The Best Hotels to Book in Gubbio, Italy

A few steps from Gubbio’s landmark Piazza Quaranta Martiri, this hotel makes hearts flutter with its Medieval looks and ambience. The setting is a 14th-century former hospital with large and serene courtyard gardens. One of our favourite moments here is breakfast, under charming vaulted stone ceilings, of sugar-dusted cakes and savoury cheeses. A great way to start your day sightseeing after a night in one of the simple rooms with wooden ceilings and terracotta tiled floors. You’re in for a treat if you book one with a terrace – they’re veritable morning sun traps.

Positioned around a hilltop chapel, this is a meticulously restored rural retreat above the Assino Valley between Umbertide and Gubbio. An ancient stone farmhouse, it has had a Scandi-chic wand waved over its minimalist rooms, where soft shades blend with rustic tiled flooring and wooden beams. There’s a traditional feel to eating here – think breakfasts of fresh breads and cakes, cereals and fruits, taken in the atmospheric deconsecrated chapel, or in sunshine on the patio. Contrastingly, the outdoor pool is a slice of elegance, with views out over the countryside.

The beauty of this place is all in the sumptuous historic mix: vaulted ceilings, polished floorboards and plush headboards in comfortable rooms. The result is a regal atmosphere throughout. Top tip – ask staff to recount the legend of the ancient secret passageway, once used by the dukes of Gubbio to avoid being seen in public. Having breakfast five floors up on the hotel’s flower-decked roof terrace is an elegant way to survey this under-the-radar Medieval city and decide which sight to see first. The Cathedral of Gubbio and Palazzo dei Consoli Palazzo Ducale are super close but don’t miss a ride on the Gubbio cable car for a bigger picture. For the perfect hotel moment, sip an aperitivo on the terrace bar, fronting Piazza Grande, while admiring well-dressed Italians on their passeggiata (evening stroll).

It’s round the corner from Piazza Grande, yet Hotel Gattapone has a tranquil location down a quiet side street in the pedestrian-only city centre. Check in to one of the 18 pastel-toned, traditionally-styled rooms with dreamy aquamarine-tiled bathrooms, perfumed with displays of fresh flowers. Even entry-level comfort rooms have attractive terracotta floors. Top tip – for extra atmosphere, request a Superior room with exposed ancient beams and big windows for city views. Head out and you’re steps from the photogenic Church of San Francesco. If you like food you’ll love the truffles and local specialities served at La Taverna del Lupo, owned by the hoteliers, and just a few minute’s walk away.

Welcome to a weekend in a romantic 19th-century villa, clamoured for in season by couples planning nuptials. If you’re here with a special someone, consider booking the generously proportioned junior suite, which oozes grandeur in touches such as frescoes over doors. On a tighter budget? Entry-level rooms, while smaller, deliver wow-inducing views over the undulating green terrain. The perfect moment here is a swim in the spreading outside pool with its four-berth hot tub, looking out over the grounds and the scenic Umbrian hills. That should have you ready to dine – try the local wild mushrooms and truffles in autumn, and plates of game, too.

In Gubbio’s historic centre, a hop and a skip from the Cathedral, the Bolsone Palace occupies the city’s venerable old Palazzo Raffaeli. Expect, then, a refined essay in Renaissance architecture, elaborate ceiling frescoes and elegant, loping arches above you as you check in. Just 30 rooms span the spectrum, from snug economy level, with narrow-street views, to the Renaissance Suite, with marquetry furnishings, wall mirrors in silvery frames and intricately woven rugs on polished-wood floors. There’s no dining – but the vast breakfast spreads of salami, cheese and homemade cakes, will probably keep you full until bedtime.

In the oldest part of Gubbio, close to the palazzo-lined Via dei Consoli, this esteemed property steeps its guests fully in Umbrian culture and history. Where else might you be able to participate in a traditional ceramics-making course? The eight light, bright and airy rooms present elegant simplicity, with bare timber floors, wrought-iron bed heads and pale, unadorned walls. Pick the suite and settle in among aged stone walls, polished furniture and leafy green views. The terrace beckons for morning cappuccinos. Later, dine in the rustic stone-lined restaurant on local favourites such as tagliatelle with a white ragu, and a bottle of bucolic red Torgiano DOC.