Essential Europe Travel

Florence for 3 nights

1 double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Pendini***

A real gem, this hotel in Florence maintains the charming atmosphere of an old-fashioned Florentine pensione, while offering the best in modern comforts.
The Hotel Pendini occupies a superb location between the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo (Florence's Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore), and so is terrific for exploring this delightful Italian city rich in galleries, museums, churches and Renaissance architecture. But this Florence hotel is a little slice of history in itself. The pensione was established in 1879 and is family owned and run. The public rooms are quite lovely - pastel-colored walls, rounded arches and check board-tiled floors evoke an atmosphere of understated luxury, of history and of quiet calm. Most of the bedrooms have walnut or brass beds, floral wallpapers and pastel carpets.

People come back to the Hotel Pendini year after year, and it's easy to see why. Antique charm, modern comforts, reasonable prices and a terrific location on the Via Strozzi within walking distance of all the major sights of Florence make this hotel in Italy a perennial favorite.

Cortona for 2 nights

Pick up car, in Florence, Alfa Romeo, compact, unlimited mileage, CDW & theft included

1 double room, breakfast & taxes included at Villa di Piazzano****

Built in the early 1500s, the Villa di Piazzano was commissioned by Cardinal Silvio Passerini as a hunting manor. The Villa is situated in a beautiful private park of ancient Italian oak and linden trees and is surrounded by lush green hills where the Cardinal and his entourage hunted pheasants and wild boar.

Today the Villa has been transformed into an elegant country residence and special attention has been dedicated to preserving the beauty and authenticity of the original building. The Villa is furnished with antiques belonging to the family and the rooms offer all the modern comforts and facilities.

It is in fact a family run business and its owners take special pride in providing a personalized service of a high standard. A peculiarity of the Villa is that it is located right on the border between Umbria and Tuscany. The closest town is Cortona (2.5 miles), a medieval town mentioned in Frances Mayes' bestseller "Under the Tuscan Sun".

It is an ideal base for planning day trips to Florence, Siena, the Chianti region, Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi and many other interesting sites, as well as to wineries and olive oil mills. For the less adventurous it is a perfect place for relaxing in the garden, taking walks or bike riding through the country. Good golfing possibilities !

Siena region for 2 nights

1 sup double room at La Locanda del Castello***

La Locanda del Castello is a dreamy place to stay recently opened by Silvana Ravanelli, who took on the ambitious project of restoring part of the village's 13th-century castle (the municipal hall is housed in the other half) and transforming it into charming accommodations and a restaurant. The success she had with her previous, much smaller bed and breakfast in this guide created the desire to offer additional, more upscale rooms. She has a real talent for decorating and each individual room has been thoughtfully appointed with the family's antiques, gorgeous fabrics, and beautiful travertine bathrooms. Most have king-sized beds, double sinks, and generous showers.

The golden hue chosen for the rooms' walls harmonize perfectly with the surrounding wheat-covered hillsides dotted with cypresses. The brick-vaulted restaurant, originally the olive press, is accessed through a delightful garden with dining tables right at the historic walls of the castle. The chef adds his own creativity to ancient Tuscan recipes using local percorino cheeses, white truffles, and other fresh local products. San Giovanni is right in the middle of some of Tuscany's most picture-perfect scenery.