Villa La Massa

When it comes to hotels, Italy — and Tuscany in particular — is among the world’s most fertile destinations. To say, then, that the Villa La Massa is among the region’s hidden gems is high praise indeed. With just 51 rooms and suites it’s edging into real boutique territory, and its location is among Italy’s most desirable — it stands just outside of Florence, overlooking the Arno river and the Chianti Valley, surrounded by twenty-two acres of parkland just a few minutes outside of town and yet splendidly secluded amid the rolling Tuscan hills. Rooms and suites remain traditional, outfitted in a Medici-era style to match the villa’s age. It’s the classic Italian five-star experience, with marble baths, antique furnishings, plush fabrics. Nods to modernity are minimal: satellite TV, wireless internet and air conditioning are pretty much the whole list. There’s a nearby tennis club and equestrian center and even golf courses for those of an athletic bent, as well as a fitness center and outdoor pool. The new Arno Spa features two treatment suites, a sauna, a Turkish bath and a Roman pool. But most physical self-improvement, one imagines, is done to atone for what has to be the region’s greatest draw, the food and wine — here, as expected, you’ve got a fine Tuscan restaurant accompanied by a wine cellar of prodigious depth. A complimentary shuttle to and from the city center at Ponte Vecchio is provided by the hotel. Please note: Villa La Massa is open seasonally from late March thru early November.