Researched Stay Guidance
Where to stay across Italy and San Marino
One rubric, six weighted categories, and a published rationale for every rating we award.
8Reviewed resorts
6Scored categories
3Destination guides
The index
All assessed properties, in order
Every property we have assessed, listed in score order with its editorial note.
01Hotel Danieli Venice
Fourteenth-century palace on the Riva, suited to lagoon landmark stays.
- Gothic palazzo
- Riva degli Schiavoni
- Rooftop terrace
02Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
A converted flour mill on the Giudecca, suited to quieter lagoon stays with pool access.
- Converted mill building
- Rooftop pool
- Giudecca canal
03Royal Hotel Sanremo
Ligurian grand hotel in subtropical gardens, suited to Riviera dei Fiori stays.
- Subtropical park
- Seawater pool
- 1872 founding
04Grand Hotel Billia
Alpine grandeur at Saint-Vincent, suited to Aosta valley touring and thermal stays.
- Aosta valley setting
- Thermal spa
- Historic parkland
05Hotel Campione
Lakeside enclave on Lugano's shore, suited to Lake Lugano stays.
- Lake Lugano frontage
- Enclave position
- Waterfront dining
06Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido
Moorish revival on the Adriatic sand, suited to film-festival weeks and beach stays.
- Private Lido beach
- Moorish architecture
- Festival venue
07Grand Hotel Rimini
Adriatic Liberty-style landmark, suited to Romagna coast holidays.
- Liberty architecture
- Private beach
- Formal gardens
08Grand Hotel San Marino
Hilltop views from the republic's ridge, suited to San Marino stays and panoramic bookings.
- Ridge-top position
- Panoramic outlooks
- Historic centre access
Where to stay
Where these resorts sit
Italy's gaming rooms are among the oldest in Europe — the Venetian house dates from 1638 — and the hotels around them range from lagoon palaces to alpine grand hotels in the Aosta valley.
Italy
Aosta Valley
An alpine valley pairing thermal towns with the country's mountain resort tradition.
Our rubric
Our evaluation framework
Our editors complete the same six-part assessment at every property, using the weights below. No property receives a bespoke rubric.
25%Major impact
Casino floors and lounges
Assessed on floor plan clarity, lounge provision, game variety, air quality, and crowding at peak times.
20%High impact
Rooms and suites
Acoustic isolation, mattress and linen standard, bathroom fit, in-room controls, and the quality of the view.
20%High impact
Guest service
Measured on desk waiting times, concierge usefulness, language range, and service recovery.
15%Moderate impact
Dining and bars
Range across price points, kitchen consistency, breakfast quality, in-room dining hours, and wine list depth.
10%Supporting impact
Location
Judged on transfer convenience, walkable surroundings, transport connections, and parking practicality.
10%Supporting impact
Value for money
We compare the real total cost, not the advertised rate, against everything the stay includes.
Our approach
The way we assess a property
Purlanza publishes independent assessments of resort accommodation across Italy and San Marino. Our work is editorial: we grade properties, publish the score, and show the reasoning. We are not a booking agent and we sell no placement.
Our independence is built into how we operate: no property pays to be listed, none reviews its own assessment before it goes live, and none can have a finding withdrawn.
About this publication
Standouts
Category-by-category standouts
A shortlist of category leaders, drawn from the full assessed catalogue.
Travelling with children
Hotel Danieli Venice
Fourteenth-century palace on the Riva, suited to lagoon landmark stays.
- Gothic palazzo
- Riva degli Schiavoni
- Rooftop terrace
From around € 405
9.2/10
Highest luxury
Grand Hotel Billia
Alpine grandeur at Saint-Vincent, suited to Aosta valley touring and thermal stays.
- Aosta valley setting
- Thermal spa
- Historic parkland
From around € 315
8.9/10
Best for budgets
Grand Hotel San Marino
Hilltop views from the republic's ridge, suited to San Marino stays and panoramic bookings.
- Ridge-top position
- Panoramic outlooks
- Historic centre access
From around € 215
8.2/10
Conference travel
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
A converted flour mill on the Giudecca, suited to quieter lagoon stays with pool access.
- Converted mill building
- Rooftop pool
- Giudecca canal
From around € 340
9.1/10
For a quiet trip
Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido
Moorish revival on the Adriatic sand, suited to film-festival weeks and beach stays.
- Private Lido beach
- Moorish architecture
- Festival venue
From around € 285
8.7/10
Enquiries
Start an availability enquiry
Share your travel window and we will forward it to the hotel for a rate response.
We are not a booking agent. This enquiry is relayed to the property, which handles any reservation and holds the contract.
Asked often
Reader questions answered
Is there an age restriction?
Adults only. You must have reached the age of majority in your own jurisdiction, and 21 where the local standard requires it, to use this site.
Do you revisit properties?
We revisit a listing after a refurbishment, an ownership change, or a run of reader feedback that contradicts the current score.
What if something here is wrong?
Please write to [email protected] with the property name and the detail you believe is wrong. Corrections that check out are applied and dated.
Do you cover properties outside this region?
We publish on Italy and San Marino exclusively in this edition, and only add a property once the full rubric has been applied to it.
How should I read the ratings?
Scores rank properties against each other within Italy and San Marino. A lower number often signals a different purpose, not a worse stay.
Do you take bookings directly?
No. We are an editorial publication. Enquiry forms on this site are relayed to the property's own reservations desk, and any contract you enter is with the hotel, not with Purlanza.
Get in touch
Send us a message
Questions, corrections, and submissions are all welcome here.
- Write to[email protected]
- Usual responseWithin 72 hours
- Editorial scopeItaly and San Marino