Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte hotel

"To sit and eat pistachio ice cream underneath the chandeliers of this hotel’s ineffably opulent gilded, mirrored ballroom is just sublime. This is a grand hotel of the old school, an art nouveau beauty that has recently been restored and revamped by Rocco Forte hotels, who have breathed life into an ageing grande dame. Renowned interior designer Olga Polizzi has filled the hotel with incredibly tasteful linens, onyx sculptures, jewel-coloured fabrics and some fabulous antiques, particularly in the George V suite (named for George V, who took up residence here in the summer of 1925). There is a glistening pool, flanked by ancient stone ruins and rows of palm trees, which makes for the happiest swim after a long, languid lunch at restaurant Florio, where you can indulge in their take on Sicilian classics such as pasta alla Norma and more ice cream."