The most exclusive 5-star design hotels in Italy

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Hotel Vista Ostuni

From Milan to Rome, taking in Capri and Ostuni: a selection of new hotels designed by the most important international designers

In 2025, the standards of hospitality are rising, creating ever more unique travel experiences, with hotels becoming increasingly sought-after places: From the Brach and Romeo hotels in Rome to Casa Brera, from the Jumeirah Capri Palace and the Vista Ostuni hotel to the Ancora in Cortina and finally the Airelles Venezia, a selection of the most exclusive 5-star hotels in Italy to discover an escape from reality through design and luxury.

Brach Hotel, Rome

The Brach Hotel in Rome belonging to the French group Evok will open in 2027, an example of complete regeneration from scratch very uncommon in the city center. The new building financed by the Zaka Investments fund will be located in Via Luisa di Savoia. The hotel entirely designed by the starchitect Philippe Starck, together with Raffaele Giannitelli’s Surf Engineering studio, will have an iron and glass structure, with cypresses on the roof and a large in-ground swimming pool, an absolute rarity in the capital.

Where: Via Luisa Di Savoia, 00196 Rome

Hotel Romeo, Rome

Also in Rome, a short stroll away from Piazza del Popolo, the Hotel Romeo located in the seventeenth-century Palazzo Capponi, is the new urban resort designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. An example of the combination of historical heritage and contemporary architecture, the facility offers seventy-four rooms that represent the concept of conscious luxury. The novelty of the hotel is the use of refined and natural eco-friendly materials including: Krion, Macassar ebony, Nero Marquina marble and Carrara marble, lava stones, and precious woods such as American walnut. Zaha Hadid Design works with Italian brands to produce iconic pieces. In this context, among the brands we find Citco for marbles. Thanks to the discovery of archaeological finds from the Roman era, the hotel has also been recognized as an archaeological site.

Where: Via di Ripetta, 246 - 00186 Rome

Four Seasons Hotel Milano — Four Seasons Hotel, Milan

Casa Brera, Milan

Among the most interesting novelties in Milan is Casa Brera, located close to Teatro alla Scala and designed by the international architect and designer Patricia Urquiola. The hotel stems from the renovation of the historic Rationalist building by the architect Pietro Lingeri. Patricia Urquiola enhanced the external structure by ensuring the interior design respects the rhythms of the vertical lines of the facade. The history of the building is enhanced by the geometries on the walls, and veritable carpets if marble on the floors. The floor and ceiling of the lobby and the lounge create a warm and bright atmosphere. Semicircular sofas, leather stools and armchairs in dark blue and light green shades enrich the environment. Most of the furnishings are designed by Patricia Urquiola.

Where: Piazzetta M. Bossi, 2, 20121 Milan

Jumeirah Capri Palace, Island Capri

Immersed in the tranquility of Anacapri, 300 meters above sea level, the Jumeirah Capri Palace represents the Italian Dolce Vita, in a setting where art and hospitality come together. Elegant and bright, the hotel's 72 rooms are divided into twenty different types. Five in particular are the new suites designed by Patricia Urquiola, overlooking the enchanting Gulf of Naples and the hotel's swimming pool. Their colors range from terracotta to soft whites, all the way to deep blues, while the use of materials such as cimento creating sinuous forms in the walls of the rooms. The customized furnishings, such as sofas in the shape of rocks eroded by water and sculptural tables, seem to have been carved by time. The Palladian floor and handmade Vietri tiles dress the walls, floors and furniture, enhancing the craft tradition. In the outdoor spaces, also reinterpreted by Urquiola, rattan and glazed terracotta are used, while the marble furnishings recall Villa San Michele: a timeless celebration of the island’s life.

Where: Via Capodimonte, 14, 80071 Island of Capri

Hotel Vista Ostuni, Ostuni

Located just a few steps away from the famous White City, immersed in the enchanting Plain of Ancient Olive Trees of the Itria Valley, the hotel Vista Ostuni was created out of the redevelopment of the former Manifattura Tabacchi, a building dating from the fourteenth century, with sustainability at the center of its vision. The hotel offers 28 rooms and suites, arranged around an arched cloister. Responsible for the architectural project is the studio RMA, founded by architect Roberto Murgia, which blends innovation and tradition in its works. Extensive restoration work was initiated by a team of local craftworkers. Among the materials used: wood, terracotta, jute, iron, but above all stone and marble for the floors and terraces. Added to these are the ceramic vases of Grottaglie, the glazed terracotta floors, the handmade carpets.

Where: Via Giosuè Pinto, 60/A, 72017 Ostuni

Hotel Ancora Cortina, Cortina d'Ampezzo

The Hotel Ancora Cortina, the historic hotel of the Queen of the Dolomites, located at the center of Corso Italia and owned by Red Circle, Renzo Rosso's real estate investment company, is the result of a restyling by the practice Charles & Co. The property offers 38 rooms, including 12 suites, furnished in traditional alpine style, with splendid period furniture and large wooden balconies to enjoy a breathtaking view of the Dolomites. The ultimate in luxury at high altitude, the Imperial Suite is decorated in Venetian style and features a private Jacuzzi and sauna. The combination of classic furnishings and modern comforts makes for a stay in privacy.

Where: Corso Italia, 62, 32043 Cortina d'Ampezzo BL

Hotel Airelles, Venice

A Venetian dream with a French twist, located on the island of Giudecca, the Airelles Venezia hotel will open in the fall of 2025 opposite Piazza San Marco. A project by the architect Christophe Tollemer, it comprises forty-five rooms and suites, distributed between the Palladio, the historic villa and the Conventino, as well as a Presidential Suite overlooking St. Mark's. Inspired by Venetian romanticism, the color palette ranges from warm amber to neutral tones, mahogany and deep blues. Inside, the rooms are enriched with antique furnishings and historical objects. French fabrics and linens blend with classic Italian style, custom-made Fortuny chandeliers, Murano glass and Rubelli upholstery.

Where: Fondamenta Zitelle, 33, 30133 Venezia

Four Seasons Hotel, Milan

The Four Seasons Hotel Milan renews its identity thanks to the work of the illustrious French architect Pierre-Yves Rochon. Its 118 rooms and suites have been redesigned with a restrained and refined approach, expressing an elegance that favors a balance between heritage and modernity. The materials range from textured velvet to brass finishes and graphic bookcases, with the marble in the bathrooms enhanced by redesigned basins. Rosewood and leather carpentry highlight the craft tradition. Rochon’s achievement is fused with that of the designer Patricia Urquiola, who in 2021 inserted designer elements in the hotel.

Where: Via Gesù, 6-8, 20121 Milan