JK Place, Rome, Italy

It took hotelier Ori Kafri eight years to find the perfect spot to launch his third project. A new hotel in Rome now follows his successful openings in Florence and Capri, and is a stone's throw from the Spanish steps in a 19th-century building in what used to be the University of Rome. Florentine architect Michele Bonan has outfitted the 30 sumptuous guestrooms with grand canopied rosewood beds, wood-panelled walls and opulent Italian marble bathrooms. The menu at JK Café features Italian specialties like linguine pasta with fresh clams and local organic zucchini, and a peppering of international classics. For those in need of some pampering after a day of sightseeing, an in-room massage service is on offer.