Travel + Leisure’s annual World’s Best Awards have crowned a historic Tuscan estate as the finest hotel in Europe. Castiglion del Bosco, a Rosewood Hotel, scored an exceptional 99.58 out of 100 in a survey of 207,000 readers, placing it at the top of the continent’s rankings.
The property occupies a 5,000-acre estate near Montalcino, originally founded in the 1100s. It comprises 42 suites and 11 private villas, alongside Italy’s only private golf club and the Castiglion del Bosco winery, which produces Brunello di Montalcino. Guests in the villas have access to private pools, while the main infinity pool offers sweeping views of the hilltop town of Montalcino and the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Culinary offerings are equally impressive. The two-Michelin-starred Ristorante Campo del Drago uses exclusively Tuscan ingredients, while the trattoria-style Osteria La Canonica and the Pool Bar provide more casual dining options.
Other Top European Hotels
Of the 100 best hotels worldwide, only 12 are in Europe. The second spot went to Six Senses Crans-Montana in Switzerland, a 45-key chalet-style resort with views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. It offers ski-in, ski-out access and a spa with nine treatment rooms, a stretch pod, a yoga studio, and a rooftop pool.
Third place is Il Sereno Lago di Como in Torno, Italy, an all-suite hotel reachable only by boat. Its 18-metre freshwater infinity pool hangs over the lake, and the Michelin-starred Il Sereno Al Lago serves contemporary Italian cuisine. The spa occupies a former boathouse.
Madrid’s Rosewood Villa Magna, a tribute to the former Anglada Palace, came fourth. It features 101 rooms and 53 suites, four restaurants and bars—including Amós by Jesús Sánchez and Las Brasas de Castella—and a Claudia Di Paolo Hair Wellth Spa.
The fifth spot is held by Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, a family-owned cliffside property overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. Its spa is housed in a 19th-century greenhouse, and the Michelin-starred Terrazza Bosquet offers fine dining.
Other notable entries include Mandarin Oriental in Paris, Collegio alla Querce in Florence, The Stafford London, The Dolli at Acropolis in Athens, Canaves Epitome in Santorini, The Ritz-Carlton in Istanbul, and Le Bristol Paris. For those seeking alternatives, a new Paros boutique hotel offers private pools in every room, while The Dean Munich recently opened in the city’s Westend district.
The global top hotel, Patina Osaka, earned its title for unobstructed views of Osaka Castle and a 1,400-square-metre wellness space.
