THE TRADITIONALISTS

Sometimes cutting-edge modernity doesn't translate into actual comfort (ever try sitting in a Marc Newson chair?). If you'd prefer to rest your head at a fashion-plate property that's both well-executed and traditional, look no farther than Italy's Palazzo Viviani, owned by designer Alberta Ferretti and her brother Massimo. Unlike Versace and others who are keen to extend their brand, the Ferretti siblings were simply passionate locals who grew up near the medieval hilltop village, half an hour's drive inland from the Adriatic resort of Rimini. Keen to find a way to preserve the crumbling old town, they bought its centerpiece, the castle, and turned it into a lavish hotel that opened in 1994. Palazzo Viviani has 53 rooms, eight of them inside the castle walls, and each made up in the same swoony romantic style for which the designer is known. Ferretti's own pick is the white-walled Heloise's Room, with exposed beams and overstuffed chairs. The village feels like a living museum, with long-lost local crafts revived and thriving: Pick up artisanal cheese or olive oil during your nightly passegiatta.

Palazzo Viviani
Tel: 866 376 7831
Doubles from $180