Fontelunga

Rooms

The 8 bedrooms in the padronale (main house) are small but perfectly formed. Named after precious stones, the dual aspect windows have voile curtains in an appropriate hue casting coloured light over the room. Floors have quarry tiles or pretty patterned tiles; beds, some roofless four-posters, some simple queensize, are covered with a delicate damask. Furnishings are simple but pleasing – a white wooden wardrobe and chest, funky metallic tripod lamps, iPod docks, Bramley products in the bathroom. A heating / air-con unit sits discreetly on the wall. Thoughtful touches include a hairdryer, a 3- to 2-pin adaptor, postcards, mozzie tablets, a choice of feather or foam pillows.

All rooms are double aspect but it’s worth requesting a superior or deluxe for the lovely, open views over the Val di Chiana. Deluxe rooms, such as Amethyst, are on the top floor, with additional space for a table and 2 chairs. The standard rooms face the carpark side, the nicest being Ambra on the first floor and Tormalina on the ground floor.

Ensuite bathrooms have dapple-grey mosaic walls, a bidet, heated towel-rail, fluffy towels and bathrobes, and a spacious shower cubicle with good hot water. The deluxe rooms and some standard rooms have a tub with a proper shower, hook and swing-pane, while the superior rooms have twin basins.

There’s also a junior suite in a separate cottage, with a high beamed ceiling and a pigeon-holed wall casting rectangles of sunlight on the spacious double bedroom. It comes with TV/DVD, a fridge and a bathroom with separate shower and tub. Couples with a young child or children can request a folding bed and a cot in this room.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• WiFi

Eating

Meals at the Villa Fontelunga are laid-back, sociable affairs, usually taken out on the gravelled forecourt with open views over the gentle Val di Chiana, but sometimes indoors at a designer table in the barrel-vaulted cantina. There's also a semi-outdoor lounge bar where you can enjoy aperitifs at sunset, or a post-prandial cigar tucked under a blanket by the open fire.

A leisurely buffet breakfast starts the day, with cereals, croissants and other patisseries, home-made jams, fresh fruit and juices, yoghurts and hot drinks. Paolo, chef-cum-concierge extraordinaire, helps you plan your day, offering printouts of the back route to Cortona and the Armani factory outlet, while the early (or late) morning sun warms your skin and turns the Val di Chiana from blue to lilac to green.

For lunch, a wide and fresh array of dishes is prepared by Paolo, with occasional, lively intervention from his visiting mother. You might get classic tricolore salads, Italian-style tortillas, cold cuts or cheeses (don't miss the creamy local burrata). Lots of dishes are veggie-friendly, like fresh pasta with courgette, onion, carrot and cream. Guests and owners sit together around a long table shaded by white parasols.

Twice a week – on Tuedays and Fridays – they also prepare dinner at the villa. It’s a lively house-party atmosphere, everyone meeting and greeting over a prosecco before sitting down for a 3-course feast at a communal table (or sometimes separate tables, though Paolo says guests always end up moving tables together). In addition, there is a "snack evening meal" for those who do not want to add too much to their waistline. Of course, if you take the whole villa, you can dine in as often as you want, with a cook available to buy and prepare the kind of meals you specify.

On other evenings (except Wednesdays), you can head 800m down the road to their restaurant, Emporio di Ines, at Borgo 69. Here they serve cicchetti, which are small sharing plates typical of northern Italy. Seasonal dishes might include chickpeas, meatballs, olives, paté, aubergine parmigiana, vegetable flan with fondue, or grilled veggies in oil and parsley.

Or you can drive to nearby Marciano for supper in the excellent La Vecchia Rota restaurant – ask to sit in the upstairs room, with its lovely painted ceiling. Paolo also recommends a small restaurant called La Lodola (just 2 km away) and Pizzeria il Tempio in Pozzo (with al fresco seating in summer), and he is happy to book any of these for you.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Communal dining
• Dinner by arrangement
• Kids' meals
• Lunch by arrangement
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Within the villa’s grounds are a small unheated swimming pool (April – October), a new heated jacuzzi tub (complete with sound system) for year-round soaking, and an all-weather tennis court
  
• There are mountain bikes available for guests’ use, and you can arrange a guided bike tour in the surrounding area
  
• The hotel has teamed up with a local gym, and various spa treatments, yoga and pilates sessions can be arranged with advance notice
  
• If you can stir yourself, Cortona (25km) is a wonderfully-preserved, art-rich medieval town spilling down a hillside above the Val di Chiana, with cathedral, Etruscan museum, and great eateries
  
• Montepulciano and Pienza (25-30km) are classic medieval hilltowns crammed with art and architecture, not to mention vineyards where you can tour the cellars and taste (or buy) Brunello and Vino Nobile
  
• Lake Trasimeno is just 30km away, a large, shallow, lake with Renaissance churches and medieval castles, boat-trips to Maggiore and Polvese islands, and sailing / windsurfing centres at Passignano and Castiglione
  
• A little further are Siena (50km), Italy’s best-preserved medieval city, with its black-and-white marble duomo and buzzing Piazza del Campo; and Perugia (60km), a bustling city with stylish shops and jazz concerts (and home of those irresistible little Bacci chocolates)
  
• Florence (100km), with its huge duomo, world-famous Uffizi and statue-laden piazzas, is also feasible as a day trip; and if you need retail therapy, Paolo can give directions to factory outlets for Armani, Gucci and Prada (all close to your route)
  
• Golfers will find a 6-hole course and driving range near Bettolle (15 mins), and an 18-hole course in Siena (1 hr)
  
• There are horse-riding stables at Farneta (20 mins)
  

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Golf
• Horse riding
• Mountain biking
• Private guided tours
• Sailing
• Shopping / markets
• Tennis
• Windsurfing
• Yoga

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome at this sociable property and will enjoy the gardens and pool, though the vibe is more of a grown-up one. Most rooms sleep three, but there are no rooms for four, so you'll need to book two separate rooms. Or for more space and privacy, check out the countryside villas at nearby Borgo 69, which is run by the same team.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Toddlers (1-4 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

For a couple with 1 child, the Junior Suite is the best, as it's in a separate cottage; but if it's unavailable, Superior and Deluxe rooms in the hotel can also sleep 3 using a fold-up bed and/or cot.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 55 minutes (Perugia) 70 minutes (Florence)
• Hospital: 10 minutes
• Shops: 2 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Superbly positioned in Tuscany, 10 minutes from the motorway, 20 from Arezzo and Cortona, and bull's-eye-centre for Siena, Florence, Assisi and Orvieto.

By Air
There are some flights to Perugia (60km) and Florence Peretola airport (90km) . However, most people fly to Pisa (150km) which has a wider range of flights, or even Rome or Bologna (both about 200km / 2 hours' drive).

By Train
If you'd prefer to travel overland from the UK, you can reach Florence and Tuscany quite easily from London. See the excellent Seat 61 for details. There is a station at Chiusi (15km) on the Florence-Rome line. From there you can take a coach, a taxi or use the hotel’s pick-up/transfer service (booked in advance), meaning you could happily do without a car. See Trenitalia for more details.

By Car
Driving through Tuscany's countryside is an absolute delight. If you want to hire a car see our car rental recommendations.

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