Special Places To Stay: Italy

This guide covers the hot spots of Tuscany and the Italian lakes, but we have found special places all over the country: from the heel of Puglia to the mountains of Val d'Aosta, via Italy's amazing islands. We look for owners, homes and hotels that we like - and we are fiercely subjective in our choices. 'Special' for us is not about the number of creature comforts, but relates to many elements that make a place 'work'. Certainly, the way guests are treated comes as high on our list as the setting, the architecture and the food.