One of the questions you ask me most often is: “Which verified accommodations do you recommend in (place name), but only the ones you’ve personally checked!” Well, here it is! A special collection just for you—”Verified Accommodations in Italy”—with all the details in one place. I have personally checked every single one! I’ve stayed there, eaten there, and relaxed there. No fake reviews or hidden advertisements. No recommendations from friends or a collection of random Facebook comments. Plus, you’ll also find info about places I wouldn’t recommend, ones you should definitely avoid. Hotels from 1 to 4 stars, agritourism, B&Bs, campgrounds. Sicily, Tuscany, Naples, Rome, Apulia, Venice, the Dolomites, Sardinia, Calabria, Bergamo, Milan, and more. What’s more, I update this list after every trip. Enjoy!
Checked accommodation in Italy – preliminary information
This post should have been one of the first ones on the blog. I had the idea, but at some point, I decided to drop it, thinking I would write about each place in a separate post. Unfortunately, I now realize that I won’t be able to, because there are more and more interesting topics for articles with each new trip, and you’re very interested in the accommodations I’ve personally checked, constantly asking about them. So many times, I’ve received emails thanking me because you visited a place I recommended, and it was a perfect choice. How many small B&Bs and agritourism spots have written to thank me because suddenly a lot of Polish tourists started coming, saying: “Natalia recommended this place to us.” You ask me about different locations. I haven’t visited everywhere yet, which is why this list still has a few blank spots, which I hope will gradually disappear. I’ve grouped the accommodations by region, and I’ve also highlighted cities like Rome, Naples, and Bari.
My rating of the accommodation
There are places that I wrote about earlier in one of the posts about the trip, and there are also places that, due to their uniqueness, I presented in a separate post. In such cases, under the name of the object, I paste a link to the post, where it is extensively reviewed. In addition, I provide information on when I stayed in a given place, and for how long and I use the following scoring for individual facilities:
- 4* amazing! – a place I would love to return to
- 3* good – a really nice place, but nothing extraordinary
- 2* decent – okay for one or two nights
- 1* avoid – places I left with a sense of relief
Note! The rating is not related to the level of luxury offered by the accommodation! I considered location, surroundings, room and bathroom comfort, food, atmosphere, and service.
If you can’t find accommodation in this database for the place you’re interested in, I warmly invite you to join the Facebook group ITALY – Travel & Lifestyle, where thousands of Italy enthusiasts share their experiences, offer advice, joke, and laugh together. However, please note that this is not a place to post your accommodation offers or requests. Such posts are not published.
Verified Accommodations in Italy – What You Need to Know
In this post, I share my experiences starting from 2008. Things might have changed in a given hotel or agritourism, for better or worse, or the ownership might have changed as well. Whenever possible, I include my own photos, but I don’t have pictures from every place. The idea for this blog came to me in the second half of 2012, and it wasn’t until later trips that I started paying attention to photographing accommodations. Also, like everyone, I’m constantly learning, and some of those photos from over a decade ago (just like some of the posts from my early blogging days) sometimes make me cringe – better not to upload them. Nonetheless, I hope this list will be helpful for you.
Honest reviews
The second point is honesty. Among the accommodations listed below, there are some where I didn’t pay because I was a guest. I receive many invitations from hotels and agritourism spots in Italy, asking me to visit and review them on my blog, offering a free stay. I write about such places on the blog, always indicating that the post was created as part of a collaboration. My reviews are positive, but not because I feel obliged to write favorably; rather, I carefully select the invitations. If I check booking sites and see poor reviews, I simply decline. So far, I haven’t found myself in a situation where I needed to criticize a client’s offer, but I wouldn’t hesitate to do so if necessary. Honesty towards my readers is the guiding principle of this blog, and your trust is the most valuable asset. That’s why I reject – and will continue to reject – offers to include places I haven’t personally visited in the “Verified Accommodations in Italy” database in exchange for financial compensation.
If you run a hotel / apartments / agritourism / guest house in Italy and you are interested in me testing and presenting your offer to my readers, I invite you to familiarize yourself with the COOPERATION tab
If you don’t find the right accommodation for you below, check also:
the largest website with accommodation offers
website specializing in holiday rentals of houses and flats
Map of Recommended Accommodations in Italy
Since this post is quite extensive, I’ve prepared the following map for your convenience. You can, of course, zoom in and move it around. I’ve marked all the accommodations I have personally reviewed in Italy, and when you click on any location, the name, town, my rating, and a link to the property will be displayed. Below the map, you’ll find a description of each place or a link to an article on the blog where I’ve provided a detailed review. The accommodations are grouped by regions of Italy, starting with those where I’ve stayed the most: Tuscany, Sicily, Campania, Lazio, Apulia, and so on. Some places, like Lake Garda, are administratively divided between several regions of Italy. In such cases, the recommended accommodations by Lake Garda can be found in various regions.
Recommended Accommodations in Italy – Tuscany
Florence – Hotel Ariele
I stayed here – July 2010
Number of nights: 1
My Rating – 3* good – A really nice place, but nothing spectacular
Above all, the location is excellent, almost in the center of Florence, and it even has parking! Although it’s an additional cost and there are only three spaces, so you need to book in advance, but for a hotel in the historic center of Tuscany’s capital, that’s still a luxury. The hotel is located in an old palace, and its rooms have a lot of character. The breakfast didn’t impress me at the time, but perhaps things have changed over the years.
Florence – Hotel Deco
I stayed here – October 2023
Number of nights: 1
My rating – 4* amazing!
A very nice two-star hotel in the heart of Florence, located between the main train station Santa Maria Novella and Piazza del Duomo. Everything is within walking distance, including the station, which is just a 5-minute walk away. I particularly recommend this hotel to those traveling by train. The very friendly staff let me check into the room before noon (it was ready, though this isn’t always the case). The only small downside is the elevator, which only goes up to the third floor. If your room is on the fourth floor, you have to climb one flight of stairs, which could be an issue with luggage. The room itself was large and comfortable, with a very cozy bed. I would have happily stayed longer.
Siena – Agriturismo La Torre alle Tolfe
I stayed here – May / June 2021
Number of nights: 14
My rating – 4* amazing!
Check out the separate post on La Torre alle Tolfe.
Siena – B&B Le Lupe
I stayed here – October 2023
Number of nights: 3
My rating – 4* amazing!
A wonderful small bed & breakfast with a beautiful view of Siena’s historic center. The guesthouse is located on the second floor (accessible by elevator) and has been created from a large apartment. There is a shared kitchen with a table, coffee machine, and fridge, and a few rooms further in. Not all rooms offer the same view. Check-in is remote: you send a photo of your ID and then receive a code to collect the keys. My single room was small but cozy, heated (late October), and with a warm duvet on the bed. It also had a mini-fridge, a kettle, and a cup, and there was a cookie as a welcome treat. The building is located right where the ZTL zone starts, but you can still drive up to the door. It took me about 10 minutes to walk to Piazza del Campo. A great location!
Pisa – Casa per ferie religiosa Figlie di Nazareth
I stayed here – July 2024
Number of nights: 7
My rating – 4* amazing!
I described this modest convent accommodation with photos in my Pisa travel guide.
Borgo a Mezzano (Garfagnana) – Hotel Ristorante Corona
I stayed here – May 2013
Number of nights: 1
My rating – 1* avoid at all costs!
The biggest disappointment in the history of my Italian travels! Sure, the price was suspiciously low, but I was looking for something cheaper because the previous night’s accommodation—an absolutely phenomenal castle in Fosdinovo—had cost me much more than my daily limit for that trip. Still, I didn’t expect such scandalous conditions in a place calling itself a hotel, and a 3-star one at that! Peeling and cracked paint in the rooms was the least of the problems. We left after the first night, even though we had paid for two. Exposed wires were coming out of the hairdryer, making it easy to get an electric shock. The shower was dirty, with someone else’s hair in the drain, and breakfast? Old boiled eggs, at least from the day before. Artur nearly threw up after one bite, and maybe he should have—it might have saved him from an upset stomach. I didn’t eat anything. The only positive? Good location and a few parking spots in front of the building, and the staff were relatively polite. But I would never return, not for anything. Avoid this place at all costs!
Fosdinovo (Province of Massa-Carrara) – Castello Fosdinovo
I stayed here – May 2013
Number of nights: 1
My rating – 4* amazing!
Check out this post about the castle.
Chianti | Montevarchi – Agriturismo Podere Luisa
I stayed here – April / May 2013
Number of nights: 4
My rating – 4* amazing!
I described this agriturismo in a separate post.
Chianti | San Sano – Agriturismo San Sano
I stayed here – September 2022
Number of nights: 7
My rating – 4* amazing!
Agriturismo San Sano, beautifully located among the vineyards and hills of Chianti, offers 16 rooms ranging from economy to superior, a large parking area, a garden with romantic corners, and a pool surrounded by olive trees. Every morning, a really good, varied breakfast is served. Besides sweets and homemade cakes, there’s farm yogurt, various cold cuts, cheeses (including fresh sheep ricotta), tomatoes, cereals, boiled eggs, savory vegetable pies, and fruit. It’s one of the best breakfasts I’ve had outside of four-star hotels. You can even come here with a dog.
San Gimignano – Podere Bellavista
I stayed here – April 2013
Number of nights: 3
My rating – 4* amazing!
Check out this post about Podere Bellavista.
Volterra – Tuscany Forever
I stayed here – September 2017
Number of nights: 4
My rating – 4* amazing!
I described Tuscany Forever in a separate post.
Val di Merse / Chiusdino – Podere di Santa Maria
Note! This place is closed until further notice.
I stayed here – September 2017
Number of nights: 4
My rating – 4* amazing!
A wonderful agriturismo located in the middle of a forest on the edge of Maremma, close to the Abbey of San Galgano, and just a half-hour drive from Val d’Orcia. The centuries-old buildings are restored but still have the incredible atmosphere of classic Tuscany, and the breakfasts are delicious, made with local products. There are options to organize Tuscan cooking workshops or enjoy horseback riding through the Maremma forests. The main image at the beginning of the post is Casa Ada at Podere di Santa Maria.
Here’s the full post on Podere di Santa Maria.
Maremma/ Fonteblanda – Agriturismo Peretti
I stayed here – May 2013
Number of nights: 3
My rating – 4* amazing!
More details in the post about this agriturismo.
Val d’Orcia (Pienza) – Agriturismo Il Macchione
I stayed here – May 2013
Number of nights: 3
My rating – 2* decent – good for one or two nights
This beautiful agriturismo is one of only two places in the history of my travels in Italy that left me with such conflicting emotions. Agriturismo Il Macchione is a gorgeous place, perfectly located just 2 km north of the town of Pienza. The apartments in the old, typically Tuscan farmhouse are elegant and functional, and the kitchen is well-equipped. Guests are welcomed with a bottle of wine from the owners’ fattoria. If the atmosphere had been as pleasant as it was at places like Peretti or Luisa’s, I would have gladly given it 4*. And there’s the issue. Throughout our stay, I felt like we were being treated as second-class guests. When the owner saw our old Seat Leon (at the time 11 years old) parked next to his Jeep and other expensive guest cars, he gave us a look as if wondering whether we could afford to pay for our stay, which wasn’t exactly cheap—though it was low season, we were paying about 102 euros per night for three nights. I really dislike it when people judge others by such shallow standards. There are people who prefer being to having. I’d rather travel to Italy than buy a new car, and a friend prefers buying a new car and going to the Baltic. His choice. I wish everyone would see a mechanic as infrequently as I did when our Leon was still in full force, effortlessly making two trips to Sicily (once around the whole island) and a third from Calabria, not to mention shorter journeys. But that’s not all. Another major issue was breakfast. Quite a large room, with a few tiny round tables—perfect for a cup of coffee—with a buffet nearby. The buffet wasn’t large but was quite nice and varied, with a lot of homemade items, including cakes. But imagine having the three owners “ready to help” standing nearby, watching what and how much you put on your plate, then trying to fit it onto the tiny table alongside your travel partner’s plate. Awful. We felt uncomfortable the entire time. The final straw came when we paid. Just a few weeks earlier, the city of Pienza had introduced a tourist tax, which, as in most Italian cities, must be paid for every night and every person. At the time, it was only 0.7 euros per person, so no big deal, but the owner couldn’t resist commenting that he didn’t understand why Pienza needed this tax, as it’s a wealthy town. Fair enough, I agree. The conversation continued, and we were asked about our travels, to which we truthfully replied that we mostly traveled to southern Italy, particularly loving Sicily, and then we heard that the people of southern Italy are lazy and parasites on whom the hard-working people of the north have to work, and that taxes are introduced because of people like them. Awful. We left feeling utterly disgusted. I had really wanted to stay at this agriturismo, as it seemed unique when I saw it online, and it has excellent reviews. Well, everyone is entitled to their subjective opinion, and now you know mine.
Val d’Orcia (Monticchiello) – Agriturismo Barbi
I stayed here – September 2014
Number of nights: 2
My rating – 4* amazing!
More about this agriturismo can be found in the post about the town of Monticchiello.
Val d’Orcia (Crete Senesi) – Staffolino
I stayed here – September 2022
Number of nights: 7
My rating – 4* amazing!
A typical Tuscan house made of red brick, beautifully located among the rolling hills of Crete Senesi. Although it looks like an agriturismo at first glance, it’s not. The owners live off-site, and the entire property is reserved for guests. It’s an old farmhouse on a hill, accessible by a private dirt road, offering beautiful views, a barbecue area, parking, and a shared pool, from which, on a clear day, you can see Siena in the distance. Via a winding, panoramic road, it’s only 12 km away, putting this medieval gem of Tuscany within easy reach. The property offers a standalone house for up to six people and several apartments in the main building. Each apartment has a private entrance from the garden, with a table, chairs, an umbrella, and sun loungers right outside.
Verified accommodations in Italy – Sicily
Trapani – B&B GranVeliero
I stayed here – May 2016
Number of nights: 4
My rating – 4* amazing!
More information can be found in the post about B&B GranVeliero.
Trapani – Angelo Apartments
I stayed here – May 2018, April 2019, September 2021
Number of nights: 21 in total
My rating – 4* amazing!
Hotel website and bookings, mention the code “Italia by Natalia” during booking and receive some special offers!
Details and more information can be found in the post about Angelo Apartments.
Erice – Il Carmine
I stayed here – June 2012 and September 2014
Number of nights: 3 in total
My rating – 4* amazing!
Il Carmine is one of my two favorite accommodations in Sicily. This small B&B (8 rooms) in a 15th-century monastery has an incredible atmosphere, and the walls are so thick that even on a hot day, it’s pleasantly cool inside, despite the lack of air conditioning. I feel wonderful when I stay at Il Carmine. The proximity to Erice’s center is great, yet it’s located in a peaceful, green area on the outskirts of the town. Since my first posts based on my 2012 experiences, breakfast has improved, as we noted during our 2014 stay.
Check out the post about the town of Erice.
Custonaci – Residence delle Cave
I stayed here – September 2014
Number of nights: 3
My rating – 4* amazing!
A new building with guest parking on the first level, an elevator, and several elegant and well-equipped apartments with balconies or small gardens. Spotlessly clean, cozy, air-conditioned, and run by a very friendly young owner who also operates a tourist information desk in his office by the garage. I highly recommend this place; we had a wonderful time there and would happily return. The garage is a big plus, as it not only provides a parking space but also shields your car from the sun. Amazing!
Castellammare del Golfo – Locanda Scirocco
I stayed here – June 2012
Number of nights: 2
My rating – 3* a really nice place, but nothing spectacular
More information can be found in the posts about the town of Scopello and the Zingaro Reserve.
Sciacca – B&B Conte Luna
I stayed here – June 2012
Number of nights: 1
My rating – 3* a really nice place, but nothing spectacula