Relais Don Alfonso, S. Agata sui Due Golfi

If your dream vacation focuses as much on gastronomy as it does on spectacular ambiance, then this intimate hotel—with eight suites and an apartment—is the place to bring your fantasy to fruition. Its owners, Alfonso and Livia Iaccarino, are at the helm of the Michelin two-star restaurant Don Alfonso 1890, which serves unparalled meals, thanks to the 15-acre farm where the couple grows their own fruits and vegetables and produce their own olive oil and honey. In fact, nearly everything you put to your lips is handmade, including the lemon liqueur served post-dinner and the preserves on the breakfast toast. Cooking classes give guests a chance to create their own food pleasures, and the wine cellar, originally an ancient Roman tunnel, is filled with rare vintages. Rooms start at $295; 39-081/878-0026; donalfonso.com.