The best hotels in Tuscany for exploring Italy's high culture and dramatic scenery
Our top picks in one of the most seductive of Italian regions
A dream of an Italian destination for so many reasons, this central Italian region seemingly has it all: world-class art, architecture and culture, vibrant modern cities for short breaks, charming hilltop towns and lost-in-time villages, tempting beaches and some of the world’s very best food and wine. Who could resist?
Whether you have a long weekend in Italy to spare or an entire fortnight, you'll find it extremely difficult to get bored of this gorgeous part of the world. It's little wonder it's become a summer holiday classic, with gorgeous temperatures throughout the warmer months and a nice bit of cloud cover too. It's just as magical in off-peak months, especially autumn, when red wine and truffle season add extra foodie intrigue and mild, misty climes add to the atmosphere.
The best hotels in Tuscany range from urban retreats for some of the world’s finest city sightseeing to romantic hideaways deep in the countryside, tucked amid the vines and olive groves – or, in the case of the Hotel Hermitage, on the history-drenched island of Elba.
For a city break in the place that's widely considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance, head straight for Florence, a place that is so rich in history and architectural charm, you'll want to stay there for weeks on end. Especially if you're staying in one of the best hotels in Tuscany during your sojourn, whether it's the glamorous Rocco Forte Hotel Savoy or a more boutique bolthole in the shape of Hotel La Gemma.
There are also more rural spots among the Tuscan hills – perfect for living out those A Room with a View fantasies. Don't miss the sprawling luxury of Castelfalfi or the hillside gem Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco for the most romantic escapes – or trips to please the whole family.
Most of Tuscany's hotels serve the excellent food that people travel from around the world to sample, and the majority have spas where you can soothe any weary muscles after trying out activities in the area, which include hiking and truffle hunting.
For those who want a no-fly holiday to Italy, it’s possible to get to Florence from London with a combination of Eurostar, TGV from Paris to Turin or Milan, and an onward fast train to the Tuscan capital – how's that for an adventure rail holiday?
However you get there, you'll want to browse our ultimate pick of best hotels in Tuscany, including luxury locations, spa retreats, family-friendly boltholes and stays near vineyards. Decided to make Florence your base? Don't miss a scroll through our favourite Florentine hotels for a romantic city break in Tuscany.
Hotel Savoy, Florence
Part of the sleek Rocco Forte empire, this alluring option in a plum position on Piazza della Repubblica, just steps from the Duomo, marries the city’s Renaissance heritage with contemporary chic. Uniquely, Hotel Savoy’s bijou spa works in partnership with the city’s iconic pharmacy Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella – founded by Dominican friars in 1221 – to offer natural body and facial treatments with the most authentic sense of wellbeing.
The restaurant, with its terrace on the piazza, is a prize spot for people-watching while you feast on Tuscan dishes devised by two-Michelin-starred chef Fulvio Pierangelini, including freshly caught seafood grilled on Himalayan salt stone. Whatever you're looking for from a trip to Florence, you won't be disappointed here at what is clearly one of the best hotels in Tuscany.
The Rif, Pisa
In a handsome early-1900s red-brick villa just a few minutes’ stroll from the Piazza dei Miracoli and Leaning Tower, this boutique hotel in Tuscany is awash in art, with frescoes and statues dotted all around the building and its expansive garden, plus regular pop-up exhibitions to explore throughout the year.
There are just 14 rooms, some for families and others designed firmly with couples in mind – the top spot being the flagship suite with a 30-square-metre terrace and whirlpool tub. The Rif’s Gallery bar is a decadent spot for a huge choice of champagne, prosecco, margaritas and martinis, plus light fare including pizzas, salads, and cheese and charcuterie platters served from late morning to late evening.
Grand Universe Hotel, Lucca
This property feels thoroughly steeped in history, from its setting in the heart of Lucca with sweeping views over the city’s cathedral, churches, monuments and towers, to the very fabric of the historic building it occupies. In fact, the building itself includes Roman-era wall foundations and the remnants of an ancient glassblower's fountain in the wine cellar.
But there’s modernity at the Grand Universe too – in the rooftop champagne bar with its tasting experiences and accompanying cuisine, as well as in the rooms and suites with their unique decor of earthy colours and rustic wooden surfaces. These are combined with lush silks and velvets and delicate pendant lights paying homage to the property's glassblowing history.
Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa, Barga
Set across a hillside on a spectacular 600-hectare estate overlooking the medieval town of Barga in Tuscany’s north-western Garfagnana area, this is a longstanding grand spa hotel with plush rooms in neutral hues, many with balconies from which to soak in the views. It's surrounded by gorgeously landscaped grounds and the pristine Serchio Valley, so consider this serious Room with a View territory.
There are indoor and outdoor pools and a whirlpool at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco, plus two restaurants serving both Italian and global fare, and a scenic pool bar. If you’re a full-on foodie, the kitchen also runs trips to a local market where you can choose the fresh ingredients to put to good use in an on-site cookery class.
Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel, Casole d’Elsa
Nestled between ancient vineyards and regal cypress trees, this 39-room slice of paradise in the hills around Casole, west of Siena, sits in splendid isolation at the end of an unassuming farm road. Occupying a medieval castle and former village building including a school, priest's house and lemon conservatory, it's a haven of calm and indulgence, with a heated infinity pool boasting views over rolling hills and a glorious spa in the former wine cellar, offering rejuvenating rituals featuring the likes of local rosemary, grapes, olive oil and honey.
Castello di Casole’s Bar Visconti is named for the film director, who used to throw Hollywood parties here, while the tempting restaurant, Tosca, is the place to go for local delicacies. You can get involved in local activities too, ranging from mountain biking to truffle hunts, while the hotel has recently unveiled two super-smart villas for those seeking ultimate privacy.
Relais La Costa, Monteriggioni
Perched in the hills over Siena, this ancient post inn is the perfect couples' getaway, with just seven suites and a spa bookable for private use only (with champagne for extra indulgence). There’s a lovely outdoor pool with the kinds of views that may come as standard in much of the region but never fail to stir the senses, and the possibility of yoga or Tai Chi with a local master.
Don’t miss dinner here, which is served in Relais La Costa’s intimate courtyard in summer: the tasting menu features local dishes done well, including breads and pastas made in-house, using produce from the hotel's own organic garden. Cooking classes and wine tastings can be organised, and you can ask for a picnic to enjoy on the grounds, hire bikes or book local activities. It's a blissful and authentic spot for any Tuscan escape.
Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa, Cortona
In the ancient Etruscan hilltop settlement of Cortona in the far corner of Tuscany, on the border with Umbria, this property reserved for those aged 13-years-and-up retains its beamed and vaulted ceilings, restored frescoes and loggias. It has been furnished by local artisans in in a classic-modern style, meaning there's a touch of modernity to the beautifully traditional property.
Among the most charming spaces are the wooden-floored attic rooms, while the very oldest part of this former monastery – an ancient Roman cistern – is now an atmospheric stone-walled spa with an indoor pool. Monastero di Cortona’s fresco-walled bar complete with 17th-century paintings offers breakfast, pastries, lunchtime light bites and excellent evening drinks.
Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort, Saturnia
In the coastal Maremma area of former marshlands, this wellbeing resort in Tuscany occupies a spot with thermal waters that have drawn people here for more than 3,000 years. Naturally heated (at 37.5C), they’re rich in healing minerals including organic phytoplankton.
When you’re not soaking in the vast spa with its hot springs pools area (make sure to buy some clay to put on your skin), the Terme di Saturnia has a stunning GEO-certified championship golf course and you can dine on the likes of courgette flowers, porcini and truffles in its restaurant, trattoria, bistro and bar. The delightful rooms and suites are splashed with sunlit yellows and the blue hues of the pools, using organic materials where possible.
La Cerreta Terme, Sassetta
Featuring thermal waters on a small scale, this biodynamic farmhouse in the lush Poggio Neri Forest Park invites you to live in synergy with nature. Even to reach it is to release your grip on the world, as you pass oak woods, vineyards and ancient olive groves along an old dirt road. The 17 rooms are spread through five old farm buildings and are crafted with authentic materials including recycled elements from the estate: some bed headboards are made from disused poles from the vineyards, for instance.
But it’s the spa that’s the real star of La Cerreta, with its bathing tubs and pools inspired by Etruscan and Roman baths and fed by naturally hot water infused with sulphates, calcium and minerals. The restaurant uses almost exclusively home-grown/made produce including extra-virgin oil from its cold-pressed olives and Maremma beef.
Hotel Hermitage, Elba
Catch the ferry to Elba and hole up here for a completely different take on Tuscany. Old school in feel and all the better for it, this waterfront property has been family-run since it opened just over half a century ago and takes pride in its genuine hospitality. It's a place for a proper beach holiday, with fine sands, three sea-water swimming pools and a Jacuzzi, nine tennis courts, and a nine-hole golf course. You certainly won't get bored during a stay here.
Most of the rooms and suites at Hotel Hermitage resemble private cottages set into the rocks, beautifully scented by the surrounding mastic trees. Despite its impressive history, this hotel makes visitors feel like they are discovering a new side of Tuscany, far from the madding crowds and full of authentic Italian charm.
Locanda dei Logi, San Gimignano
Just outside the Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano with its famous skyline of medieval towers, the Locanda dei Logi is a wine-making agriturismo. It's set in the former rectory and other buildings of a small Romanesque church on the Via Francigena ancient pilgrimage route, with stirring views over the vineyards, an on-site tasting room and a wine bar.
The inn has also maintained much of its medieval style but blends it with low-key contemporary touches in elegantly simple rooms and suites featuring original features such as exposed stone walls, wooden beams and tiled floors. A stay in San Gimignano – especially in this, one of the best hotels in Tuscany – will please just about anyone, appealing especially to wine fans, whether a casual drinker or a fully fledged oenophile.
Relais La Corte dei Papi, Cortona
Just outside Cortona with its Etruscan Academy Museum and Archaeological Park, Relais La Corte dei Papi is a 1700s-built country residence tenderly restored by a mother-and-son duo whose family has owned it for generations. Expect, among other things, excellent traditional and modern local cooking in the cellar restaurant with its stone walls, timber roof and terracotta tiles.
Rooms and suites are blissful retreats with fine linens and antique furnishings; the very special spa suites also feature Jacuzzi bathtubs, which are ideal for anyone looking to completely relax during their Tuscan voyage. The expansive grounds dotted with olive and pine trees conceal a sparkling swimming pool beside which you can dine outdoors in the summer months under the Tuscan sun.
Grand Hotel Palazzo, Livorno
A filming location for several Italian movies over the decades, the Grand Hotel Palazzo is a dreamy Belle Époque number in the gritty, often-overlooked but fascinating port city of Livorno. Commissioned by Bernardo Fabbricotti in 1888, it has glorious views of the islands of the Tuscan archipelago, including Gorgona, Capraia, Elba and Giglio, especially from its fifth-floor Mascagni restaurant that serves innovative Tuscan cuisine.
There’s also an American-style bar on the rooftop, overlooking the outdoor pool, plus a cosseting spa. The location is great, too, on the ancient Via del Passeggio, behind the Terrazza Mascagni – the city’s iconic seafront terrace popular for its sunset vistas.
La Gemma Hotel, Florence
Occupying the 19th-century Palazzo Paoletti by architect Tito Bellini in the heart of Florence, La Gemma opened in 2023 as a brilliant urban bolthole perfect for couples’ breaks and foodie getaways. Design-led and oozing glamour, this fiver-star hotel is owned by a Florentine family with a background in the arts, architecture, fashion and design, and is centred on a cocktail lounge-bar where you can relax to the soothing sounds of vintage jazz. Its palette combines shades of greed from jade and emerald to olive, adding a vibrancy to the historic property.
There’s also a boutique spa in the old cellars, with a hammam, hydro-massage bath, and ice shower, while high-end Tuscan dining is on offer at LUCA’s by Paulo Airaudo, a Michelin-starred chef. If you can bear to head out, the concierge team can organise perfumery visits, farmhouse cooking classes, wine tastings and more. But you could just as easily stay put...
Castelfalfi, Montaione
Made up of a five-star hotel, villas and apartments, Castelfalfi is the revival of a Tuscan hamlet that lost its population in the 20th century, spread across 2,700 acres and including the original medieval borgo and well as the largest golf course in Tuscany – a 27-holer. The rooms are havens of contemporary luxury, characterised by upscale furnishings and touches, with a sense of warmth achieved through lighting and soft touches to make you feel right at home as soon as you check in (if only home were a sprawling Tuscan estate...)
It’s a place known for its food and wine in restaurants and bars including the theatrical Olivina, that includes a wine room, a salumeria, a coffee bar and a bakery. It also has a spa with heated indoor and outdoor pools and a hydrotherapy area, and in-house and local activities ranging from yoga to hiking and cycling.
Castello di Vicarello, Sasso dʼOmbrone
The perfect pitstop between Florence and Rome, Castello di Vicarello is a family-run retreat in the wild Maremma countryside. There are just 10 suites, but acres and acres (99 to be exact) of organic vineyards, olive groves and farmland for guests to explore. Its cosy scale means you’re guaranteed to feel part of the famiglia. There’s lots to keep you busy, from wine tastings and cookery classes for the epicureans (who will also be able to go truffle hunting and join in with the grape harvest), to more active pursuits such as hiking, biking and horse-riding.
The family has been busy repurposing the estate’s 12th-century watch tower into its first private villa and more suites are in the works. Words Caroline Lewis
Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco
This Tuscan hotel is set on an ancient 5,000-acre estate in the Val d’Orcia, one of the most picturesque parts of the region (and that’s saying something, given the competition). Thanks to the vast grounds, the accommodation at Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco is spread out, offering guests privacy and seclusion, especially if they book one of the villas. These have been formed from old farmhouses, all now with heated pools.
Helpfully for oenophiles in search of a glass of their favourite Tuscan red, the hilltop town of Montalcino is nearby. Also on hand for day trips is the beautiful town of Siena, where you can explore its medieval architecture and historic districts. Words Caroline Lewis
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