Best for country class

Florence has a smattering of top-of-the-range villa hotels dotted outside the centre. While most are found in the hills above the city, this property sits pretty on a bend in Arno. Though service can be

patchy, the onsite restaurant’s riverside setting is spectacular, and the rooms are spread between the Renaissance-era villa and the modern accommodation blocks scattered across the gardens. A complimentary shuttle service into town takes just 20 minutes and drops you off right by the Ponte Vecchio.

ROOMS: From €520 (£443), B&B. villalamassa.com