I’VE MISSED ITALY FOR 12 YEARS. My first and last visit more than a decade ago is still vivid in my mind— the charming romance (and pungent smell) of the Venice canals; the timeworn sampietrini streets and solemn, soaring cathedrals of Rome; the dizzying sensation on the final step of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I’ve been meaning to get back, but, as they say, life gets in the way.

Lucky, then, that the next best thing might just be five miles away. Sequestered in Uptown Park is a little slice of the Mediterranean in the form of Hotel Granduca, a boutique, palazzo-style, six-story hotel with serious old world charm. The 122-room property, constructed in 2006, is something of a darling of the travel industry, earning accolades from Forbes, Conde Nast Traveler, and TripAdvisor.