Villa San Michele Fiesole (Florence)

This 15th century monastery was transformed into one of the world's most romantic getaways by Orient-Express Hotels in the 1980s. Of course, the company had a particularly good start - the hotel's façade is attributed to Michelangelo, whilst its setting high in the hills of Fiesole yields stunning vistas over Florence and the Arno Valley. Nowadays it offers 46 guest quarters, some of them secluded suites in the gardens and a few of them the cosy hideaways of former monks, yet others are 'named' suites with anything from private gardens to pool-like bathtubs. The Tuscan cuisine of the 16th century Loggia restaurant and umbrella cocktails of the hilltop swimming pool are perfectly enhanced by the spellbinding views.