Italy - Tuscany

Palazzo Alexander

A Karen Brown Recommended Hotel / Inn

Karen's Review Of This Property:

It was welcome news to hear that a small deluxe hotel had opened in the historical center of Lucca, one of our favorite medieval walled cities. After years of meticulous restoration, the 12th-century Palazzo Alexander first opened for guests in 2000. Your gracious host and creator of this small inn is Mario Maraviglia, who welcomes guests as friends with hardly a hint of commercialism—there isn’t even a hotel sign in front—and his team shares his philosophy. To the left of the marble-floored reception foyer is an ornate, intimate breakfast room and bar, set with small tables and fancy, gold-embellished chairs. Two huge chandeliers enhance the dark, handsome, beamed ceiling. As well as the elevator, a wonderful, very old stone staircase, illuminated by a stained-glass skylight, leads up to the guestrooms, each named after a famous Italian opera. The bedrooms are furnished with antique reproduction furniture in an ornate Venetian style. All the rooms have mini-bars, hairdryers, TVs, direct-dial phones, and elegant marble bathrooms. If you want to splurge, ask for “Tosca” which has a romantic little terrace tucked in the rooftop. At the moment there are only a few rooms, but the building next door has been purchased and soon there will be ten additional suites.

Located along this Karen Brown Itinerary:

Rome to Milan via the Riviera