Prati Palai is a lovingly restored 16th century farmhouse, offering eight suites and one double room in 18 hectares of woodland, gardens and olive groves. With their views of the lake, Prati Palai's rooms combine rustic beamed ceilings and polished wooden floorboards with contemporary amenities such as air conditioning and satellite TV. Although Pr...

The Gran Melia Villa Agrippina is like being in Rome, but also like being in the country.It is actually situated in the heart of the great city but apart from it on the quiet Janiculum Hill. Incredibly, one has serenity and luxury and everything else including being within walking distance of the Vatican, Piazza Navona, Castel Sant'Angelo and other...

It was a few years back on a rainy night that we wended our way to Palazzo Manfredi and dinner at the Aroma Restaurant. A lot of hotel stays and superb dining experiences later, we still had a memory of that time and also of our meeting with the elegant Bruno Papeleo, General Manager. Now we were back in Rome, guests at the Palazzo Manfredi, a Rela...

Private water taxi is the glamourous way to arrive at Venice hotel that was formerly a doge's palace. Channelling our inner George and Amal Clooney, my wife and I glide over Venice's lagoon in a sleek private water taxi. As we pass the mouth of the Grand Canal, the domes of the resplendent Basilica in the pigeon-filled, cafe-lined San Marco Piazza ...

In Sicily, the markets are where meals begin. Whatever is fresh that day becomes dinner. Across the island, markets serve as the main source of food as well as the daily meeting spot. Often the markets are situated right in neighborhoods, so people can simply step out of their homes and shop.  The first rule for visiting markets: Get there ear...

Bordering Switzerland and France, the Piemonte region of northern Italy is located at the foot of the Alps and is well regarded for its cultural offerings including historical Royal residences and 15 UNESCO sites. It is also know for its for its white truffles and fine wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco and Asti Spumante. Spanning 15,000 square miles...