Near busses, planes, trains and automobiles (right off the A14) for easy all-mode access.

Just opposite the railway station, and an easy stroll to Bologna's top must-visit sites.

Well-placed for seeing Verona’s biggies like the 13th-century Castello Scaligero and Lake Garda. Go forth and conquer.

Former home of nobility, transformed to a hotel back in 1945 and flourishing in its new identity ever since. (5-min walk to the historic centre!)

Antique furniture, glass-blown chandeliers and original mosaics inside this 15th-century former home of an art collector are stunning.

Tucked away in the Dorsoduro district – the ‘real’ Venice, full of shops, restos and artisan boutiques – plus the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Lobby is airy and open, with all-white seating and palmy plants. Crisp rooms (also done up in whites), rock wood floors and free WiFi.

Generous size and modern furnishings so rooms live like home, only with housekeeping.

Just built, and you can almost still catch a whiff of that new-car smell.

Huge, gloriously traditional rooms housed in a 17th-century manor house (surrounded by idyllic parklike grounds, of course).

A less than 10-min stroll will get you to the Bologna Museum of Modern Art (MAMbo), which focuses on art from WWII to the present.

A 10-minute bus or shuttle ride to the historic centre. Your gondolier will take it from there.

Don’t look now, but you’re nine stories up, listening to music and sipping a champagne cocktail. Byblos Sky Terrace also comes with a spectacular view.

Steps from the park (views from the restaurant terrace!), and the city’s best shopping streets. Win-win.