Italy

Crowd-free alternatives to our favourite European destinations

Long days with the sun stretching late into the evening. Lazing on the beach after slow lunches of fresh seafood dressed with olive oil and lemon. Following unmarked paths off

21 May 2026

Independent Minds: Carmen and Klaus Alber

Having met while studying hospitality management, Carmen and Klaus bonded over a shared dream: to open a small boutique hotel that would attract dynamic international travellers seeking a calm respite

18 May 2026

Gecko Formentera poolside

In with the new: from vineyard retreats to island hideaways these are the hotels on our radar in April

Spring brings a renewed sense of movement and with it, travel that feels both restorative and enriching. Some stays are steeped in nature, from Finland’s forested stillness to Corsica’s sunlit

2 April 2026

From a dark sky reserve to a tropical catamaran cruise: top boutique stays for March

These hotels play with scale in different ways. Some reduce it — a monastery with 13 rooms, a handful of villas on a vast lake, fewer than 20 guests at

1 March 2026

A winter guide to the Dolomites for sporty travellers

Next month, the Winter Olympics land in northern Italy, with Cortina d’Ampezzo and multiple mountain clusters across the region hosting events. This winter guide to the Dolomites is for travellers

26 January 2026

10 boutique hotels SLH Club members can’t wait to visit in 2026

This year, we skipped the crystal ball of travel trends and went straight to the source. Surveying SLH Club members on their most-wanted hotels for 2026 revealed a neatly edited

12 January 2026

How bathing culture boosts health: saunas, onsen and contrast therapy 

Saunas have been a way of life in the Nordic and Baltic countries for generations, as have Japanese onsen and soaking in geothermal hot springs everywhere from Iceland to Italy.

8 January 2026

From vineyard valleys to hot springs: top boutique hotels for December

Across continents and climates, location leads the experience at these boutique escapes. A monastery where the cloisters still set the pace, a mountain retreat content to drift with the clouds,

30 November 2025

Elevated wellbeing escapes: 5 mountain retreats made for meaningful rest

When the world feels too fast paced, the mountains offer the ultimate antidote. Whether blanketed in winter snow or wildflowers come spring, these high-altitude hideaways invite a deeper kind of

20 November 2025

Lofts, lodges, and lagoon villas: top boutique hotels for November

This month’s line-up is a celebration of contrast — where snow-dusted peaks meet sleek city hideaways and sunlit shores. From the Alps’ edge, where ski season is just stirring, to

1 November 2025