The Best Hotels in Italy: 16. Belmond Villa San Michele, Fiesole-Florence ShareGrid View Readers' Rating: 86.836 Sitting up in the hills of Florence’s Fiesole, this former monastery remains one of Italy’s most legendary hotels mainly because of the feeling of being in its own idyllic world floating above the Renaissance city, with landscaped gardens, an excellent cooking school, and pool. One could almost forget all the attractions right outside the gates.