The Place
Le Piazze is welcome addition to the booming hotel scene in the area around Castellina in Chianti which, we feel, has the edge on many of its competitors. Although only 6 km from the bustling town, the hotel is in completely secluded countryside reached by a long unsurfaced road which seems to go on forever.
The hotel is, needless to say, a converted 17thC farmhouse, but in this case the owners have deployed more imagination and a greater sense of elegance than usual. The buffet breakfast, for instance, is served on tiled sideboards in a room adjacent to the kitchen and separated from it by a glass partition. Or you can remove yourself to any of the numerous terraces that surround the house for uninterrupted views of classical Chianti countryside.
Rustic antiques have, of course, been used in the furnishing with the usual terracotta, exposed beams and white plaster, but here and there the pattern is broken by pieces from Indonesia. Bedrooms are individually furnished with lavish use of striped fabrics (avoid those in the roof space they can become unbearably hot); bathrooms are large, with Jacuzzis or walk-in showers big enough for a party.