One of my favorite hotels in the world, The Gritti Palace, reopened this year following a 15-month, $50 million renovation. Enjoying a perfect location at the entrance to Venice's Grand Canal, the palazzo dates to 1475 and was converted into a hotel in 1895.
Ideally located between Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Heidelberg, the Wald & Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe is set amid manicured gardens and is surrounded by wooded parkland.