Looking for where to stay in Trieste, Italy? From your globetrotting aunt to your mom’s neighbor’s gardener, most travelers who’ve been to Trieste will tell you to stay near the port—probably because they’ve only visited the city while on a cruise.
The medieval center is fabulous; who can argue with Roman ruins, Austrian architecture, and Balkan vibes. But don’t be afraid to book hotels in Trieste away from the Grand Canal. Trieste’s interior has multiple parks with hiking trails.
You’ll also find unique museums away from the city center, like the Bora Museum, San Sabba Rice Mill National Monument and Museum, and the Railway Museum of Trieste Campo Marzio (our personal fave, of course).
Image Credit and Location: ControVento Hostel, Trieste, Italy
The best hotels in Trieste
Arriving in Trieste without a cruise ship cabin room welcoming you? These hotels in Trieste will make you feel right at home.
The Modernist Hotel Trieste
Best hotel in Trieste for a chic stay
The Modernist Hotel will not apologize for its avant-garde style, nor should it. Set inside a historic edifice near the Piazza della Borsa, The Modernist throws a pop of color on classical charm. You’ll find airy rooms with parquet floors, many with the Italian sunshine seeping in through the balcony windows. Walls striped with hues of blu, grigio, marrone, and more, serve subtle vibes that playfully swing between the bold décor coloring and the classic wooden furnishings.
Hotel Coppe Trieste Italy
Best hotel in Trieste for a serenaded, sensual stay
The sounds of Hotel Coppe Trieste will lead you through its neoclassical threshold into the sleek lobby. Live music fills the nooks and crannies between the 36 rooms, though we can assure you that the Romantic Room’s soundproof features ensure that the only noises coming from the round bed are a capella. For a stay without a partner, a basic suite’s jacuzzi comes with bathrobes, slippers, and yes, walls that won’t whisper about your me-time.
Tre Merli Beach Hotel
Best hotel in Trieste for soaking in the sea views
So close to the sea that you could skip a stone across the water from your junior suite’s private veranda, Tre Merli Beach Hotel knows how coveted its real estate is. The Tre Merli Restaurant’s terrace faces the Trieste Riviera, serving up fresh seafood with Friuli-Venezia Giulia wines for that seaside Italian experience your friends back home will envy.
Image Credit and Location: Albergo alla Posta, Trieste, Italy
Albergo alla Posta Trieste
Best hotel in Trieste for the well-read historian
You’ve come to Italy with decades of documentaries, guidebooks, and historical fiction novels swimming around your head. Albergo alla Posta Trieste is ready to let you indulge your fascination with the past. Close to the Kleine Berlin WWII tunnels and the National Hall, you can pop out for a guided tour then return to the antique fireplace in the hotel’s reading room to add more context to your visit.
Hotel NH Trieste
Best hotel in Trieste near the train station
Gosh, do we love a hotel within walking distance of a railway station. And it doesn’t hurt that Hotel NH Trieste was totally renovated in 2023. You’ll find us sipping coffee on their veranda soon after walking out of Trieste Centrale and probably in the same position if we’ve switched from bean to beer in the bar. If you’re not as stumbly, enjoy the sparkling sea in private with an elevator ride to your 5th floor room with a panoramic view.
Image Credit and Location: Hotel NH Trieste, Italy
Hotel Greif Maria Theresia
Best hotel in Trieste for wellness wanderers in need of Vitamin Sea
Greif Maria Theresia’s wellness center is just one of the reasons why you won’t mind staying far from the Grand Canal. Leave the sounds and stressors of the city behind, choosing instead to spend hours in a sauna or steam bath. The indoor hot pool, lined with the glow of candles, will keep you content to stay pleasantly pruny.
ControVento Hostel
Best hostel in Trieste for intrepid backpackers
You’ve already done one better than your peers with a stopover in criminally underrated Trieste; continue your streak with a great stay at ControVento Hostel. Since you're surrounded by museums and beside the marina, you and your dorm mates can take all the money you saved on lodging to split a bottle of wine over sunset at PIER’s rooftop terrace across the street.
Image Credit and Location: ControVento Hostel, Trieste, Italy
Train to Trieste
Now that you know where to stay in Trieste, Italy, let us help you get there. Download the Trainline app and snag cheap train tickets so you can splurge on the best hotels in Trieste. Only one night in town before exploring the rest of Italy? Use Italy’s extensive rail network to get to Venice, Florence, Milan, and more with ease.
Header Image Credit and Location: ControVento Hostel, Trieste, Italy