Locanda al Colle

Style

Art-graced guesthouse

Setting

Colourful Camaiore hillside

At Locanda al Colle – a gorgeous guesthouse in Versilia – candlelit dinner parties replace room service, guests are treated like friends, and in place of TVs, rooms have sea views and Cubist art.

Facilities

Rooms

Twelve, including three suites.

Checkout

10am, but flexible (by half an hour) subject to availability. Earliest check-in, noon, reception closes at 8pm but late check-ins can be arranged directly with the hotel.

More Details

Rates include breakfast. From April until the end of September, free entrance to the beach club at Code Beach Versilia in Marina di Pietrasanta is included, too.

Free Internet Access

Pet Friendly

At the Hotel

Gardens, and free WiFi throughout. Guests have access to private beach club, Code Beach Versilia, 15 minutes away in Marina di Pietrasanta, where there's private changing rooms, cabanas and beach towels. In rooms: iPod dock, gourmet minibar with Skinny Champagne and Amedei chocolate, free bottled water and Erbario Toscano bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Aurora’s panoramic terrace has an outdoor fireplace; inside, it’s elegant and luxurious, with a green and gold palette, black and white photographs of nudes, and a shower- and tub-toting bathroom. If you crave space, opt for the taupe- and grey-hued Colle, a suite with a fireplace-adorned sitting room, Fifties armchairs decorated in animal print, Tiffany lamp stand and four-poster bed. It’s an easy sneak to the pool from the suite’s terrace.

Poolside

The slim rectangular pool in the leafy gardens has a stone patio dotted with sun-loungers and umbrellas.

Packing Tips

Swimwear for a cooling dip; a notebook to jot down the contact details of guests you befriend over dinner. Don’t bother with bath products – the in-room treats (Erbario Toscano) are divine.

Also

Guests can use the pool and lounge areas post check-out, if they have time to kill. If you want to brush up your Italian cuisine, the hotel offers cooking lessons on Wednesday afternoons at 4pm, they're popular so be sure to book in advance.

Children

Cots are €30 a night and are available in the Alba, Colle, Noce and Olivo rooms; extra beds cost between €65 and €85 a night depending on the season and can be accommodated in some Suites, Superior and Deluxe rooms (ask when booking).

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

One of the terrace tables in clement weather; the communal kitchen table if there’s a chill in the air (unlikely).

Dress Code

A garment in one of the hotel’s signature colours: chartreuse, olive, dusky grey or pearl pink.

Hotel Restaurant

There’s no formal restaurant, but in the evening (excluding Wednesdays), guests are invited to a sociable dinner hosted by Riccardo and his friends. Candlelit tables on the terrace set the scene for a magical meal (washed down with plenty of prosecco and local wine). Though the menu changes daily, typical dishes include home-made ravioli, sesame seed-coated tuna and farro with pesto. On Monday evenings, a light dinner of soup, bruschette and the like is served; on Wednesdays, there's a cooking class for up to four people, while on Sundays it's cheese and chacuterie boards with salad. A generous breakfast spread (cheese, charcuterie, quiche, cake, muesli, cereal, conserves, bread and fresh fruit) is served outside in a leafy green pocket of the grounds, and a light lunch follows suit, upon request.

Hotel Bar

Help yourself to drinks from the honesty bar, and enjoy them in one of the many peaceful perches: outside on the terrace, in the gardens, by the pool, or in one of the cosy lounges.

Last Orders

Help yourself to the breakfast buffet between 9am and 11am; lunch is served around 1.30pm–2pm and dinner is served between 7:30pm and 8pm (one sitting only).

Room Service

No room service, but it’s wise to save your appetite for the three main meals.

Planes

Pisa airport is just under 30km away, with connecting flights to London Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted. Expect to pay around €90 for a taxi to the hotel.

Trains

Viareggio station is 8km from the hotel, Pietrasanta is 5km. The former has connections to Geneva and Florence; there’s a service connecting to Pisa at the latter. Taxis to the hotel cost around €25.

Automobiles

The town of Lucca is 25 minutes away; Pietrasanta and Viareggio are a 10-minute drive. There is plenty of free parking for guests. GPS can't pick up the hotel's actual address, so put in: Via Dietro Monte, Camaiore. The hotel has a sign on Via Dietro Monte, directing guests up the hill to the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Rise early one morning and drive the scenic hill route that leads to Lucca. (Avoid the beautiful walled city in the afternoon, when it gets touristy.) Pietrasanta is a hub of artistic industry: visit one of the studios (Riccardo can arrange a guided tour) and look out for exhibitions in the centre of Piazza del Duomo and the church of Sant’Agostino. Admire the glamorous locals at Forte dei Marmi and indulge in some high-end shopping in the boutiques. Take a boat trip up the coast to Cinque Terre, pose on the sand at Il Cavallone beach club (www.bagnocavallone.it) and hike in the hills of Parco Alpi Apuane. Or, stay closer to home and take one of the hotel's cooking classes, held weekly on Tuesday afternoons for a maximum of six guests.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .