Hotel Bristol Palace

Genoa has never had the tourist traffic of Venice or Florence, which means its grandest hotel has been allowed to age with a quiet dignity that more famous establishments might envy. The Bristol Palace has occupied its position near the old port since 1905, and its elliptical staircase — spiralling up through seven floors without a single supporting column — is an architectural marvel that deserves to be better known. The restaurant serves Ligurian cuisine with the seriousness that this underrated culinary region deserves. 138 rooms, LHW member, and the best base from which to explore a city that remains one of Italy's great undiscovered pleasures.