Fontelunga hotel & villas

Fontelunga hotel & villas

Breakfast at Fontelunga arrives on a terrace looking over the Val di Chiana, four kilometres outside Foiano della Chiana, close enough to town but far enough to feel like your own. The hotel holds just twelve rooms and suites, each with air conditioning and a private bathroom, sized from a 264-square-foot Superior King to a 318-square-foot Junior King Suite; there is no elevator, so guests should be ready for stairs. The pool sits inside an olive grove ringed with lavender and Mediterranean herbs, a tennis court and bicycles are free to use, and a library and picnic area sit further into the garden. In the evening, the restaurant, Emporio di Ines, plates a Cicchetti-style menu from its own market garden and kilometre-zero suppliers, though a table has to be booked ahead rather than requested at the door. Guests can also take an aperitivo at the garden gazebo as the sun goes down, or light the fire there once the weather turns cooler. Concierge staff handle tours, laundry and dry cleaning, and speak English, Italian and Spanish. Pets are welcome, an extra bed costs 50 euros a night depending on room size, and a cleaning tax is payable separately at the hotel. What sets Fontelunga apart from bigger Tuscan hotels is that ratio: twelve rooms, one market garden, one restaurant that insists on notice, built around a pool that never feels shared. Anyone wanting a lift to their room or dinner on a whim should look elsewhere. Anyone willing to book ahead will eat well under a sky that still feels private. Twelve rooms outside Foiano della Chiana, a pool ringed in lavender and olive trees, and a market-garden restaurant that only serves guests who book ahead. No elevator, no walk-in dinners. The right stop for anyone happy to let Emporio di Ines set the evening's pace.