Mr & Mrs Smith

Castello del Nero

Tuscany, Italy

At Castello del Nero hotel in Tuscany, you’ll walk around wide-eyed: this 12th-century castle has mediaeval frescoes, marble-and-mosaic bathrooms and a very tempting spa. Dine on wild boar ragù or lobster ravioli in the elegant restaurant, then walk it all off in the hotel’s rolling 740 acres.

Need to know

• Rooms 50, including 18 suites.
• Rates Double rooms from $412.70 (€320), excluding tax at 10 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional local city tax of €4.00 per person per night on check-out.
  The price shown represents the lowest nightly rate for a double room available at this hotel over the next 21 days. Any price conversions from the hotel's local currency (€320) have been conducted using today's exchange rates from xe.com.
• More details Rates usually include American buffet breakfast and a return shuttle service to Florence or Siena.
• Facilities Tennis courts, 740 acres of grounds, wine cellar, spa, fitness suite, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, minibar, slippers, bathrobes, Etro bath products.
• Poolside Head for the vivid slice of aqua amid the gardens’ greenery. Trees give shade in the heat of the day; alternatively, sun worshippers can stretch out on the sleek honey-coloured tiles.
• Check-out 12 noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
• Children This is Italy: Smith Junior won’t just be welcome, they’ll be smiled at and spoiled, and under-6s can stay for free in their parents’ room. Extra beds (€55 a night) and cots (free) can be added to some rooms. Babysitting is €20 an hour. More...
• Also Cookery classes (for up to six) can be arranged in advance.
• Hotel closed 7 January–25 March.

Food and drink at Castello del Nero

• Hotel restaurant

  Elegant La Torre is set in the former stables, but no trace of the original residents remains in the elegant zabaglione-coloured dining room, decorated with terracotta-tiled floors, arched ceilings, white-linen-topped tables and – the focal point – a grand fireplace. As you’d expect, the menu is a love-letter to Italy: ham from Casentino; piglet from Siena; Chianti snails. Dishes are rich and hearty: scallops with mashed potatoes dressed with walnut oil and white truffle from San Miniato; pigeon-breast confit with grapes cooked in a Chianti sauce; veal cheek with pumpkin foam and crispy leeks; wild boar ragù.

   

• Dress code Picture yourself sipping Chianti under the vaulted ceilings of a mediaeval castle and dress accordingly: silks, velvet and cashmere; leather; a hint of gold.
• Top table Out on the Garden Terrace in summer; cosy by the fire, come winter.
• Last orders Pile your plate with cold cuts, pastries or fruit between 7.30am and 10.30am; enjoy a lazy lunch between 12.30pm and 2.30pm; sit down for dinner between 7.30pm and 10pm. Service in the bar slows around midnight.
• Room service Disrobed and disinclined to be in public? Order food to your room across the clock: the 24-hour room service menu includes snacks and light bites such as salami, home-made bread, local cheeses and feather-light chocolate cake.
• Hotel bar

  Set in the former castle kitchens, the bar is an atmospheric space, all exposed red brick, flagstone floors and arched ceilings. Sip a local wine with a plate of cured meat and cheeses and you’ll feel like landed Tuscan gentry.

   

Also worth knowing

• Weddings This property is suitable for weddings. More...

Castello del Nero 7 Strada Spicciano, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Tuscany, 50028