This year’s World’s Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three year period. We hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world.
Even as Italy’s borders were closed for much of the past year and a half, travelers’ love never wavered. And now they are returning in full force to its coastal regions, stunning lakes, and grand countryside. And these visits naturally involve stays at some of the best hotels, including cliffside retreats, grand lakefront palazzos, and Tuscan estates.
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.
Courtesy of Il Sereno Lago di Como
Amalfi’s sparkling coast nabbed three spots on this year’s list. With terraced gardens, multicolored cliff-hugging towns, fragrant lemon trees, and an azure sea dotted with boats, it’s no wonder this picturesque southern region also has some of the best hotels. Caruso, a Belmond Hotel, in charming Ravello, took fifth place. “This is a truly romantic place with stunning views and an easy walk to the village,” said one voter. The sixth spot went to Il San Pietro di Positano, an “extraordinary hotel built into the side of a mountain,” according to one guest.
Some crave less of a scene, and their favorite hotels can often be found along other waterfronts, such as the northwestern coast in Liguria. “A stunning hotel in the Italian Riviera,” one reader said about Grand Hotel Miramare, which captured the No. 10 spot. “The area is beautiful and a great alternative to the Amalfi Coast and French Riviera.”
The property that snagged this year’s No. 1 spot may not be coastal, but it’s found along the shores of another popular waterfront destination: Lake Como. Read on to see what readers thought made Il Sereno Lago di Como so special, and which other spots joined it on this year’s list of the best resort hotels in Italy.
- Il Sereno Lago di Como, Torno
Augusta Leigh/Courtesy of Il Sereno Lago di Como
“A breath of fresh air in old Lake Como,” according to one voter, this hotel, which boasts a sleek design by Patricia Urquiola, brought contemporary style to the shores of the storied destination when it opened in 2016. Rooms feature expanses of hardwood, marble, and, of course, floor-to-ceiling windows for views of the water. The hotel has three custom Riva boats at guests’ disposal, as well as two Jettos and Urquiola’s take on a Vaporina del Lago, the classic Lake Como watercraft. Voters appreciated the accommodating staff, and one reader wrote that it’s the “perfect hotel for a relaxing stay.”
Score: 98.50More information: serenohotels.com
- Hotel Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole
Stefano Scatà/Courtesy of Hotel Il Pellicano
Score: 98.32More information: hotelilpellicano.com
- Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento
Roberto Bonardi/Courtesy of Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria
Score: 97.71More information: exvitt.it
- Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Score: 96.24More information: mandarinoriental.com
- Caruso, a Belmond Hotel, Ravello
Courtesy of Belmond
Score: 95.98More information: belmond.com
- Il San Pietro di Positano
Courtesy of Il San Pietro di Positano
Score: 95.87More information: ilsanpietro.com
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como
Roberto Bonardi/Courtesy of Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Score: 95.61More information: grandhoteltremezzo.com
- Castello di Casole, a Belmond Hotel, Casole d’Elsa
Tyson Sadlo/Courtesy of Belmond
Score: 95.58More information: belmond.com
- Splendido Mare, a Belmond Hotel, Portofino
Courtesy of Belmond
Score: 95.35More information: belmond.com
- Grand Hotel Miramare, Santa Margherita Ligure
Courtesy of Grand Hotel Miramare
Score: 94.44More information: grandhotelmiramare.it
See all of our readers’ favorite hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World’s Best Awards for 2021.
This year’s World’s Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three year period. We hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world.
Even as Italy’s borders were closed for much of the past year and a half, travelers’ love never wavered. And now they are returning in full force to its coastal regions, stunning lakes, and grand countryside. And these visits naturally involve stays at some of the best hotels, including cliffside retreats, grand lakefront palazzos, and Tuscan estates.
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.
Amalfi’s sparkling coast nabbed three spots on this year’s list. With terraced gardens, multicolored cliff-hugging towns, fragrant lemon trees, and an azure sea dotted with boats, it’s no wonder this picturesque southern region also has some of the best hotels. Caruso, a Belmond Hotel, in charming Ravello, took fifth place. “This is a truly romantic place with stunning views and an easy walk to the village,” said one voter. The sixth spot went to Il San Pietro di Positano, an “extraordinary hotel built into the side of a mountain,” according to one guest.
Some crave less of a scene, and their favorite hotels can often be found along other waterfronts, such as the northwestern coast in Liguria. “A stunning hotel in the Italian Riviera,” one reader said about Grand Hotel Miramare, which captured the No. 10 spot. “The area is beautiful and a great alternative to the Amalfi Coast and French Riviera.”
The property that snagged this year’s No. 1 spot may not be coastal, but it’s found along the shores of another popular waterfront destination: Lake Como. Read on to see what readers thought made Il Sereno Lago di Como so special, and which other spots joined it on this year’s list of the best resort hotels in Italy.
1. Il Sereno Lago di Como, Torno
“A breath of fresh air in old Lake Como,” according to one voter, this hotel, which boasts a sleek design by Patricia Urquiola, brought contemporary style to the shores of the storied destination when it opened in 2016. Rooms feature expanses of hardwood, marble, and, of course, floor-to-ceiling windows for views of the water. The hotel has three custom Riva boats at guests’ disposal, as well as two Jettos and Urquiola’s take on a Vaporina del Lago, the classic Lake Como watercraft. Voters appreciated the accommodating staff, and one reader wrote that it’s the “perfect hotel for a relaxing stay.”
Score: 98.50More information: serenohotels.com
2. Hotel Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole
Score: 98.32More information: hotelilpellicano.com
3. Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento
Score: 97.71More information: exvitt.it
4. Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Score: 96.24More information: mandarinoriental.com
5. Caruso, a Belmond Hotel, Ravello
Score: 95.98More information: belmond.com
6. Il San Pietro di Positano
Score: 95.87More information: ilsanpietro.com
7. Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como
Score: 95.61More information: grandhoteltremezzo.com
8. Castello di Casole, a Belmond Hotel, Casole d’Elsa
Score: 95.58More information: belmond.com
9. Splendido Mare, a Belmond Hotel, Portofino
Score: 95.35More information: belmond.com
10. Grand Hotel Miramare, Santa Margherita Ligure
Score: 94.44More information: grandhotelmiramare.it
See all of our readers’ favorite hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World’s Best Awards for 2021.
