Art Hotel Varese

. Our hotel, within the city, was a restored villa with landscaped grounds that is now a 4-star boutique hotel, equipped with multiple high-tech gadgets -- the room key was a computer chip card that also ran the room electric system and dispensed wine from an 8-bottle vending machine. The minibar and regular terrace bar offered soft drinks, water, and coffees all day long at no charge. Glass hallway floors exposed the Roman stone foundations from the original structure.

Unique Quality: Hallway lights were lit by blue, pink and purple neon bulbs, and the colors changed every few minutes. The whole show was activated by motion detectors. The hotel is on the prestigious “Eco Hotel” list, so solar panels supplied much of the power. We didn’t eat there because reservations were full, but the restaurant has been Michelin rated the past two years.

Directions: about 3 blocks from Zona Pedonale