The Place
Family home of the owners until quite recently, Il Poggiale is a pale salmon-coloured villa dating from the 16th century. At the front of the house, a gracious Renaissance loggia overlooks an expanse of green lawn protected by ancient cypress trees. It opened as a hotel in April 2003 after careful restoration, but still maintains the feeling of a private house.
On arrival, guests are shown into a spacious, elegant salon dominated by a vast chandelier; family portraits hang on the walls while soothing classical music plays in the background. Drinks are laid out on a table to which guests can help themselves and sign a chit. Generous breakfasts (with home-made breads, cakes and jams) are served in a pretty dining room with pink and white striped tablecloths. In the summer, a light lunch (cold meats, salad and cheese from the farm) is served on request in front of the old olive oil store, overlooking the pool.
The bedrooms, each different from the next, are beautifully furnished and romantically decorated (several have four posters) in dusty blues and pinks with filmy white curtains and colourful bedspreads and rugs. Bathrooms are gorgeous too; one (entirely frescoed) has a claw-foot bath. Outside, a long terrace runs along the west wall of the villa. Breakfast is served here in summer, but it is also a glorious spot from which to enjoy spectacular sunsets.
From April to October guests have the option to dine “at home”. The menu will be based on the best of the Tuscan traditional dishes and house recipes, using local seasonal produce. A “Wellness Zone” is also on hand, offering simple, relaxing treatments using natural Tuscan products.