I stayed in 3 luxury lodgings during a 2-week trip to Italy. My favorite was a villa in the countryside with a spacious pool and no air conditioning.

• I took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy with my family in August.

• We stayed in a hotel in Rome, a villa in Umbria, and a penthouse in Cinque Terre.

• All three lodgings were luxurious, but the villa in Umbria was the best, even without AC.

I went to Italy with my family for two weeks in August.

I went to Italy with my dad, stepmom, sister, her partner, and my fiancé, and we had big plans to eat our weight in pasta over the course of our two-week stay.

We flew into Rome, and then we road-tripped to Umbria and Cinque Terre in a van to explore more of the country. (My dad's ability to drive a manual transmission vehicle filled with six humans and all of their luggage up tiny, winding roads in a foreign country will never cease to amaze me.)

I was over the moon to be in Italy at all, but we were also lucky enough to stay in a luxurious lodging in each city. I loved each place we stayed — though I did have a favorite.

Our first stop was the Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon in Rome.

Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon is the oldest hotel in Rome, as it was built in 1467, according to Hotels.com. The four-star hotel is located in the Piazza della Rotonda, where the Pantheon sits.

Although it's hundreds of years old, the hotel was renovated in 2020, so it has a modern feel.

I stayed in one of its 27 rooms with my fiancé, and it had a comfortable bed, a large closet, and a spacious bathroom, which I didn't expect based on my last trip to Europe. At the time of writing, rooms ranged in price from 248 euros to 540 euros, or about $264 to $575, depending on the view and style of the space.

We also appreciated that our room came with USB plugs instead of only Italian-prong outlets because we forgot our international charger (even the best-made packing lists go awry).

The room was gorgeous, but what made it truly feel luxurious was the staff's attention to our needs throughout our stay.

Our bed was made every time we left the room, we had more fresh towels than we could ever need, and on more than one occasion, we came back to a fruit tray waiting for us.

Looking out of our window and seeing the Pantheon was unreal.

The inside of Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon was amazing, but the views were what made it a once-in-a-lifetime stay.

The Pantheon was literally right outside of the hotel, and it took my breath away to see a piece of ancient history every time we looked out of our window.

Plus, because the hotel was just steps away from a tourist stop, there were several restaurants in the square, which made grabbing a late-night glass of wine or gelato a breeze.

I was also surprised by how much I loved the hotel's bar.

Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon had a bar, which is pretty standard for a four-star hotel.

But like everything else at the hotel, the service was next level. The bartender made specialty cocktails — including the best espresso martini I've ever had — and the bar turned into an elaborate breakfast buffet every morning.

It put any American buffet to shame, as it featured everything from fresh pastries and fruit to meats and cheeses, and every single item was delicious.

We prioritized exploring the dining experiences the city had to offer, but it was nice to have amazing food at our home base too.

Next, we headed to a villa in Umbria, the countryside.

The 250-year-old villa sits on a large property on a hill in Umbria. It's full of olive trees and lush greenery, and since it's on a hill, you can see stunning views of the Italian countryside. My family reserved the villa on Vrbo, where it's listed for an average of $399 a night.

The house has four bedrooms that can sleep seven people, as well as several outdoor spaces for guests to enjoy, including a pool.

The host, Countess Stephanie, lives in a smaller home that's attached to the big house.

I was overwhelmed by the views.

The house itself was wonderful, but the views of the surrounding area were gorgeous.

I loved wandering the property to see different areas, and because the house is in a quiet area, we could hear wildlife throughout the evenings as well.

The host made the experience of staying in the villa incredible from the start.

Stephanie decorated the interior of the three-story house so it felt both historic and comfortable, so it was easy to make ourselves at home.

The villa stay would have been great no matter what, but Stephanie's attention to our needs took it to the next level.

For instance, she had a lunch spread waiting for us on our arrival that immediately made us feel welcome, she took our laundry on day one to a cleaning service so we left the villa with clean clothes, and she helped my dad set up dinners with a private chef at the villa for two of the nights during our stay, which became two of our favorite evenings of the whole trip.

Stephanie also invited us to her house to chat over Prosecco one evening, which was a highlight of our time in Umbria.

We spent hours lounging by the villa's private pool.

During my trip to Italy, a heat wave hit the country, so my family was particularly grateful for the spacious pool at the villa.

It had several lounge chairs, two of which were under the shade of trees, and a hammock near it. The pool is also only a short walk from the house, which made it easy to bring down lunch or snacks as we swam.

Lights by the pool allowed us to take a few night swims during our stay as well.

I was also thrilled when Stephanie told us the pool had its own bathroom and an outdoor shower for added convenience.

I felt completely relaxed floating in the pool as we overlooked the surrounding hills and sipped on wine. I never wanted to leave.

The villa didn't have air conditioning, so we slept with the windows open.

It's still very common for Italian homes to not have air conditioning, so I wasn't surprised the villa didn't have it considering how historic the property is.

Stephanie recommended we close the windows in the house during the hottest part of the day and open them in the late afternoon to keep it as cool as possible.

Although it was hot during our stay, it cooled down at night, so sleeping with the windows open felt lovely. My fiancé and I were staying in a room in the basement of the house, and we even got a bit chilly in the night.

Our rooms and the common spaces had wall fans, which helped too. Stephanie also had plenty of citronella candles around the house as well as screens on most of the windows, so bugs weren't a big concern.

Plus, thanks to the plethora of outdoor spaces, we were barely inside.

My family and I really only went inside the house to sleep, shower, and cook, because the property was so beautiful that we wanted to be outside, no matter how warm it got.

We spent a lot of time on the home's front patio, taking in the views, and we ate meals at the covered patio that was detached from the house. My dad and stepmom also loved sitting on their private veranda that was attached to the primary bedroom.

Our final stop of the trip was a penthouse villa in Cinque Terre.

The penthouse was in Monterosso, the largest of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre. We reserved it on Airbnb, where it starts at $564 a night.

It had four bedrooms and three bathrooms, two of which were en suites.

But the best part of the penthouse was its location on the side of a large hill, as it faced the Mediterranean Sea. It had three terraces to take in the views.

Other apartments sat nearby, so I could hear other visitors or locals chatting when spending time on the patio. I loved the local charm.

The property had been updated recently, and the interior had a modern feel.

The penthouse's interior reminded me of nice beach properties I'd stayed at in the US but with an Italian flair. It had everything we could need, from a spacious kitchen to the rooftop terrace.

The flooring throughout the residence was tile, which was ideal for when we came trekking back from the beach, and there was a washing machine we could use at our leisure.

Large windows in the sea-facing rooms ensured you could see the water no matter where you went, but there were large shades you could pull down to keep the heat out as well.

The bedrooms stayed cool thanks to air-conditioning units and thick blinds.

The villa was air-conditioned, and each room had its own wall unit that was temperature-controlled.

We kept our bedroom doors shut when we weren't in them, which ensured they were cool when we returned from sitting at the beach or exploring other villages.

Each room had plenty of closet space as well, which was a pleasant surprise.

The villa's views were breathtaking.

Our uninhibited view of the Mediterranean Sea was definitely the best part of the penthouse, though the interior was perfectly comfortable too.

I would warn visitors who have never been to Cinque Terre that you do have to walk up some pretty steep steps and hills to get to the penthouse. It was only a 10-minute walk, but it felt tough in the midday heat.

The uphill walk was more than worth it for the views, though.

Everywhere we stayed was incredible, but the villa was special.

I still can't believe I got to visit any of these cities, let alone stay in a luxury hotel and two villas.

They were all wonderful places to stay, but the villa in Umbria made the most impact on my whole family.

Of course, the house was stunning, its views were unbelievable, and amenities like the pool and patios made the property stand out. But the way the spaces encouraged my family to spend quality time together and the experiences Stephanie created for us took it to another level.

When I think back on our trip, I remember the days spent lounging by the pool with my fiancé, chatting with my dad over a glass of wine as we took in the scenery, and giggling on the detached patio with my sister as our family dined together.

It was the people who made the vacation, but the Italian villa added more than I could have imagined to it.

Read the original article on Insider