Franciacorta
Country Hotel: Luxury
57 Rooms, Starting at €260.00

A monument to personal fulfillment and well-being, this hyper-comfortable luxury property of 57 units feeds all the senses in beautiful balance. It is a tribute to the vision of the founder, Mr Moretti, and reflects his own personal style, flair, and sophisticated interests. A complex of structures connects old and new wings in perfect harmony. Soft-colored, spacious suites and posh marble baths (the ones with the 3-head showers are an incredible experience in themselves), have views overlooking the Lombardi countryside, and definitely assure peaceful sleep and soft awakenings. In the new wing the Cabriolet Suite features a bed whose retractable overhead picture window gives an unimpeded view of the stars. During my stay, the hotel was fully booked, but it felt deserted and tranquil. In the rooms, fresh peonies –the first of the season- had been artfully placed. This secluded world is devoid of cell phones, muzak, lawnmowers or leaf blowers, and only the burble of a fountain or the wind whooshing through the trees could be heard. Three notable on-site facilities add to the premium luxury offering: Grand chef Gualtiero Marchesi presents the stratospheric heights of Italian cuisine in a world-class restaurant setting; Espace Vitalité, a spa built around the designs for well-being created by Henri Chenot, offers visionary methods and treatments in a state-of-the-art facility; The adjacent Bellavista Winery supplies the hotel and restaurant with its exceptional limited-production Vigna Leone chardonnay and sparkling Franciacorta, exclusive vintages it is a privilege to sample. Breakfast is served en suite, or in a light-filled breakfast room stocked with a marvelous array of healthy choices; specialties may be ordered from the kitchen. There is an indoor pool, with Jacuzzi and sauna easily accessible on the lower level. The cluster of main structures sits atop a hill overlooking Lake Iseo and the surrounding mountains, all picture perfect. On the gentle hillsides below, forested areas alternate with impeccably manicured vineyards and plantings. A fitness trail meanders through the trees, and monumental minimalist sculptures adorn the grounds, turning L’Albereta into one vast, private sculpture garden. In May, the iris were out in force in the flower beds, flamboyant and ablaze with color. Near to the resort you can arrange golf at several top grade courses, or select from a pocket of Michelin-star dining establishments of dazzling quality and confidence. Franciacorta is quiet and remote, but its hidden riches lie only a short hour east of Milan, near Brescia and close to two small airports. This resort is ideal for a getaway, golf tourism, meetings of up to 200. It would be perfect for a honeymoon escape, unbeatable as a knockout degustation vacation, memorable as a golf indulgence, comfortable enough for your yearly managers retreat, or a fine place to just chill out and get well. A charming, multilingual and hospitable team cater gracefully to the international clientele. The hotel looks relaxed and informal, but every detail has been meticulously considered, even down to the 2003 Curtefranca chardonnay, served with chunks of Reggiano, macadamia nuts and olives from Liguria, effortlessly appreciated from a wooded terrace as the daylight faded into twilight. Highly recommended by our roving inspector, Stanley Moss.

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