Half- and full board are available, and a seven-night stay is mandatory.

After serving as a Franciscan convent and then the residence of the noble Strozzi family, the Collegiata has been converted into a fine hotel, with no expense spared in the process. Arched, multipane windows look out on the surrounding park. All the guest rooms (some with private balconies) are furnished with a mix of wood and upholstered antiques in warm browns and reds and precious tapestries. Bathrooms have large whirlpool baths. A summer restaurant occupies the deconsecrated church.

The location has been described as "heaven on earth," and a stay at this elegant Ferragamo estate—situated near a medieval village and with accommodations that include a 10-bedroom villa (rented out as a single unit) that was once a luxurious hunting lodge—is sure to bring similar descriptions to mind. Here, the houses have been converted into splendid suites and villas that sleep two to eight. No two are alike, and the shops and craftspeople who work in the village are all part of the hotel: the atmosphere is magical.

Just outside Monteriggioni, this estate lined with lavender bushes and cypress trees has guest rooms featuring wood beam ceilings and terra-cotta floors in either the 17th-century villa or the adjacent workers' quarters (converted into 10 apartments. Festive striped fabrics in yellows, oranges, and reds cover iron canopies in some rooms. The facilities, such as the health club and the tennis courts, are those of a four-star establishment. A poolside restaurant is open in summer.

Rooms at this 1911 hotel—a short walk on tree-lined streets from the center of town and even closer to the thermal baths—are spacious, with high ceilings. Many also have deep bathtubs with water jets. You can enjoy an aperitivo in the majestic lobby or on the rooftop terrace.

Set in a four-story terracotta-color villa, within walking distance of a beach and Forte dei Marmi's center, Hotel 1908 reminds you of seaside hotels of yesteryear, but in a good way, thanks, in part, to its attentive, multilingual staff. The buffet breakfast served in a chandelier-adorned dining room more than makes up for the somewhat dated interiors found elsewhere. 

Originally a 19th-century villa belonging to Marchesa Guendalina Strozzi—her ancestors were powerful bankers in Renaissance Florence—this is now a contemporary inn. Some of the public rooms have a quaint historical charm to them, but the guest rooms have more contemporary decor, with basic wooden furniture and no frills. Ask for one of the eight with a whirlpool tub. In winter, you can use this as a base to ski to the slopes; in summer, the Bellavista is perfectly situated for trekking and mountain biking.

This hotel on a private bay provides access to a sandy white beach from the bar and restaurant. A central building and several surrounding cottages contain guest rooms with simple white-wood desks and beds with ironwork insets. Some rooms have balconies.

The former stables of the Villa Bottini have been transformed into a modern hotel with stylish rooms done in a warm wood veneer with blue-and-white fittings. Free bicycles are a nice bonus in this bike-friendly city, and the sumptuous buffet breakfast could see you through dinner. Residenza dell'Alba, the hotel's annex across the street, was originally part of a 14th-century church; now it's a luxe accommodation with in-room hot tubs, high sweeping ceilings, patterned rugs, and lush, comfortable furniture.

This hotel, in a building dating from the 12th century, has public rooms with timbered ceilings, warm yellow walls, and brocaded chairs and guest rooms with high ceilings and still more of that glorious damask. Top-floor suites have sweeping views of the town. One suite is on the mezzanine floor but also has city views.

A rambling farmhouse has been transformed into a handsome hotel with understated contemporary furniture in the bedrooms and country-classic motifs in the bar. From this charming spot you get a splendid view of San Gimignano's towers.

Viareggio's first hotel—opened in 1871 to host those on the Grand Tour, as well as many Russians who stayed for extended periods—still exudes old-world charm, even though it's been completely updated to suit 21st-century tastes. Public rooms filled with lovely brocaded furniture provide the perfect place to have an aperitivo. Guest rooms have high ceilings, large windows with damask drapes, and hard-wood floors; bathrooms are surprisingly large. La Terrazza, the top-floor restaurant, has views of the sea and a creative young chef whose innovative, tasty food makes a stay here even more worthwhile.

Within the town's medieval walls, this convent-turned-hotel has wood-beam ceilings, graceful archways, and terra-cotta floors, with nice contemporary furnishings and ironwork in the rooms. Sip a beverage or write a postcard on the small terrace filled with potted geraniums; the pool area is framed on one side by a church with a stained-glass window of The Last Supper.

Cortona might tempt you to step back in time and stay there awhile, and the spacious, beamed, richly furnished rooms in this 15th-century town-center palazzo provide the perfect hideaway. Many rooms and the terrace take in sweeping views of tile roofs and the valley below, and the stage-set streets and squares of the medieval town are just outside the door.

Exuding the charm of a bygone era, this palazzo has guest rooms featuring high ceilings and antique furnishings, as well as bathrooms decorated with hand-painted tiles. Many rooms also have hard-wood floors, and all have writing tables. In warm weather, enjoy your ample breakfast in the garden with a trickling fountain and fantastic views. In addition, a wine bar (at reception) offers fine wines by the glass, which can be enjoyed in one of the sitting rooms.

A 17th-century palace in the historic center of Colle has rooms that exude warmth and comfort, with light-color wooden floors, soothingly tinted fabrics, and large windows. Among the many modern amenities are a wellness center and an indoor swimming pool.

The wood-beam ceilings, terra-cotta floors, and some of the original frescoes of a 19th-century town palace remain, but the marble bathrooms have all been updated, some with whirlpool tubs. A plentiful buffet breakfast is served on a patio to the rear of the hotel.

In a pleasant palazzo facing the Arno, a 10-minute walk from the Campo dei Miracoli, this hotel has room styles that range from the 1800s, complete with frescoes, to the 1920s; the most charming are in the old tower. This comfortably furnished property has been in the Piegaja family since 1837, and the continuity may help explain why such notables as Charles Dickens and Charles Lindbergh enjoyed staying here. Cocktails are served in the pretty rooftop garden.

Abundant breakfasts and communal dinner parties on Tuesday and Friday at the guest-only restaurant are just some of the things that make a stay at Fontelunga feel like you're staying with family. In fact, its owners, Paolo Kastelec and Philip Robinson, have gone to great lengths to make every space in this boutique hotel feel cozy and warm from the overstuffed armchairs in the living room to the bright Tuscan prints on the bedspreads. Outside, olive groves and perfectly trimmed hedges frame sweeping views of the Tuscan countryside.