Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amista

Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà has no golf course, and golf is not among the hotel's services: its programme of experiences leans towards wine, with a Valpolicella wine tour.

The course of reference in the area is Golf Club Verona, on Via Ca' del Sale at Sommacampagna, with 18 holes, par 72. Its practice area has a two-level putting green, pitching and chipping greens, and the clubhouse has a restaurant, a pool and a pro shop. The club is independent of the hotel: tee times are booked directly with the club.

The villa was designed in the 16th century by Michele Sanmicheli, the Veronese Renaissance architect, for the noble Banda family, on the remains of a Roman fortification. Its current form is the work of Ignazio Pellegrini, who rebuilt it in 1700 with Baroque and Neoclassical features.

In 1999 entrepreneur Dino Facchini bought the abandoned villa and commissioned Alessandro Mendini, who mixed vivid colours and plastic shapes with the historic architecture. The name recalls the fashion brand Byblos, born in 1973.

There are 56 rooms, each different. At the top are the Presidential Suite (90 m²) with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, the Signature Suite (52 m²) and the Mendini concepts: Cult (40 m²), Optical (37 m²), in the dovecote tower, and Island (42 m²). Deluxe rooms measure 25-27 m².

Amistà holds 1 MICHELIN star in the 2026 Italy guide. The chef is Donato De Leonardis, with Mediterranean cooking rooted in research and respect for tradition. There are three tasting menus, one fully vegan, and à la carte is possible; the MICHELIN Guide singles out the desserts. It opens Thursday to Saturday for dinner and Sunday for lunch.

More informal is Saor, with an open kitchen and local flavours. The hotel also has a wine cellar of over 1,600 labels, according to its website.

The spa is inspired by Pompeian baths, with frescoed vaults and decorated relaxation lounges. It has a hydromassage pool, sauna, Turkish bath, emotional showers and a Technogym gym; treatments use Sothys Paris products. Outside, a pool with Jacuzzis looks over the vineyards.

The hotel presents itself as a museum: the collection includes works by 60-plus artists, among them De Chirico, Fontana, Warhol, Hirst, Kapoor, Abramović, Cattelan and Murakami, and every room is an exhibition space.

The address is Via Cedrare 78, at Corrubbio di San Pietro in Cariano, in Valpolicella. From the Verona Nord exit of the A22, follow the SS12 and then about 4 km towards Corrubbio. According to the MICHELIN Guide the hotel is closed from mid-November to early March.

• An abandoned villa. When Dino Facchini bought it in 1999, the villa was unused.
• A room in the dovecote. The Mendini Optical Concept occupies the dovecote tower, with six designer mirrors.
• Six years running. The hotel says Amistà has held a MICHELIN star for six consecutive years.
• A hotel-museum. The MICHELIN Guide describes it as a museum and showroom for a family collection of 20th-century design.