Fontelunga Hotel & Villas

Style

Grand guesthouse

Setting

Glamorous gardens

Fontelunga Hotel & Villas, near Siena and Florence, is located among tranquil rolling hills and peaceful olive groves. Vintage Italiana is flawlessly blended with modern Starck and Jacobsen flourishes to provide the perfect mix of style and comfort. The hotel prepares rich, traditional cuisine, served in the beautiful gardens in the summer.

Facilities

Rooms

Eight rooms, and a junior suite in a separate cottage. Three self-catering villas in the area can be booked through the hotel.

Checkout

11am, but may be flexible, depending upon availability; earliest check-in, 3pm. Reception closes at 8pm, so let the hotel know if you’re arriving later.

More Details

Rates for all rooms except the self-catering villas include Continental buffet breakfast; guests staying in the self-catering villas can have breakfast at the hotel for €20 each.

Also

Be schooled in la cucina povera (peasant cooking) with a cookery class at the villa. Learn how to make traditional treats including stuffed tomatoes, pasta al ragu, beef in truffle sauce and so on; then toast your new found skills at the celebratory dinner that follows. A session costs €120 a head (for groups of one to four) or €100 each (groups of four to eight). Remember to book your session at least a day in advance.

Hotel Closed

November to early March.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pet Friendly

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Gardens, tennis courts, mountain bikes to borrow, library of books, free WiFi in all rooms and communal areas. In rooms: Bluetooth speaker, bottled water. Every room has double-aspect views too.

Our Favourite Rooms

Fontelunga’s bedrooms are simple and classic, with white walls, terracotta tiled-floors and oversized damasked headboards. The Oro room (a Superior) has wonderful views of the secret garden. Flashed with silver tones, the Junior Suite, Diamante, is in its own separate cottage with a private terrace that looks out across the Val di Chiana.

Poolside

There’s a sun-warmed outdoor pool amid the olive groves overlooking the valley and the nearby town of Cortona.

Packing Tips

Bring an eco sensibility; follow the hotel's lead and only stuff organic, all-natural bath products in your suitcase.

Also

A minimum stay of two nights is usually required. Well-behaved little dogs are welcome.

Children

Children are welcome – there's a cot and highchair and babysitting is available upon request.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Ask to eat outside in the gardens, and catch the sun setting, resplendent, over the Tuscan countryside. The once-weekly dinner party is served at a communal table – outside, if the weather permits (and it usually does).

Dress Code

Country-appropriate casual, with a flamboyant frisson.

Hotel Restaurant

Altough Fontelunga doesn't have a restaurant, guests are welcome to dine at Borgo 69's restaurant just down the road (also owned by Paolo and Phillip). From Thursday to Sunday, expect traditional Tuscan small plates made from locally sourced produce. On Mondays, wood-fired pizzas are served fresh from the oven.

Hotel Bar

There is a 24-hour honesty bar and the staff have a nifty way with a cocktail shaker.

Room Service

Not available. If the villa is rented, a concierge service and grocery shop is included in the rates.

Planes

The two closest airports are Perugia and Florence, both roughly an hour’s drive away, but Pisa, Bologna and Rome Ciampino are only two hours.

Trains

The nearest train station, Monte San Savino, is 10km away and offers a direct link to Arezzo. For information on trains in Italy, see Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com).

Automobiles

Villa Fontelunga is half an hour from Arezzo. From the A1, take the Val di Chiana exit, and then turn right after the toll gate signposted Foiano. Without entering Foiano, keep following the signs to Arezzo until you see the left-hand turning to Pozzo. You should already be able to see the blue shutters of the villa on the hill up ahead of you, and will be able to park in the shade of the pine trees. Several important sights on the Tuscan tourist trail are nearby; Montepulciano, Pienza and Siena are all between 45 minutes and an hour away.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Amble among the 14th-century homes and ancient olive-tree woodland of Isola Maggiore, the only inhabited island on Lake Trasimeno, half an hour away. The 10-acre patch of land was the site of Francis of Assisi’s hermitage in 1211 and the setting for the saint’s legendary encounter with an over-affectionate fish.

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. .