Anthea Gerrie channels the Medicis at Castelfalfi, now Tuscany’s most enchanting hilltop resort
A hotel once reserved for package tour customers on a budget may seem an unlikely antecedent for one of the finest luxury resorts in Tuscany, but Castelfalfi, a jewel in Preferred Hotels’ Italy portfolio, is living proof that even the most challenging property can be transformed into something wonderful.
Of course, having a mediaeval hilltop village as your location helps, and the new owners of Castelfalfi have rebuilt and renovated the mediaeval borgo which was once home to the Medicis. As well as the hotel, the hamlet is home to a handful of attractive villas hidden in gardens and out in the wider 2700-acre estate beyond. It also boasts a lovely old church, a handful of tempting 21st century boutiques, and a castle at the apex of the flattened hilltop with thrilling views now used for weddings and private parties. Far away in the valley below, a golf club and adventure park featuring zip lines over the region’s most beautiful valley widen activities to accommodate the whole family.
In what was relatively recently a pretty basic hotel, the new lobby, an elegant arrangement of modern furniture, fresh orchids and glorious wasted space, stops you in your tracks on entry. After the acres of marble have been admired, it encourages a rush through the back doors onto a terrace enhanced by wonderful figure sculptures by local artist Andrea Roggi. There are loungers on the lawn beyond and bar tables lining the paved terrace, the perfect spot for aperitivos or an alfresco lunch.
Bedrooms are fairly compact, the only visible legacy of Castelfalfi’s 14 years under TUI, who sold the hotel to the current owners in 2021, but they are beautifully decorated and offer a delightful valley view if not a balcony from which to enjoy it. There is, however, a table and comfortable chairs at which to enjoy a Nespresso overlooking the vista or catch up with world news or movies(English-language channels are surprisingly limited for a hotel of this quality) on the giant television screen.
Not surprisingly for a hotel endowed with its own organic vineyards and ancient olive groves, it’s the dining which is the real star at Castelfalfi. Olivina is the main restaurant, a large cool, green space with a cosy private dining nook, and there is a delightful clubhouse cafe on the golf course serving excellent antipasti platters with warm, freshly-made Tuscan-style focaccia and other rustic specialities.
In season there is a steak house dedicated to the Florentine T-bone which is the great culinary speciality of Tuscany; a coupon of disappointment at finding it closed in late autumn was mitigated by sensational linguine garnished with fresh slices of prized white truffle and the world’s biggest and best Milanese veal cutlet – think a schnitzel of the finest beaten-out veal. At all the restaurants, including the indoor-outdoor Bar Ecru, Castelfalfi’s range of homegrown olive oil is the star of the show; the version intensely flavoured with rosemary is not to be missed.
A brand-new RAKxa spa brings wellness principles from Thailand to Italy for the first time and some rarefied treatments, including Himalayan salt-based massages as well as the usual hot stone and manual alternatives, and skin exfoliation with jojoba pearls. Personalised treatments are designed to promote sleep, boost energy or relieve tension. Private Pilates and yoga sessions are on offer, and there is a fabulous pool, steam room and sauna.
While a trip to the golf course is de rigeur for both players and gourmands looking for a tasty local lunch, visiting the vineyards and tasting their produce in the wine shop, where the estate’s olive oils are also sold, is not to be missed, ditto the truffle-hunting experience in a local forest in season.
However, the opportunity should also be taken to visit San Gimignano, the exquisite mediaeval village within a 25-minute drive. It’s the jewel of the region, perfect for browsing local pottery and linen, visiting the world’s best ice-cream shop on the piazza with its famous tall towers or simply strolling, sipping and living the Tuscan dream.
Tell Me More About Visiting Castelfalfi
Castefalfi Resort, Montaione, Tuscany Italy
The resort sits between Pisa and Florence airports
Rooms from £600 per night
