We wrote recently about enjoying a lovely refreshing summer drink – an Aperol Spritz. We first came across this at a fantastic little hotel in the heart of Tuscany called the Villa Bordoni. The hotel is situated amid its own olive groves in the hills above the small town of Greve in Chianti, famed for it’s triangular “square”.
The property comprises a lovingly restored centuries-old “noble villa” owned by expat Scot David Gardner. David owns a number of restaurants in nearby Florence and opened the place in 2005 after three years of extensive refurbishment. Where many hotels in similar properties have been restored using modern fittings and accessories, resulting in a sometimes incongrous finished result, the Villa Bordoni has ben restored sympathetically in keeping with its origins. Features include hand-painted walls, as well as antique reclaimed tiling work, courtesy of salvage and interior design specialist Barthel of Florence and Forte dei Marmi. Examples of Barthel’s work including images of some of their work at the Villa Bordoni, can be seen on their website riccardobarthel.it. The hotel has extensive gardens including the olive groves already referred to, as well as a beautifully kept walled Italian garden which makes the perfect backdrop for eating al fresco in the summer months.
While the hotel and its surroundings draw lots of praise, it is perhaps the small band of hard working staff who really make it stand out. Whether you are looking for ideas for places to visit, or a recommendation for dinner – assuming you can drag yourself away from the hotel’s fantastic restaurant – the staff are always on hand with helpful tips and suggestions.
It’s not cheap, with rooms ranging from 255 euros upwards in low season, but if you are looking for a stylish, relaxing base from which to explore this beautiful area of Italy, the Villa Bordoni is worth looking into. And they do a mean Aperol Spritz!
Incidentally, the photograph which you can see at the top of this site was taken just outside Panzano, a small town just a few miles from the Villa Bordoni – it just gives you a small taster of the stunning scenery to be enjoyed in Chianti.
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