Here are The Traveling Professor's favorite hotels in Italy.  Many of them are used on our small group tours to Italy in 2017.

Sorrento:  The Grand Hotel Excelsior sits atop the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples.  This 5-acre property is the place to be.  Despite it being a 5-star deluxe hotel, we found the service to be down-to-earth and friendly, which is what we like on our small group tours to Italy.  This is the ONLY luxury hotel I would stay on the Amalfi Coast.

Rome:  On our small group tours to Italy, when we visit Rome, its all about the location.  The Massimo D'Azeglio is located near the transportation hub of Rome, making it easy to get anywhere.  They have a great breakfast and quiet and comfortable rooms at a reasonable price.  The lounge area is a terrific spot for meeting friends.

Florence:  Il Guelfo Bianco is our choice on our small group tours to Italy when we visit Florence. Spacious rooms only steps from David at the Accademia and just down the block from the Duomo.  We love the friendly staff and the boutique feel of the hotel.

Venice:  On our small group tours to Italy in 2017, we get away from the crowds of St. Mark's Square and over to the quiet but close Dorsoduro area.  Right on the canal is the Hotel American Dinesen.   Again, it is a smaller hotel offering friendly service in a quiet but centrally located area of Venice.  

Treviso:  If you have not been to Treviso, start thinking about doing so.  It is only about 20 minutes from Venice by train and it is perfectly situated for trips to Padua, Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza and Verona.  Our "find of the year" was the lovely Domus Dotti V.  We stayed here and felt like Italian royalty.  The rooms are large and elegantly decorated in grand Veneto style.  Because you are away from the big tourist city of Venice, expect to pay a lot less and get a lot more.  This was our favorite lodging of 2016 and take it from us, we stay at a lot of places.  Pictured here is our room at the Domus Dotti V.