A beautifully restored 17th-century farmhouse set amongst lush terraced gardens scented with wisteria and rosemary, this is one of Tuscany’s best small, rural hotels. Located on a hillside below the town of Camaiore, the wide ranging views are exceptional – out across the coastal plain to the sea of Versilia, under the backdrop of the Apuan Alps. Owner Riccardo Barsottelli has a keen eye for design and his wonderful collection of retro furnishings and antiques is on display in the public areas and the 12 individual bedrooms. Dinner is served on the candlelit terrace, the focal point of the property, every evening (except Sunday) and Riccardo’s team are on hand to book the best seafood restaurants on the coast, cooking classes, visits to marble quarries and wine tastings. Alternatively, relax by the salt-water heated swimming pool and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. The village of Pietrasanta, with its artisan studios and artistic workshops, and the glitzy resort of Forte dei Marmi are 15 minutes’ drive away; the sandy beach at Marina di Pietrasanta (where the hotel can arrange complimentary beach club gazebos) can be reached in 10 minutes, and Lucca and Pisa airport are 30 minutes away. Hotel open 29 March – 1 November.
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William Blackburn
Reservations Consultant & Training Executive
Short Break
Poseidon
Positano, Italy
superior
Built into the hillside of Positano, the family-run Poseidon is an extremely comfortable and stylish hotel. The relaxing atmosphere and charming staff make this one of our favourite hotels on the Amalfi Coast.
Short Break
Grand Hotel Sitea
Turin, Italy
superior
Opened in 1925, this traditional 4 star hotel is located in the historical centre, a few minutes from the via Roma and close to Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Castello.
Short Break
Antiche Mura
Sorrento, Italy
superior
Located in the heart of Sorrento and named after the ancient fortifications which once surrounded the town, the hotel is a few minutes’ walk from Piazza Tasso and a perfect base from which to explore the town and surrounding area – the Circumvesuviana train station with links to Pompeii and Naples is less than 10 minutes on foot.
Short Break
Albergo Villa Marta
Tuscany, Italy
superior
A beautifully restored 19th-century hunting lodge, Villa Marta is located in the countryside, just three miles from Lucca, and is recommended for those looking to combine sightseeing (Lucca, Pisa and Pietrasanta are all close by) with relaxation.
Short Break
Palazzo Dipinto
Lucca, Italy
superior
Opened in 2017, Palazzo Dipinto is located within the mediaeval city walls, a few steps from Piazza San Michele. Formerly a 13th-century palace, the building has been beautifully converted into a stylish hotel offering contemporary design and excellent, personal service – Roberto Lombardi and his team are always on hand to share their knowledge of this unique and beguiling city.
Short Break
Borgo Dei Conti Resort
Umbria, Italy
deluxe
Under the same ownership of our favourite Venetian hotel, the Londra Palace, Borgo dei Conti is situated on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful Nestor Valley.
Short Break
Palazzo di Varignana
Bologna, Italy
superior
Located in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna countryside, the Palazzo di Varignana is set in 20 hectares of parkland. It is a great place to relax for a few days and yet is only 25 minutes’ drive from the centre of Bologna.
Short Break
Locanda Al Colle
Tuscany, Italy
deluxe
A beautifully restored 17th-century farmhouse set amongst lush terraced gardens scented with wisteria and rosemary, this is one of Tuscany’s best small, rural hotels.
Short Break
Highly Recommended
Villa Belvedere
Taormina, Italy
This delightful hotel is owned and run by the charming Pécaut-Bambara family. Located close to the Botanical Gardens and a short walk from the centre of Taormina, it has been sympathetically renovated to retain its character and most of the 47 rooms overlook the terraced gardens.
Short Break
Locanda San Vigilio, Punta San Vigilio
Lake Garda, Italy
Entered through a line of ancient cypress trees, the Locanda has been a hotel since the 16th century and has just 14 atmospheric bedrooms in the main building, each decorated with antique furniture and paintings.
Tailor-made Holiday
Verona & Lake Garda
Verona
The charming Roman city of Verona is famous for its summer opera festival but is a fascinating destination all year round with wonderful architecture, excellent restaurants, museums, markets and boutiques.
7 night price from £2,268 pp (low season), £2,998 pp (high season)
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
Lake Como & Milan
Milan, Lake Como
The perfect combination of style, culture and relaxation, Milan and dramatic Lake Como make for a classic two-centre holiday.
7 night price from £2,498 per person
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
The Sicilian Quartet: Palermo, Agrigento, Syracuse and Taormina
Palermo, Agrigento, Syracuse, Taormina
In Palermo, the island’s capital, you will have time to explore medieval streets and perhaps catch a performance at the magnificent opera house before heading south.
9 night price from £2,498 pp (low season), £3,246 pp (high season)
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
Tuscan Coast & Countryside
Tuscany
The unspoilt coastline of southern Tuscany offers sandy beaches, Etruscan ruins and picturesque villages. Head inland and you will discover the essence of Tuscany - vineyards, sweeping views and historic hill towns.
7 night price from £1,648 pp low season & £2,296 pp
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
Classical Italy: Rome, Naples & Pompeii
Rome, Naples
Uncover the fascinating history of the Roman Empire from the Roman Forum and the Pantheon to the Bay of Naples and the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
7 night price from £2,055 per person
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
Basilicata: Matera & Maratea
Matera, Maratea
Despite its wonderful unspoiled landscapes and fascinating ancient history, Basilicata remains one of the most undiscovered and authentic regions of Italy.
7 night price from £1,498 pp low season, £1,986 pp high season
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
Orta & Maggiore
Lake Orta, Lake Maggiore
Tiny in comparison to Como and Maggiore to the east, Lake Orta remains perhaps the most picturesque and unspoilt of the Italian Lakes.
7 night price from £2,598 pp low season, £3,096 pp high season
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
Perugia & The Umbria Countryside
Perugia, Umbria
The fascinating yet little visited city of Perugia is the capital of Umbria and a major centre of medieval art. You will discover vast Etruscan city walls, countless historic buildings, grand piazzas and picturesque streets from your central base,the Brufani Palace.
7 night price from £1,268 pp low season, £1,698 pp high season
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
The Italian Riviera: Genoa & The Cinque Terre
Genoa
Venice’s main Mediterranean rival for centuries, Genoa is a fascinating historic city, located on the Ligurian Riviera.
7 night price from £2,109 per person
What's Included
Tailor-made Holiday
Puglia - The Heel of Italy: Matera, Locorotondo & Lecce
Matera, Locorotondo, Lecce
With private car transfers throughout, this itinerary combines unique Matera, just across the border in Basilicata, with two of Puglia’s most beautiful towns.
10 night price from £1,998 pp (low season), £2,996 pp (high season)
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
The Cuisine of Puglia with Sophie Grigson
Central Puglia
Every region of Italy has a distinct and fiercely proud local cuisine, but none is such an abundant source of fresh produce as Puglia – from the freshly caught fish of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, to durum wheat for the celebrated local pasta, sun-ripened vegetables and specialities including caciocavallo cheese and the famous burrata.
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Villas & Gardens Around Rome
Rome
Italy not only has many of the greatest 16th and 17th century gardens in Europe, it also has some which have been extensively restored and indeed created in the 20th century. We visit two of these at Ninfa and La Landriana.
5 nights price from £2645 per person
Departs: 11 May 2026, 12 Oct 2026
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
The Italian Lakes - Gardens & Villas of Lakes Como & Maggiore
Lake Como
One has to go far to find a more perfect and peaceful landscape than the shores of Lake Como, where this tour is based. Tranquil, serene and timeless, the mountains that fringe the crystal waters provide a dramatic backdrop, as do the countless pristine villas that stretch up the hillsides from the lake shores.
5 nights price from £3659 per person
Departs: 12 Apr 2026
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Roman Cuisine with Valentina Harris
Rome
Chef, writer and broadcaster Valentina Harris grew up and learned her cooking skills in Rome, a city which has an extraordinary culinary tradition dating back two millennia. This carefully-crafted new itinerary will take you...
5 nights price from £3198 per person
Departs: 12 Oct 2026
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Opera at La Scala, Milan
Milan
La Scala, Milan is, for most opera lovers, the world’s most revered and important opera house. The theatre opened in 1778 with a performance of an opera by Salieri and since then, many of the greatest Italian operas have received their first performance on its hallowed stage.
4 nights price from £2445 per person
Departs: 13 Jul 2026, 10 Oct 2026
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
The Rossini Festival in Pesaro
Held every summer in Pesaro, where the composer was born in 1792, the Rossini Festival has always attracted the world’s greatest bel canto singers. Marilyn Horne, Montserrat Caballe, June Anderson, Rockwell Blake, Chris Merrit and Juan Diego Florez are just a few of those who have sung in Rossini’s hometown.
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Gardens & Villas of Lake Como with The Oldie
The mountains that fringe the crystal waters of Lake Como provide a dramatic backdrop to elegant villas and some of the world’s finest gardens.
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
The Villa Medici Giulini Collection
In 2026 we are making our fourth visit to the Villa Medici, home of Fernanda Giulini, for a very special private house party hosted by Fernanda herself. Her magnificent 17th century villa is home to an extraordinary collection of historic keyboard instruments, which will be brought to life in a series of concerts given by pianist Melvyn Tan.
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
An Insider's Rome
Rome
Our new tour to The Eternal City, led by art historian and adopted-Roman Caroline Howard, will showcase the city’s rich and varied cultural history from the perspective of a local expert.
5 nights price from £2849 per person
Departs: 23 Mar 2026, 16 Nov 2026
What's Included
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Sicily - An Enigmatic Island
Syracuse, Agrigento, Palermo
The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily’s strategic importance has given it a violent, eventful and colourful history. Doric temples, Roman mosaics, elegant and powerful Norman architecture and a wealth of Baroque and Renaissance palaces and churches are a reminder of its great past.
9 nights price from £4980 per person
Departs: 4 Oct 2026
What's Included
Speak to an expert - 020 7593 2288
Our expert reservations team regularly travel to a wide range of destinations to explore new cities, visit hotels and to research museums, galleries and restaurants so that we can offer the most up-to-date advice and recommendations.
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