Grand Hotel Continental Hotel

Siena

Siena’s colourful contrade, or neighbourhoods, still inspire loyalty as deep as when the town’s Palio – the infamous bare-backed horse race – was inaugurated in medieval times. For a slice of Tuscan life, rest your head at Grand Hotel Continental. Originally a Renaissance palazzo, the restored building boasts 51 individually decorated rooms, ranging from traditional Sienese styles with oil paintings and frescoed ceilings to more contemporary decor complete with private balconies. The rooftop suite, the Altana, is the star of the show, with wraparound views of Siena and the surrounding hills and valleys. Come aperitivo hour, the sprawling courtyard housed under a glass dome and studded with wild plants and trees is hard to better for a negroni, while the Sapordivino wine cellar provides an intimate spot for dinner. Doubles from £188.