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A 15th-century palazzo of High Renaissance architectural panache (creamy plaster against soft grey stone). Beamed ceilings, antiques, rural vistas from many rooms, and yet sited right in the centre of town.

Little has changed in this pensione for over 120 years, save the addition of firm beds and new furnishings. The larger rooms overlooking café-lined Piazza della Repubblica are best. The Abbolafaio brothers’ welcome is warm, and they have two other hotels in town (one near the station, the other on the Arno), so are likely to have room.

A family-run hotel on a quiet cul-de-sac off Lucca’s main shopping street. The rooms are split between two buildings; most furnishings are modern, but try for the second floor rooms in the older half, which retain some rich 17th-century frescoes.

This was once a barracks for the Sienese army in their last stand against Florentine forces. Now its rustic rooms have serenity and comfort, with sweeping valley views from one side and lofted mini-apartments on the street side. There’s also a small pool on the terrace.

In the centre of this quaint town, eight modestly-sized rooms mix the contemporary and the antique – engraved headboards, wooden dressers and exposed walls vie with modern baths and glass table tops.

The owners of this centrally located inn live on the top floor, but graciously share their roof terrace with guests, who can enjoy vegetarian meals along with views of the Castello and Palazzo Comunale.

The only hotel within Massa’s walls is just 12 years old. A comfortable inn of Liberty-style furnishings, modern baths and elegant touches such as Persian carpets in the halls.

Just steps from Piazza Grande and the cathedral, the family-run Duomo adds rustic accents such as wooden dressers and cast-iron bedsteads to its otherwise comfortably modern decor. There’s a small courtyard for al fresco breakfasts in summer.

Pistoia has a dearth of decent hotels, but this modern place with many amenities is a good start. It’s got a great location, too, halfway between the train station and the Duomo.

The cream of Arezzo’s sorry hotel crop, overhauled twice (in 1995 and 1999) to provide all the amenities in modern and eminently comfortable rooms. It’s pretty central, and there’s a terrace for breakfasts in warm weather.