The Best Hotels to Book in Trieste for Every Traveller

Savoia Excelsior Palace is one of many fabulous hotels in Trieste
Savoia Excelsior Palace is one of many fabulous hotels in Trieste | Courtesy of Savoia Excelsior Palace / Expedia
Liza Karsemeijer

This border-hugging Italian city blends Slovenian, Croatian and Austro-Hungarian influences – and the hotels in Trieste are equally eclectic.

Trieste may be the least Italian city in the country. Its position close to the Slovenian and Croatian borders and long history of foreign influences mean its multicultural heritage can be felt to this day, especially in its Triestine dialect, Austro-Hugarian architecture and enticing offer of day trips to two other countries. Luckily, the typically Italian attention to food and beauty – especially around Trieste’s lidos, yacht-studded marina and vine-stitched hinterland – has prevailed as well and these hotels let you travel the globe while exploring the city’s many faces.

1. The Modernist

Hotel

A living room with modern decor, a sofa, cushioned bed, wooden floor and windows at The Modernist
Courtesy of the Modernist / Expedia

Design lovers on a budget will fall for this hotel on the Corso Italia – one of the city’s main thoroughfares, lined with boutiques, cafés and restaurants. The 18th-century palazzo has been completely restored and today, within its age-old bones, you’ll find contemporary interiors speckled with colourful, minimalist furniture and lightning by Italian brand Artemide. Rest comes assured in the sound-proofed suites, especially when you know a night here won’t break the bank. Breakfast is served in the stylish restaurant, which transforms by night to serve upscale food (think ravioli filled with tender turbot, pea cream and olives) that seals the hotel’s status as one of the city’s best.

2. Seven Trieste

Boutique Hotel, Apartment

Seven Trieste lounge with parquet floors and art on walls
Courtesy of Seven Trieste / Expedia

If you love yourself some old-fashioned luxury, this hotel is for you. Its interior is a modern take on a 19th-century country house, with sophisticated details such as vintage travel trunks, antique rocking horses and a selection of modern art on the walls. Your personal concierge can help you organise a tour of Trieste’s antique bookshops, classic boutiques or historic cafés, where famous writers and poets such as James Joyce have taken their morning espressos over the centuries.

4. Palace Suite

Boutique Hotel

Palace Suite restaurant with a chandelier, tables and chairs and parquet floors
Courtesy of Palace Suite / Expedia

This hotel is a great basecamp for family holidays, as the larger rooms can host up to five people and a babysitting service is available. The modern, minimalist rooms make for a pleasant contrast with the opulent decor on the outside of the building: this palazzo is one of the most beautiful examples of extravagant Liberty-style architecture in Trieste. Its sumptuous statue-studded facade and art nouveau ornaments make it a standout among the surrounding, more sober buildings.

5. Riviera Max

Boutique Hotel, Bed and Breakfast, Spa Hotel

Riviera Max spa area with sea views and black tile
Courtesy of Riviera Max / Expedia

Wellness warriors who pick hotels based on their pool and spa will be glad to discover this seaside stay and its Adriatic-spying wellness centre. It looks out over the surrounding bay and includes sea-view saunas, a Turkish bath, salt room and even a private beach. In summer, you can have a sunset dinner with fresh seafood on the panoramic terrace and almost forget the city entirely – though in truth it’s only a 10-minute drive away.

6. Zenzero & Cannella B&B

Bed and Breakfast

Zenzero B&B room with minimal decor, white walls, a bed, TV, green curtains and wall art
Courtesy of Zenzero B&B / Expedia

This simple but comfy B&B is the perfect starting point for your culture-packed trip to Trieste: you’ll hit all of the city’s main sights, with the Castello di San Giusto, canal-side Ponte Rosso, main Piazza Unità d’Italia and the cathedral all within a 15-minute stroll. If you’re a coffee lover, be sure to have your morning espresso at Tommaseo, Caffè degli Specchi or Stella Polare, Trieste’s historic cafés – all within an 800m (0.5mi) radius.

7. Savoia Excelsior Palace

Chain Hotel, Hotel, Luxury

Savoia Excelsior Palace lounge with chandelier and opulent furniture
Courtesy of Savoia Excelsior Palace / Expedia

Foodies will have a blast at this seaside hotel lining Trieste’s main boulevard. The chef collaborates with Eataly, the renowned Italian food marketplace, to create a seasonal menu of fresh Adriatic fish, Gragnano pasta and a classic Wiener schnitzel that reflects Trieste’s Austro-Hungarian past. The rooms are nothing less than what you would expect of a smartly-suited luxury hotel: in-laid wooden floors, Calacatta marble bathrooms, velvet-clad armchairs and pastel-toned tapestries.

8. La Stazione degli Artisti

Apartment

This bijou bed and breakfast offers two rooms decorated with an artistic touch. Suites show off a collection of contemporary paintings and photography prints. It’s a perfect – and affordable – solution for art-enthusiast couples or small families of up to three looking for a homely hideaway. Thanks to host Andrea Solaja’s personal touches, such as wedge-thick art books, potted plants, cosy ottomans and jars filled with paint brushes and dried flowers, it feels like staying at the apartment of a very stylish friend.

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