"Countless artists and writers have tried to explain the appeal of Genoa. “The most winding and incoherent of cities,” said Henry James. “Indescribably beautiful, grandiose,” according to the composer Richard Wagner. “A city of marble, with gardens full of roses,” wrote Charles Flaubert, “a beauty that tears the soul.” Emphatic indeed, but the Ligurian capital deserves these kind words, and then some. It’s a grand and glittering destination, one you’ll visit and find yourself talking about for years to come. This isn’t the place to save a euro, it’s a place to live it up, to relish every bite, to order the champagne, to check into a place like the Grand Hotel Savoia. The hotel was built in 1897 by the founder and first president of the Italian Association of Hoteliers — in the years since, it’s hosted royals, politicians, and celebrities from all over Europe." - Tablet Hotels