Thirteen hundred years after the first ryokan opened, the formula for these Japanese country inns remains as appealing as ever, and plenty ripe for reinventing. Not that it needs any.

Thirteen hundred years after the first ryokan opened, the formula for these Japanese country inns remains as appealing as ever, and plenty ripe for reinventing. Not that it needs any.
The best hotels in Athens aren’t against looking backward. In fact, some of them are happy to celebrate the city’s golden age. It’s just not the golden age you’re thinking of.
The motif of the Tuscan farmhouse has been emulated throughout the world — probably to its own detriment. But there’s nothing like the real thing, and these hotels give you all of the authenticity without any of the cliché.
Tuscany’s castle hotels operate at their own smooth speed. They’re fortifications, to be sure, but like seemingly everything else in the region, they also exude style and serenity.
You may not think you want any funk in your Florence hotel, but after seeing the city, you might need it. Take a load off — and take yourself to a hotel with flash and flair to spare.