Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amista

Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amista

Walk through the entrance hall at Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà, set in the Valpolicella hills outside Verona, and a Damien Hirst or Anish Kapoor piece sits beside original details from a villa rebuilt in 1700 on the foundations of a Roman fort. That mix is what separates it from the vineyard hotels nearby: an assembled collection of international contemporary art, alongside works by Giorgio de Chirico and Lucio Fontana, turns the public rooms into something closer to a museum you happen to sleep in. The 56 rooms were each designed differently by Alessandro Mendini, so no two guests get quite the same stay. Outside, a 20,000-square-metre private park holds an outdoor pool, and Ristorante Amistà has carried a Michelin star since 2001. There's a spa with sauna and steam room, a gym, three meeting rooms for anyone folding work into a wine-country trip, and a library for anyone folding in neither. San Pietro in Cariano sits four kilometres from central Verona, close enough to walk to the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, Ponte Scaligero, and Castelvecchio. Staff speak English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, pets are welcome for a fee, and bikes are on hand for exploring the vineyards without a car. This suits a couple who wants the hotel itself to be part of the trip, and anyone drawn to design and contemporary art more than a big resort pool. Families wanting a casual break, or anyone chasing nightlife on the doorstep, should look elsewhere. Part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World since it opened in 2005, Villa Amistà stays small enough that the art collection reads as personal rather than staged for a lobby. A 1700s villa outside Verona where a Damien Hirst sits near Roman-era foundations, 56 rooms each designed differently by Alessandro Mendini, and a restaurant that's carried a Michelin star since 2001. Built for guests who want their hotel to be part of the story, not families after a casual week.