Laura Itzkowitz

Finally made it to @rosewoodcastigliondelbosco , the legendary resort conceived by Massimo and Chiara Ferragamo on a 5,000-acre estate in Tuscany. When it comes to Tuscan resorts, this place sets the bar very high. Its winery was one of the founding members of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino and the property is a wine lover’s paradise. Even my spa treatment was wine-themed, with a scrub made of grape seeds. I also loved making pici all’aglione and pappa al pomodoro in a cooking class, sipping a twist on a Dirty Martini made with artichoke-infused vodka, and peeking at a couple of the villas spread around the estate. Stay tuned for my review for @travelandleisure 🍷🗝️🇮🇹 #freelancelife

One of my most salient memories from my fact checking days at @travelandleisure is when I called one of the beach clubs on the Amalfi Coast to confirm some details for a big feature by a very respected journalist and the man on the other end of the line exclaimed, “But you must come here and visit us!” I wanted to reply, “Signore, you have no idea how much I would rather be there than stuck at this desk in a New York office!” So it was especially satisfying to be assigned a piece for T+L about @lesirenuse ’s fabulous new beach club in Nerano, which just launched in time for the legendary hotel’s 75th anniversary. Keep an eye out for it in the June issue. And believe me, it’s worth the trip ⛱️🦞🇮🇹 #freelancelife

Finally made it to @casaangelinalifestyle , a member of @leadinghotelsoftheworld in Praiano and now I get why people love it so much. It’s not just about the design (though of course that’s one of its selling points) but about how you feel there. You feel coddled, taken care of, and invited to participate in local traditions. I loved touring the gardens with chef @elefanteleopoldo , fishing for totani (a kind of squid) with local fishermen, and then learning how to prepare them the Praianese way with potatoes and parsley. Yes, you’re on the bustling Amalfi Coast, 10 minutes from Positano, but you feel blissfully removed from the crowds 🍋🗝️🇮🇹 #freelancelife

April in Rome looked like this: 🌸 Every April the Spanish Steps get dressed up with azaleas (pic 1) 🥂 Rooftop season has officially begun at @hoteldelavillerome (pic 2) 🛍️ There’s never a bad time to stop by @schostaloriginals for a new shirt or pajamas (pic 3) 🌿 Trastevere putting on the charm (pic 4) 🌮 Went to @lapuntaexpendiodeagave for tequila cocktails, tacos and mole (pic 5) 🎭 Got a sneak peek inside @teatrocometa and will need to return for the new season of performances (pic 6) 🍝 Went to @baccanoroma to assess the carbonara (pic 7) 🎨 Evening at the @museicapitolini , where I caught the Cartier exhibition before it ended (pic 8) 🪻 Wisteria hysteria on a walk around my neighborhood (pic 9) 🍴 Finally had the chance to try @ziarestaurant by the talented young chef @antonio.zeta (pic 10) 🚌 Waited at a bus stop with Colosseum views (pic 11) 🛎️ Felt as if I had stepped back in time to the 1930s at @bettoja_hotels Hotel Mediterraneo (pic 12) 🍸 On Friday nights, Bar della Musa at @palazzo.talia is a vibe (pic 13) 🥃 So is the new Wagon Bar speakeasy at @orientexpresslaminerva (pic 14) 🏛️ The Pantheon illuminated at night is pure magic #freelancelife

What a privilege to be able to return to @belmondvillasanmichele for its much awaited reopening. @belmond wisely brought in Florence-based @luigi_fragola_architect to upgrade the rooms and public spaces while preserving the property’s rich heritage. I loved getting a facial at the new @guerlain spa with murals by local artist @_elenacarozzi_ (pic 7) and doing yoga outside the energy chapel designed by @jjmartinmilan of @ladoublej (pic 10). I toasted to the hotel’s next chapter at a gala dinner attended by Gwyneth Paltrow (pic 9) and toured a couple of magnificent private villas in Fiesole and Settignano by Ape Calessino (pics 11-15), but the most touching moment was being welcomed back by a waiter I met there two years ago. You just can’t fake that kind of genuine hospitality. Stay tuned for my review 🗝️🪻🇮🇹 #freelancelife

Some people spend 4 hours in Capri thinking they can soak up the glamour and check it off their bucket list. I just spent 4 days and could have spent 4 more. Because if you’re rushing through Capri, you’re missing the point. Here are my highlights from the island: ⛱️ @jumeirahcapripalace is in the midst of a rebirth, with a number of spaces redesigned by @patricia_urquiola (pics 1 & 2) 🦞 Lunch at @ilricciocapri is an indulgent affair. Get the linguine with lobster and seafood, but save some space for the dessert room (pics 3-5) 🪻 Wisteria hanging in an alley in Anacapri (pic 6) 🏛️ The Casa Rossa was once inhabited by an American colonel and is now a museum displaying paintings of the island (pic 7) 🍋 The beautiful new location of @giardinodicapri , where @michelangelo_capri hosts cooking classes, tastings, and other food experiences (pic 8) 🏝️ I’ll never tire of this view (pic 9) ⚓️ Peeking into the entrance of a home on the way to the Arco Naturale (pic 10) ⛅️ Strolling on Via Camerelle, Capri’s most famous shopping street, after a brief bout of rain (pic 11) 🗝️ The new Villa Azzurra by @puntatragarahotel boasts fabulous views of the Faraglioni and opulent interiors (pics 12 & 13) 🏺 Learning about Capri’s ancient history as a refuge for Augustus and Tiberius at the Certosa di San Giacomo (pics 14 & 15) 🍆 Lunch with a view at the family-run @ristorantelegrottelle (pic 16) 🧵 @farellacapriofficial is the last remaining workshop that still produces sweaters and other knits on the island. I stopped by the shop and Simona Farella kindly offered me a peek at the studio where they have the looms (pics 17 & 18) 🛎️ Returned to @capritiberiopalace , which was the first hotel I stayed at on the island. I love this intimate member of @leadinghotelsoftheworld (pics 19 & 20) #freelancelife

“Palazzo Donà Giovanelli has so many layers that you peel. The first time I walked into the palazzo, I had this sense of Old World theater but also vitality,” architect @alineasmardamman told me when I attended the opening of @orientexpress.venezia last week. It took eight years of painstaking restorations to return the 15th-century palazzo to its former glory and transform it into the city’s newest luxury hotel. It’s the kind of hotel that makes you want to cancel all your plans and just stay there, soaking in all the beauty. Should you decide to go out, though, the concierge can arrange exclusive experiences like fittings with @antoniasautter (see one of her incredible creations in pic 13), wine tastings at @venissa_tenuta (pic 14), and a codega tour that culminates in a gondola ride by moonlight (pic 15). In other words, this place is pure magic. My First In review for @travelandleisure is linked in stories 🗝️✨🇮🇹 #freelancelife

I’m working on a bunch of stuff about Venice (more on that soon!). In the last two weeks, I visited twice, stayed at five different hotels, and explored areas I was unfamiliar with before. Here are some of the highlights: ⚓️ Boats and colorful homes on a picturesque canal (pic 1) 🏺 Finally visited @museopalazzogrimani and played a guessing game to see how many of the Roman statues I could identify (pic 2) 🍷 Ate lots of cicchetti and drank a bunch of natural wine at @allarcovenezia , @vino__vero , @lasetevenezia , and @adriaticomar (pics 3-6) 🗝️ Loved the design and views at @venicevenicehotel (pics 7-9) ⏳ Marveled at the ballroom inside @ca_rezzonico (pic 10) 🎨 Visited @palazzofortuny_venezia in the home and studio of Spanish artist and designer Mariano Fortuny, who lived in Venice in the early 20th century and left a lasting impact on the city (pics 11 & 12) 🛶 Took a gondola ferry across the Grand Canal and encountered one of the city’s few female gondoliers (pic 13) 🥕 Watched locals buy fresh fruit and vegetables at a floating fruttivendolo in Dorsoduro (pic 14) 🛍️ Went to see the paper marbling shop @ilpavonevenezia and ended up buying a silk scarf made using the same technique (pic 15) 🛎️ Checked into @capisanihotelvenice , an affordable alternative to Venice’s expensive hotels with a mix of Art Deco, Futurist and contemporary design (pic 16) ☀️ Admired the views from the Ponte dell’Accademia (pic 17) 🗝️ Stopped by @aman_venice for a tour and lunch (pic 18) 🎨 Stumbled upon this little print maker’s shop @smallcaps_venezia and chatted with the artist (pic 19) 👟 Spent some time exploring Cannaregio and saw a more local side of Venice away from the crowds around San Marco (pic 20) #freelancelife

Earlier this month, I was one of the first journalists to stay at the highly anticipated new @corinthiarome inside a former Bank of Italy building on Piazza del Parlamento. It marks the @corinthiahotels brand’s expansion to Italy and celebrity chef @carlocracco ’s arrival in the Eternal City. The serene spa occupies the former vault and the top suite is set in the Council Room, with intricate mosaic floors, early 20th century frescoes, and original coffered ceilings. Link to my full First In review for @travelandleisure in stories! 🛎️💫🇮🇹 #freelancelife

Just back from my first international trip of 2026, which was also my first time in Costa Rica. It was a nice reminder that there’s so much out there beyond Italy and Europe. I’m so grateful that I was also able to travel with my sister @melissa_itz . Here are my highlights: 🛎️ I’m obsessed with the Brutalist-meets-tropical design at @eshhotelnosara , a new member of @design_hotels that encourages guests to embark on a transformative journey (pics 1 - 5) 🥑 A healthy and filling Costa Rican lunch at @rosissodatica (pic 6) 🌊 The beach in Nosara is protected, so it will always remain a haven for surfers and wildlife (pic 7) ⛱️ After a couple of nights in Nosara, we checked into @santaluciajunglehacienda , a new member of @autographhotels by @marriotthotels with a totally different vibe (pics 8-12) 🍫 I loved learning all about cacao and how it gets transformed into chocolate at @vistalossuenos (pic 13) 🏝️ Caught a glimpse of the beach on the way back to the resort and wished I had more time to spend there (pic 14) 🌴 Hiked through the rainforest and across five of these hanging bridges, spotting cashew trees, poison frogs, butterflies, and lots more flora and fauna along the way (pic 15) 🇨🇷 #freelancelife

Just back from 36 hours in Pisa on assignment for @italymagazine and I think I may have underestimated this city. Here are my highlights: 🌇 I climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa just in time for sunset and was alone up at the top, sitting and watching the sky over the Duomo turn shades of orange, pink and purple (pics 1 & 2) ⛪️ Returned to Piazza dei Miracoli the next morning to visit the Baptistery, the Duomo, and Camposanto, whose frescoes are currently being restored (pics 3-5) 🚣🏻 It was overcast most of the time, but the sun finally came out and I spotted some rowers on the Arno (pic 6) 📰 A few pics around Borgo, the historic part of town, including a statue of Garibaldi and a retro newsstand that caught my eye (pics 7-9) 🥪 A perfect cecina on focaccia with mozzarella and eggplants at the old school Pizzeria Il Montino (pic 10) 🏛️ The beautiful facade of the Scuola Normale Superiore, one of three universities in this small city (pic 11) 🏙️ Morning light on a quaint street in the center (pic 12) 🌸 A flower-covered shrine to the Virgin Mary (pic 13) 🎨 @palazzoblupisa , an art museum in a noble palace and the palace’s old music room (pics 14 & 15) 🥬 A delicious little squash tart with crispy kale and butter at @ristorantelasostapisa (pic 16) 🎨 A mural Keith Haring painted in 1989—one of just three he painted in Europe (pics 17 & 18) 🍝 @erbaluigia and the tagliatelle with ragu, fermented lemon and juniper berries I ate there (pics 19 & 20) #freelancelife

Despite the cloudy skies, the I was happy to spend 48 hours in Florence, a city that continues to reveal itself to me even after many visits. Here are my highlights: 🏰 Seeing Piazza della Signoria from the Loggia dei Lanzi and actually taking some time to admire the sculptures (pics 1 & 2) 🗺️ I finally went inside Palazzo Vecchio to see Vasari’s enormous frescoes in the Salone del 500 and the map room (pics 3 & 4) ⛪️ Teenagers sitting on a bench in the shadow of the Duomo (pic 5) 🍴 Had lunch with @girlinflorence at @trattoriasergiogozzi , an old school Florentine trattoria near the Medici Chapel (pic 6) 👗 Dedicated a couple of hours to Palazzo Pitti and was blown away by the Galleria Palatina and the Museo della Moda e Del Costume, especially this red gown by Elsa Schiaparelli (pics 7 & 8) 🍸 Had a lovely stay at Gallery Hotel Art and dinner at Caffè dell’Oro inside @portraitfirenze , both part of the @lungarnocollection owned by the Ferragamo family (pics 9 - 11) 📚 Stopped by @albertocozzifirenze , a fourth generation family-run stationary and book binding shop (pics 12 & 13) 🧵 Popped into @lorettacaponi , born in the 1950s as an atelier for lingerie and embroidery that catered to the society ladies of Florence and Rome and royal families across Europe (pic 14) 🍷 Had dinner at @ilsantobevitorefi , a contemporary classic in Oltrarno (pic 15) #freelancelife