Petra Segreta

Along the banks of the River Arno on a pedestrianised piazza, is the St. Regis Florence, a historic palace designed by Brunelleschi. The hotel’s 80 rooms and 19 suites are decorated in elegant Medici, Fiorentino or Renaissance style. Some feature adorned coffered ceilings, wall frescoes and 15th-century artwork. Florence is a city of true beauty and you’ll enjoy views of the city, courtyard or the River Arno from your opulent room. Indulging in the local food is the highlight of any trip to Italy and the hotel’s Restaurant, Winter Garden by Caino, has been awarded a Michelin star for its innovative cuisine. The excellent food is matched by its surroundings and the high glass ceilings and dramatic chandelier give the room plenty of old-world charm. The Regis Bar is located in the arches of the restaurant and the perfect place to relax with an espresso or cocktail. If grapes are more your thing, the cellar houses more than 300 prestigious labels from Italy and further afield. For when you want to relax and unwind, head to the hotel spa or fitness centre or get out and discover the beautiful city of Florence which is right on your doorstep.

At the Grand Canal’s edge, the historic Gritti Palace occupies a building that dates back to 1475 as a private home for the noble Pisani family, followed by the distinguished Doge of Venice, Andrea Gritti. Carefully restored in 2013, the Gritti’s heritage and culture have blended with a renewed Venetian style. 61 luxurious guest rooms and 21 sumptuous suites, including some with canal views, are replete with rare archival fabrics, the finest Italian marbles and a stunning array of new and original chandeliers from Murano, as well as the latest technology and sumptuous beds. Gritti’s famous terrace has long been a social hub. The splendid Bar Longhi features some of the best cocktails in Venice and the Club del Doge Restaurant features regional specialties, casual chic by day and a more formal affair at dinner. The palace is also home to the Gritti Epicurean School, an informal Venetian open kitchen that hosts wine tastings, cooking workshops and celebrations. Well located by the Grand Canal on the southern edge of the San Marco district, Venice’s great opera house, cathedrals, museums and palazzos are all close by.

Once hosting aristocratic travellers, Russian royalty and renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau, a half century hiatus as an office building ended with a glorious restoration and re-establishment of this Roman icon. The Hotel de Russie lies between the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo on the Via del Babuino, within easy walking distance of Rome’s main attractions, fashion houses and Via Condotti. Though surrounded by the ceaseless buzz of the city, behind the hotel’s unassuming frontage, is a soothing tranquility – both in design and ambiance – and vast private 18th century terraced gardens, a rare oasis away from it all. 122 rooms and suites are thoroughly up to date amenity wise, complete with Bisazza mosaic and Carrara marble in the bathrooms. Some feature private terraces and many rooms have views over Rome, Piazza del Popolo or the garden. The Stravinskij Bar is renowned for its apertivos, while Le Jardin de Russie and its chef, two-Michelin-star chef Fulvio Pierangelini, serve up simple yet refined dishes Mediterranean dishes in one a most romantic of settings. Furthering the Hotel de Russie urban oasis credentials is the De Russie Spa, one of Rome’s best health clubs.

The Cristallo has been welcoming guests to Cortina d’Ampezzo for over a century. The town has many claims to fame having hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956 and provided the backdrop for the films The Pink Panther, For Your Eyes Only and Cliffhanger. Situated on the Boite River in an alpine valley, Cortina has long been a popular skiing destination but it’s also an ideal base for hikers and those wanted to enjoy spectacular mountain scenery. Rooms are elegant and sophisticated with rich fabrics, hand decorated wall panels and parquet flooring. Most come with views of the surrounding parkland or of the mountains themselves. With four restaurants to choose from, there’s ample opportunity to sample cuisine from the local region and further afield. The circular Gazebo restaurant is surrounded by glass so you can watch the sky and the peaks change colour as the evening draws in. Make sure you spend an evening at La Stube 1872 restaurant, a celebration of traditional with its wooden walls and majolica stove and ingredients sourced from small local farms. For real relaxation, check into the spa or while away the hours on the terrace, covered in flowers during the summer and transformed into an ice rink in the winter.