Had it with the Hilton? Sick of the Sofitel? Then read on, because Domus Civita, or town house, is the perfect place to stay if you like your hotel with a lot more history. In fact, this place has got history seeped in every porous volcanic stone of the 14th Century building.

Let’s start with the location. Civita di Bagnoregia is actually two places made one by their proximity, rather like Budapest, but without the river. And not in Hungary. So nothing like Budapest really. Anyway, Civita, where you’ll find the self-catering Domus Civita, is a charming village which can only be reached by a footbridge, which gives the place isolation, peace and exclusivity.

The hotel itself sits on a network of caves and tombs, and boasts a Roman water cistern, all of which are beautifully presented and accessible to guests from inside the building, as well as a garden four storeys down the side of a cliff. No abseiling required. Inside, the mark of manager and architect Patrizio Fradiani is evident throughout; cool white furnishings mix modern with traditional, and splashes of colour break up the whitewash.