The Italy Belmond Hotels
All nine bricks-and-mortar Belmond hotels in Italy. Cipriani in Venice, Caruso in Ravello, Timeo in Taormina, Splendido in Portofino, Romazzino in Sardinia. Ranked by a FORA travel advisor with Bellini Club VIP perks.
The Italy Belmond hotels are the heritage portfolio I trust most in this country. An 11th-century palazzo above the Amalfi Coast. A 15th-century monastery in the hills above Florence with a façade attributed to Michelangelo. A 16th-century Portofino landmark draped over the Ligurian cliffs. The original 5-star hotel on Giudecca Island in Venice, which Belmond has run since 1958. None of these are buildings you can copy.
I have personally stayed at and toured multiple Belmonds across Italy as a FORA travel advisor, which is how I know what is worth the upgrade and what is not. Belmond runs nine bricks-and-mortar hotels in Italy. Belmond also operates the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train and the Britannia Excelsior lake cruise on Lake Como in Italy, but those are journeys rather than hotels, so they are out of scope here.
"You do not stay at a Belmond for the room. You stay for the building, the location, and the 70 years of muscle memory the staff has built up running it. Pick the right Belmond and you have your whole Italy trip."
Belmond is owned by LVMH, the group behind Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Cheval Blanc. LVMH acquired Belmond in 2019 and has spent the last few years quietly restoring the Italian portfolio, most visibly with the full reopening of Romazzino in Sardinia in 2024. The brand pioneered modern 5-star hotel keeping in Italy when it opened the Cipriani in Venice in 1958, and it still runs the most storied collection of heritage hotels in the country.
All About Belmond
Belmond is a luxury hotel brand with an Italian hotel portfolio built around heritage: ancient palaces, former monasteries, Belle Epoque grand hotels. It is not the cheapest 5-star option in any of these cities, and it is not trying to be. What you pay for is the building, the location, and the 70 years of muscle memory the brand has built up running these properties.
The Belmond service signature is consistent across every property: white-glove arrival, breakfast that genuinely earns the photograph, and concierges who already know who you are by the time you reach the desk. The interiors lean into the history of each building rather than fighting it. Caruso looks and feels like the 11th-century palazzo it is. Villa San Michele still reads as a Renaissance monastery. Cipriani is unmistakably 1958 Venetian glamour, kept exactly that way on purpose.
Venice: Where Belmond Began
The Belmond story in Italy starts on Giudecca Island in Venice. The Cipriani opened in 1958 as the first true 5-star hotel in the city, and Belmond has run it ever since. It is still the original and still the flagship.
No. 1 · The Original Belmond
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
Cipriani is the founding Belmond, full stop. It sits on the tip of Giudecca Island looking straight across the lagoon at San Marco, which means you get one of the most famous views in Venice from a property that is also somehow private and quiet. The 24-hour motor launch runs you over to the Piazza in about three minutes. The pool is the only one of its size in Venice. The breakfast on the lagoon-facing terrace is one of those meals I think about for years. If you only stay at one Belmond in Italy, this is the one I would pick.
Amalfi Coast: The View from Ravello
Belmond's Amalfi Coast property sits not down on the water with the crowds in Positano, but up at the top of the coast in Ravello, in an 11th-century palace. Read more on the area itself in my complete Amalfi Coast guide.
No. 2 · The Ravello Icon
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
Caruso is the hotel for travelers who think they want Positano but actually want Ravello. It is an 11th-century palazzo at the top of the coast, and the infinity pool, which is the most photographed pool in Italy for a reason, drops you straight into the view of the Tyrrhenian a thousand feet below. The frescoed Belvedere lounge is original to the building. Days here move slower than down in Positano. The sunsets from the Belvedere terrace are the version of Amalfi I send honeymooners to first. It is also one of the picks in my top Italian summer hotels roundup.
Sicily: Taormina
Belmond owns two of the most important hotels in Taormina, and they work as a pair. One is up in the historic center beside the Greek Theatre. The other is down at the water in Mazzaro Bay. Guests at either get reciprocal access to both. For background on the island, see my complete Sicily guide.
No. 3 · The Sicilian Classic
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
The Timeo opened in 1873 as the first hotel in Taormina, and it still has the original Belle Epoque bones. You walk out the back gate and you are inside the Ancient Greek Theatre. Otto Geleng on the garden terrace holds a Michelin star. The Wine Bar is the most romantic Negroni I have had in Sicily. Pair this with a couple of days down at Villa Sant'Andrea and you have everything Taormina does well, top and bottom.
No. 4 · The Taormina Beachfront
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
Villa Sant'Andrea is what Taormina looks like when you put your feet in the water. It sits on Mazzaro Bay at the base of the cliff, with a small private sand beach that is unusual on this stretch of Sicilian coast. The cable car up to the old town is literally at the gate, which is the secret weapon of staying here: morning swims at sea level, evening passeggiata up in Taormina. Most of my clients who go here split nights between the two Belmond Taormina properties to get both halves of the experience.
Liguria: Portofino
Belmond runs the two most important hotels in Portofino, one up on the cliff and one down at the harbor. They are different scales, different experiences, and the property to book depends entirely on whether you want the view of Portofino or the feeling of being inside it.
No. 5 · The Cliffside Legend
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
Splendido is the Italian Riviera as it has been photographed for nearly a century. It is a 16th-century former monastery cut into the cliff above Portofino, looking straight down at the harbor of pastel buildings and the bay full of small wooden boats. La Terrazza is the kind of long-lunch terrace where you order a bottle of Vermentino at noon and somehow do not stand up until four. The heated saltwater pool is set into the hillside with a frame of pine trees over the bay. This is one of those classic Italian summer hotels where the property itself becomes the trip.
No. 6 · The Harbor Sister
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
Splendido Mare is what you book when you want to walk out the door and be inside Portofino, not staring down at it. It sits on the piazzetta, the small square right on the harbor, with the fishing boats and the gelato shops and the tiny church. Rooms are intimate and harbor facing. DaV Mare on the water is the restaurant Belmond opened with the Cerea family of Da Vittorio fame, so the seafood is genuinely serious. Guests get reciprocal pool access up at Splendido, which is the move I usually recommend: sleep down by the water, swim up at the cliff.
Tuscany
Belmond has two Tuscan properties and they do completely different things. One is a working castle estate in deep Chianti. The other is a Renaissance monastery on a hilltop above Florence.
No. 7 · The Chianti Castle Estate
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
Castello di Casole is the deepest, quietest Tuscan property in the Belmond portfolio. The 10th-century castle at the center sits on a 4,200-acre private estate in the hills between Siena and Volterra, which makes it one of the largest single-owner estates in Tuscany. Every accommodation is a suite. The estate has its own vineyards, an equestrian center, walking trails through the Chianti countryside, and an infinity pool that points out over the rolling hills. This is the property for travelers who want a week of slow wine-country luxury and absolutely no schedule.
No. 8 · The Florence Monastery
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
Villa San Michele is the Florence answer for travelers who already know the city well and want to sleep up in the hills of Fiesole rather than down in the heat of the centro. It is a 15th-century former Franciscan monastery and the façade is widely attributed to Michelangelo. The Loggia restaurant looks across the Arno valley with the Duomo as the centerpiece of the view, which I have not been able to stop describing since the first time I sat down to dinner there. The terraced gardens climb the hill behind the property all the way to a hilltop infinity pool. The complimentary shuttle to and from central Florence runs all day.
Sardinia
The newest restored property in the Italy portfolio. Belmond reopened Romazzino in 2024 after a complete top-to-bottom renovation, and it is now one of the most beautiful beachfront hotels in the country.
No. 9 · The Reborn Costa Smeralda Classic
Belmond Bellini · VIP Perks
Romazzino is the most beautiful Belmond in Italy right now. The original 1960s beachfront hotel was a Costa Smeralda classic, but it had aged into something tired before LVMH closed it for the long restoration. The reopened version came back in 2024 as essentially a new property inside the old footprint: rooms tuned to the light, gardens replanted with Sardinian native plants, the pool resurfaced and the cove cleaned up. The water in front of the hotel still looks digitally altered when you photograph it. The sand still has that pink Sardinian tinge that does not happen elsewhere. If you are choosing one beach hotel in Italy this summer, this is the one I would put at the top.
How to Book the Italy Belmond Hotels (Insider Advice)
Here is what I want you to know before you book anything on this list.
The Belmond Bellini Club Perks
Every Italy Belmond booking I make for clients comes with Bellini Club perks: a room upgrade on arrival when available, complimentary daily breakfast for two, a $100 USD hotel credit, early check-in and late checkout when possible, and a welcome amenity. The rate is the same as belmond.com. The perks are simply layered on top because I book through the FORA agency program, which has direct Bellini Club access. If you want me to book these hotels on your behalf, reach out to me here.
Which Belmond to Pick
The trip drives the property. For honeymoons I send couples to Caruso in Ravello or Romazzino in Sardinia. For first-time Italy I lean Cipriani in Venice as the single most iconic hotel in the portfolio. For a summer week with a real beach, Romazzino, with Villa Sant'Andrea in Sicily as the runner up. For a Florence stay with breathing room, Villa San Michele in Fiesole. For a true wine-country week, Castello di Casole in Chianti. For Portofino, Splendido up on the cliff if you want the view, Splendido Mare if you want to live inside the village. For Sicily, the Taormina pair, ideally split between Grand Hotel Timeo and Villa Sant'Andrea.
The Booking Timeline
For July and August dates at Caruso, Cipriani, Splendido, or Romazzino, book 9 to 12 months out. The good rooms, sea-view categories, junior suites, and connecting rooms for families, all sell out first. Late May, early June, and September are the sweet windows where rates are 20 to 30 percent below peak and the weather is genuinely better than August. Castello di Casole and Villa San Michele are a little easier on timing because they are inland, but the harvest weeks at Castello di Casole in September and October book up early.
What I Add to a Belmond Trip
If you are pairing two Belmonds, I usually suggest a coast or island property with a countryside or city property to give the trip contrast. Cipriani plus Caruso. Romazzino plus Castello di Casole. Villa San Michele plus Splendido. For longer multi-region trips I plug in Daytrip private transfers between cities, GetYourGuide tours for the boat days and tastings (see a few favorites below), and Faye travel insurance for the trip itself. If you want a longer guide to the country built around a couple of these, my Italy honeymoon guide and top Italian summer hotels roundup are both good companions.
Where Belmond Italy Is on the Map
The Italy Belmond hotels span from Venice in the north to Sardinia and Sicily in the south. Use the map below to see how the properties cluster across the country, then build a trip around two of them.
Why Working With a FORA Advisor Actually Matters
The rates at these hotels are the same whether you book direct or through me. The difference is what you get on top. With FORA I can layer VIP perks onto your booking at most of these properties: complimentary daily breakfast, a room upgrade when available, a $50 to $100 resort credit, a welcome amenity, and early check-in and late checkout when possible.
If you want help locking in a couple of these hotels for your Italy Belmond trip with VIP perks attached, that is what my free VIP hotel booking service handles. For a full end-to-end trip building, my VIP itinerary planning service is the perfect fit. I also offer a 1:1 planning call if you want personalized help with your trip.
Italy Belmond Hotels FAQs
The four questions I answer most often before booking a Belmond hotel in Italy, with the same advice I give clients on a planning call.
Belmond is a luxury hotel collection owned by LVMH, the same group behind Louis Vuitton and Cheval Blanc. LVMH acquired Belmond in 2019. The portfolio is built on heritage properties: 15th-century monasteries, 11th-century palaces, Belle Epoque grand hotels, plus the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train and the Britannia Excelsior lake cruise on Lake Como. Belmond pioneered modern 5-star hotel keeping in Italy when it opened the Cipriani in Venice in 1958, and it still runs the most storied portfolio of historic hotels in the country.
It depends on the trip. Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice is the original Belmond and still the most iconic, set on Giudecca Island with the only Olympic-size saltwater pool in the city. Caruso in Ravello is the most romantic, with the famous infinity pool 1,500 feet above the Amalfi Coast. Romazzino in Sardinia is the most beautiful beachfront property after its 2024 restoration. Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina is the classic Sicilian pick. For honeymoons I usually send couples to Caruso or Romazzino. For first-time Italy travelers, Cipriani in Venice.
Yes, when the property matches the trip. Belmond hotels are not the cheapest 5-star option in any city, but the buildings and locations are genuinely irreplaceable. You are paying for an 11th-century palazzo in Ravello, a 15th-century monastery in Fiesole, a 16th-century Portofino landmark, the only true island hotel on Giudecca. The service is consistent across the brand. If you book through a FORA advisor with Belmond Bellini Club access, the perks layer about $500 to $1,200 of value on top of a 5-night stay at no extra cost, which is what makes them worth it in my book.
Book through a FORA travel advisor with Belmond Bellini Club access, which is what I have. The Bellini Club perks at every Italy Belmond property include a room upgrade on arrival when available, complimentary daily breakfast for two, a $100 USD hotel credit, early check-in and late checkout when possible, and a welcome amenity. You pay the exact same nightly rate as booking direct on belmond.com. The perks layer on top at no cost to you. Email me with the property and dates you are eyeing and I confirm the rate and lock in the perks before you book.
Final Thoughts on the Italy Belmond Hotels
Pick the right two Belmonds and you have your whole Italy trip. Cipriani plus Caruso for a Venice and Amalfi pairing. Romazzino plus Castello di Casole for beach and wine country. Villa San Michele plus Splendido for a Florence and Riviera trip. The buildings are irreplaceable. The service is consistent. The Bellini Club perks are real money on the table if you book through a FORA advisor.
If you want help locking in a couple of these with VIP perks attached, that is exactly what I do. The rate is the same. The trip is better.
More Italy Resources
If you are building a Belmond trip, these are the next four reads I send clients.
Karissa
✦ FORA Certified Travel Advisor
I split my time between the U.S. and Italy designing authentic, effortlessly luxurious travel experiences. Living part-time in Italy means you get real insider knowledge.
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