Let the dolce vita start here

IApr0 Saturday 23 il 2016 t’s the sheer variety that strikes you first. Italy has as many hotels as it has destinations, from old-fashioned family-run pensioni in historic city centres to elegant lakeside resorts where you dine by candlelight at the water’s edge. There are mountain lodges with Michelin-starred restaurants, aristocratic townhouses with museum-standard collections of art and antiques, rock-hewn Amalfi Coast cliff hotels, Tuscan hilltop castles and ancient Sicilian wine estates.

If they have one thing in common it’s that the best of them, at least, project the Italian talent for enjoying the good things in life, and sharing these joys with others. Though the country has its share of handsome design hotels, accommodation fads and fashions are less of a factor here than real food, real human warmth and perfect location.

Choosing the best time to visit depends on your destination.

Italy has a fabulous range of places to stay, from hilltop castles and lakeside palaces to rural villas. Our experts select their favourites, to suit all budgets and tastes

Seaside resorts fill up in July and August, whereas September or early October – when the Mediterranean is still pleasantly lukewarm – can be blissfully quiet. In the northern lakes, a holiday too early in the season is risky, weather-wise, but May and June are perfect – and allow one to enjoy those glorious lakeside gardens at their best. And Venice? I love it in November, when the tourist crowds have dispersed and the Venetians take possession of their lives once more. Compiled by Telegraph Travel’s Italy experts, who have stayed at, reviewed and rated all these properties, this list represent a selection of special places that distil the Italian verve for dolce vita hospitality. Some – especially the coastal, island and lake resorts – are seasonal, which generally means that they open from April through to October. Not all are fabulously expensive, but all, in our view, are fabulous. Buona vacanza!

The opulent Four Seasons Hotel in Florence, above; George Clooney stayed at the Belmond Cipriani in Venice (see over) before his wedding to Amal Alamuddin