December 19, 2024

Alternative hot spots in Italy to avoid the crowds

By Annie Chambers

Location Overview

After spending 10 days in Italy Crafted Escapes founder, Annie Chambers, returned with insider knowledge and hidden gems from an invite-only luxury travel conference in Milan. She met with the top hoteliers and tour operators from all over Italy.
Below we’re sharing a few destination substitutes to the usual (*more crowded) locations that you may be familiar with. We met with family-owned hotels and saw the pride they have in generations of hospitality. We met with ground operators who are curating unique experiences with locals that are truly ‘Un-Googleable’.

Best Seasons to Visit

Many hotels in seasonal destinations (normally open from April to end of October) are extending through the holiday season. This means more time to spend exploring the shore of Lake Como, eating your way through Puglia, wine touring in Tuscany or soaking up the views of the Amalfi coast. On Lake Como, Crafted Escapes favorite, Passalacqua, is now staying open until January 5, giving you more opportunities to stay at the #1 hotel in the world!
It’s tempting to pack in as many destinations as possible when traveling to Italy, but we encourage our clients to embrace ‘la dolce far niente’ (translated: the sweetness of doing nothing). Travel slower, take pleasure in the simple things.  Slowly sip your morning espresso, stroll through the streets and parks,  soak in the views while enjoying your aperol spritz, and take in all the high fashion over your plate of caccio e peppe.

Hotel Castello di Reschio: Umbria

This property stood out as extra special during our week of meetings. Right on the border of Umbria and Tuscany, this family-owned jewel sits about 1.5 hours from Florence. The 32-room hotel is nestled around a historic castle.
You won’t see name tags or any logos on anything here. Every single piece of furniture, even the coffee makers, are made by the architects and wines and gins are made on property. They also manage the villas surrounding the hotel (within a few miles of the property), each year they continue to restore more with their architecture team to sell and rent.
hotel reschio- umbria luxury hotel

Villa Cora: Florence

Villa Cora is located 10 minutes outside of Florence. After a day of exploring the city you come back to a historic villa with a full spa, beautiful gardens, and outdoor pool. Some other great Florence hotel alternatives if you want to be in the heart of the city are Villa La Massa, Villa San Michele, and Il Saviatino. Our Crafted Escapes advisors can help you decide which hotels will be best for your stay in Florence.

villa cora - florence luxury hotel

Belmond Splendido and Splendido Mare: Portofino

The Italian Riviera is on many a Crafted Escapes itinerary right now! The Italian Riviera, often known because of the Cinque Terre, has the most charming towns like Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure. Belmond has two properties, one called Splendido Mare in the town of Portofino and one called Splendido, a larger resort property perched in the hills above the town. They offer sharing privileges between the two and access to boats to explore the Riviera. We’re majorly crushing over the views and the top tier Belmond hospitality!

belmond splendido- portofino italy luxury hotel

Location: The Dolomites

The Dolomites mountain region in Northern Italy is hot right now! The scenery is absolutely stunning and the cuisine is Alpine Italian (meaning delicious!) The tiny alpine villages are quaint are charming.For all our adventurers and wellness lovers, this is the spot for you. From December to April there is great skiing and snowshoeing. In the summer and fall there’s hut to hut hiking options and mountain biking. The hotels we partner with offer many wellness options from yoga and pilates to innovate spa treatments, and sauna, steam to relax after your adventures.

the dolomites-italy

Location: Lake Garda

Lake Garda is not only an ‘alternative to Lake Como’ but it’s the preferred lake region for many Italians. In season Lake Como can be pricey (~$1-2K per night during the season for regular rooms at 4-5 star hotels) It’s very glitzy/glam with lots of fine dining, high-end shops, luxury resorts, wooden speed boats, and classic villas.  Whereas Lake Garda is more reasonably priced and offers quaint beaches, colorful towns, vineyards, ancient ruins, and castles.
In order to truly enjoy it, we recommend 3 days in Lake Garda. It’s good for both a romantic getaway or a family vacation, depending on which town/hotel your Crafted Escapes advisor helps you choose. Almost equidistant from Venice and Milan airports it’s convenient to get to as well.
lake garda-italy

Location: Puglia

Some call it “Italy’s best kept secret,” well the secret about Puglia is out! As a fantastic alternative to the Amalfi Coast, Puglia is known for its beautiful beaches, turquoise water, whitewashed architecture and incredible food! On a map, this is the heel of Italy’s boot and one of our favorite Italian destinations if you are comfortable self driving or we can arrange expert local driver guides as well.
You can explore charming historic towns like Lecce and Ostuni, play golf, hang out at the beach clubs, visit a castle, or wander to the countryside for wine and olive oil tastings, and of course, enjoy the many gorgeous beaches. Many of the accommodations here are called masseria (meaning farmhouse) but don’t take that to mean that they are not luxury, what they lack in size they make up for in service and design.
puglia-italy

Accommodation: Villas

Looking for something a little more private, traveling with a big group/family, or always dreamed of “Eat, Pray, Loving” in a Tuscan countryside home? Then a villa may be the best option for you and we have access to villas throughout Italy, including Sicily and Sardinia! The pricing is often competitive with many stateside favorite vacation rentals. We can arrange for housekeeping, concierge services, and private chefs. Our top spots are Tuscany, Amalfi Coast and Lake Como, but we’re also seeing families opt for Puglia, Sicily, and Sardinia.

ITALIAN VILLAS

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