Time Travel: Italy’s Oldest Hotels

“Italy is at the centre of European history and has some of the oldest and best-preserved buildings on the continent. And luckily for history-loving visitors, many of those are outstanding hotels. From elegant Renaissance city pads to mountaintop castles, here some of Italy’s oldest hotels that bring together atmosphere, architecture and character like nowhere else.

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NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa, Florence
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Florence drips history from every palazzo, porta, church and tower. The city is a treasure trove of historic buildings, with landmarks dating from the Roman period and every century from the 10th onwards. Add to the atmosphere and stay in one; the NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa is a grand, distinctly modern hotel in a 12th-century building a few hundred metres from the Palazzo and Ponte Vecchio. Marble floors, stained glass, frescoes and vaulted ceilings are offset by stylish minimalist four-poster beds, making this a special hotel in a special city.

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Villa Orso Grigio, Trento
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Orso Grigio has only been in Italy since the early 20th century, but the charming Tyrolean building is much older, probably dating from the 14th century. That’s because the region only became part of Italy in 1919, when it was partitioned from Austria. Perched up in the Dolomites, the hotel is ski-in/ski-out in winter and the restaurant is excellent, drawing on the region’s mix of Italian and Austrian influences. Not to be confused with another hotel of the same name in Tyrol.

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Royal Victoria Hotel, Pisa
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Pisa forms Tuscany’s trio of big-hitting historic cities along with Florence and Siena, but the leaning tower is the region’s most iconic sight. Parts of the Royal Victoria supposedly predate the tower and were built in the 10th century, and the hotel has been welcoming guests including Dickens, Zola and Puccini since 1837. The Royal Victoria is heavy on historic character, with parquet floors and antique furniture giving it a gracefully aged ambience on the banks of the Arno river.

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Castello di Petroia Relais, Gubbio
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If historic city houses aren’t your thing, try a stay in an Umbrian hilltop castle. Castello di Petroia is in Perugia province near the medieval town of Gubbio, set in a stunning rural location where you can enjoy hikes, horse rides and even go truffle hunting. The hotel is composed of two 15th-century castles, though parts of the building are almost 1,000 years old. With rich dark woods, medieval character and mountain views, Castello di Petroia is one of Italy’s oldest hotels and an ideal one for a romantic break.

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Hotel Sole al Pantheon, Rome
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We couldn’t leave the Eternal City off the list. Rome is the second oldest capital in Europe and one of the most significant cities in world history, so you can bet there are a few historic hotels here. The Hotel Sole al Pantheon is a classic among classics; in a restored 15th-century building, it’s the last word in Roman Renaissance opulence. Too boutique to be considered a grande dame, Hotel Sole al Pantheon is in a league of its own – not just one of Rome’s oldest hotels, it’s also one of the finest.”