The most beautiful hotels for a southern Europe road trip you owe yourself at least once

While I was still studying, I often thought about taking a train trip. Interrail was already popular at the time. You bought one train ticket and traveled through a whole string of European countries, fell asleep in one, woke up in another, hopped off at a station in a third, and all you carried was one serious backpack filled only with essential clothes and city maps. Not travel apps, but good old printed maps and piles of flyers that served as your extra info moment. Although I later tried many other road trip options in life, that one across Europe never happened. At least not yet, but a girl can dream, right?

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These days, a road trip through southern Europe is high on my priority list. Maybe not by train anymore, but by car or camper. Europe is at its most beautiful this time of year because the south is always a bit warmer, right? Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Montenegro which is stunning, Malta, and of course Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia. All of them are countries I am adding to my road trip list. Michelin recently released its guide to the best hotels and it gave me a great starting point for planning the journey. Maybe it can help you too as you shape your itinerary around these lovely destinations in southern Europe, a trip everyone should take at least once in their life.

Susafa, Sicily

Address: Contrada Susafa, Polizzi Generosa, 90028, Palermo, Sicily

I have been hearing a lot about Sicily lately, from friends who have already been or are planning to go soon. I am in that queue. So Susafa, a family owned hotel with just seventeen rooms, holds a solid place on my list of hotels I would love to visit. Once a working farm in the rustic hills of Sicily, this boutique hotel embodies centuries of hospitality as it has been run by the Saeli Rizzuto family for five generations. Rural minimalism sets the tone here and do not let it fool you. It is luxurious and comfortable, yet endlessly rustic and charming. Privacy is guaranteed and the greatest luxury you will feel is the sense of isolation from the crowds and the absence of televisions and other modern distractions. It is just you and pure hedonism, best experienced in the restaurant Il Granaio and the in house Susafa wine cellar, both set in a former grain store and winery. If you are patient enough, the morning sun will reward you with the most beautiful sunrise over the rolling hills in front of you and in the late afternoon, with a glass of excellent wine in hand, you will find yourself thinking about how good life is.

What I like most: The fact that you can experience this kind of luxury surrounded by nature, in a warm family atmosphere, and on top of that they offer cooking and ceramics workshops on site.

Terra Dominicata, Spain

Address: T 702, Km 13, 43379 Escaladei, Tarragona, Spain

It would not feel right to mention Italy without including its equally charming sister, Spain. When I think of southern Europe, Barcelona is always somewhere on my mind and just two hours from that wonderful city lies a truly beautiful hotel. In the mountains near Tarragona you will find the spectacular Montsant Natural Park where, back in the twelfth century, a group of Carthusian monks founded a monastery and farm, growing grapes, olives, and other fruits and vegetables. The former monastery has now been transformed into Terra Dominicata Hotel and Winery. It is a more luxurious property, blessed by Michelin this year with three keys, which is the highest possible. It welcomes all travelers seeking elegance paired with a sophisticated experience. The mix of standard rooms and suites reflects a consistent, understated aesthetic where quality is evident in the choice of materials and colors. The outdoor pool has already traveled the world through photos taken by visitors although I would argue that nature itself is the greatest luxury here. The view from the hotel is magnificent.

What I like most: The central pool overlooking the surrounding mountains is breathtaking and the fact that the hotel has an excellent restaurant with wines from its own winery adds a sense of authenticity to the place.

Salvaterra Country House and Spa, Portugal

Address: 839 N114 3, Foros de Salvaterra, Salvaterra de Magos, Portugal

Portugal, surfing, driving along the coast, cliffs, waves. After all that, I would gladly turn off into a quiet hideaway for a dose of silence and rest. It seems I have found the place. The inland Ribatejo region, less than an hour’s drive along the Tagus River from Lisbon, is home to Salvaterra Country House and Spa. Everything here feels designed around a spa state of mind. The rooms come with bathtubs, fireplaces, and small kitchenettes wrapped in soft beige tones. At the heart of the property is a lush garden almost as dense as a small jungle with a pool at its center. And the corner of the hotel no one skips is the spa. It features a Dutch wooden hot tub outdoors heated by firewood, along with all the other spa essentials such as massages, baths, and wellness sessions. Did I mention massages?

What I like most: The slow pace of this place which is so devoted to healing and a spa atmosphere that it feels therapeutic on its own.

Meneghetti Wine Hotel and Winery, Croatia

Address: Stancija Meneghetti 1, Bale

If you have never taken a road trip across the Istrian peninsula, add it to your to do list. In this year’s Michelin hotel guide, Meneghetti Wine Hotel and Winery received its first key distinction and the inspectors were absolutely right. Set in an idyllic landscape of olive groves, vineyards, and gentle hills, Meneghetti offers the perfect base for exploring Istria and nearby Adriatic towns such as Rovinj, Pula, or Motovun. Aesthetically flawless, it blends rustic charm with modern elegance and the property is spacious enough for you to feel relaxed. The outdoor summer pool is a visual treat and the gastronomy on site is fantastic. The estate’s own winery and vineyards are an experience of their own.

What I like most: The impeccable yet understated elegance of Meneghetti proves that luxury does not need to shout. The fact that Meneghetti wines are award winning and excellent, just like their olive oil, is reason enough to visit.

Chalet Sofija, Slovenia

Address: 10 Srednji Vrh, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

The mountains are where Slovenia is at its most beautiful and one mountain hideaway that calls for a restful escape is Chalet Sofija, which received two hospitality keys this year. The owners of the well known Ljubljana restaurant Gostilna AS are behind the entire project, a striking modernist structure perched on a slope above the Julian Alps village of Gozd Martuljek. With only five suites, each named after one of the owners’ grandchildren, the place feels boutique and truly luxurious. Nature is once again the main companion on the path to hedonism, paired with a culinary experience you would naturally expect from restaurateurs of this level. The restaurant is outstanding and with the addition of an on site spa you get an open invitation to a Slovenian paradise.

What I like most: The striking architecture in the mountains paired with exceptional food and service all embraced by the alpine landscape creates something close to perfect.

Related: As many as six hotels in Slovenia have received the prestigious Michelin key

One and Only Portonovi, Montenegro

Address: Herceg Novi Portonovi Resort, Herceg Novi, Montenegro

When it comes to Montenegro I can never decide whether I would rather visit in autumn or in summer when the sun hits from every direction and the sea and the powerful mountains plunging into it make you want to say thank you, life. You get the point. I love Montenegro. One and Only Resorts chose this country for its first European location and One and Only Portonovi, set along the Bay of Kotor, has become one of the most luxurious and beautiful holiday destinations on the Adriatic coast. This year it is one of six places in Montenegro featured in the Michelin guide and it was awarded two hospitality keys. So if you are on a road trip through Montenegro and feel tired from driving, traveling, and exploring, a luxury resort like this feels like a gold medal at the finish line. Spacious villas, suites, and rooms offer a comfortable and elegant stay and the excellent Italian and modern Japanese restaurants within the resort make a very appealing combination to enjoy along your hedonistic journey. Chenot Espace Spa offers regenerative treatments and wellness facilities that help you restore your energy while taking in the view around you.

What I like most: The location of the resort which is secluded enough for you to feel alone while looking out over the bay and the beautiful nature that surrounds you.

The Bristol Belgrade

Address: 50 Karađorđeva, Belgrade

Thinking about a road trip through the countries of our Adria region naturally includes a stop in the Serbian capital, the champion of nightlife. In the very center of the city you will find the legendary Art Nouveau gem The Bristol Belgrade, recently fully renovated while preserving the distinctive charm of a place that once pulsed at the heart of the city’s intellectual and artistic life. This earned it a place in this year’s Michelin guide and a hospitality key for excellence. The rooms have been refreshed in elegant cream shades and many original details remain as reminders of the hotel’s golden era in the early twentieth century. The culinary offering is outstanding and open to visitors who are not hotel guests. The Dining Room restaurant blends tradition with contemporary culinary techniques, bringing authentic local flavors through a modern approach. At the center of the hotel is The Courtyard, an urban oasis beneath a glass roof with lush greenery and a fireplace, the perfect setting for a coffee, cocktail, or a glass of wine from local producers, paired with light bites influenced by Italian cuisine. You can enjoy afternoon tea there or in the quiet atmosphere of The Library. The full spa experience includes a fitness room, a hammam, and a wide selection of treatments.

What I like most: Staying at this hotel feels like stepping into its Golden Age when it welcomed truly global figures such as members of royal families, Garry Kasparov, Momo Kapor, and David Rockefeller.

NOT Hotel Athens, Greece

Address: 16 Voutadon, Athens, Greece, Town Center

I imagine the weather in Greece is almost always pleasant or at least milder than ours which makes a road trip through the Peloponnese sound like a great idea. One of the stops should certainly be Athens, the mother of history, ancient Greek mythology, and a blend of contemporary influences. In my mind Athens is an eclectic city so I was drawn to a hotel with that same character, right in the heart of town, NOT Hotel Athens. Located near the Temple of Hephaestus in what is often called the city’s artistic quarter, NOT Hotel is the Athens branch of a concept that also exists in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. NOT stands for No Ordinary Things which describes this exciting urban hotel quite well. The old stone building once served as a brothel, then a stable, then a military barracks, and later even a film studio. Its stone structure gave architects and designers a chance to play with materials, colors, and furniture in ways they executed beautifully. At the center is a courtyard filled with olive trees, greenery, flowers, and aromatic plants and the aesthetic thread throughout the hotel is brick and stone. The courtyard also features a pool that feels inviting even at this time of year.

What I like most: The eclectic design approach that brings an exciting energy to staying in the center of Athens while you are surrounded by the centuries of history that make the city so special.