Tuscany is calling, especially if your dream weekend break involves white dresses, terracotta farmhouses, full-bodied red wines and sun-drenched afternoons straight out of a Diane Lane movie. But don’t worry if not — Italy’s green heartland has something for everyone. Whether you’re seeking a secluded romantic hideaway, creative family adventures, vibrant city explorations, or sun-dappled spa spoiling, our guide to the best hotels in Tuscany will help you find your perfect fit among its ancient castles and charming farmhouses.
FOR A ROMANTIC BREAK
Badia di Pomiao
Snake your way along a corkscrew country lane outside Arezzo and you’ll find yourself at Badia di Pomaio‘s prime valley-viewing perch. Its sweeping views, bountiful bee-buzzed gardens and ancient sandstone have all the dolce vita romance you’d expect from a typically Tuscan abode, but step inside the sleek reception and you’ll be met with a refreshingly modernist take on regional rustica.
A former monastery, the hotel’s sequestered hilltop perch makes that sacred one-on-one time all the more appealing, with plenty of quiet, shade-dappled and secluded spots for sweet-nothing whispers and sunset gazing à deux. Reconnect over poolside spritzes, forest bathing or long, sun-soaked lunches with widescreen valley views.
Best room for couples Nothing says romance quite like a shared bath, and in the Junior Suite Double, restorative soaks beneath dramatic beams come with serene views of the olive groves — perfect for you and your beau.
Design details Designer Ilaria Miani (whose distinctive style you’ll also find at Tuscan favourite Monteverdi) has enlivened the hotel’s monastic minimalism with industrial lamps, mirrored corridors and designer furniture softened with natural materials, tactile fabrics and blonde wood.
Something to eat Nothing says ‘date night’ like a degustazione. Here, that consists of several beautifully presented courses, from garden-fresh salads to smoked burrata and homemade gnudi.
See the sights Arezzo may not be as well-trodden as its Tuscan counterparts, though it ought to be. Piero della Francesca’s 15th-century frescos in Basilica of San Francesco are as good as anything in The Uffizi; and if you’re yet to say ‘I do’, the city is also considered a global centre for goldsmithing. Just sayin’.
FOR SPA SPOILING
Palazzo Belvedere
You’ll practically float out of Palazzo Belvedere, a grand Tuscan hotel in Montecatini Terme, where healing springs have drawn visitors for centuries. This good-for-you grande dame is a haven for wellness enthusiasts, boasting a 2,000-square-metre spa. Here, guests can indulge in treatments themed around the elements, from hammock massages (air) and sauna scrubs (fire) to mud packs (earth), alongside more innovative offerings like cryotherapy, Kneipp walks, sleep rituals, and even art or dance therapies.
Plus, you’ll have easy access to the historic, 18th-century Tettuccio thermal complex next door for long, lazy mineral soaks your skin will thank you for. The palazzo’s holistic focus extends to a delightful pantry, abundant natural wines and farm-fresh dining, all contributing to the radiant glow you’ll carry long after your stay.
Best room for spa-seekers The first floor BV Suite brings pampering to you with its own wellness area and Comfort Zone spa kit. When you’re not playing holistic therapist with your beau, you can wrap yourself in hypoallergenic linens, sink into the standalone tub, or unwind while admiring views of the garden or Montecatini’s pine forest.
Design details Inspired by the pastoral surrounds, you’ll find botanical drawings hung alongside the work of some rather talented locals, not least the Tuscan architect Giovanni Michellucci who designed Florence’s Santa Maria Novella train station.
Something to eat Chef Daniele Ciofi at the hotel’s No/More Bistrot devises menus that shift with the seasons, reflecting each period’s freshest produce. His dishes honour ancient Mediterranean and Hippocratic traditions, providing nourishment for body, mind and spirit through dishes like pan-seared turbot or red-shrimp risotto.
See the sights Beyond the hotel’s expansive spa, you can immerse yourselves in Montecatini Terme’s ancient wellness traditions by visiting the grand Tettuccio thermal complex to sip and soak in healing waters. For active exploration, enjoy cycling through Tuscan hills, playing tennis, or taking a funicular up to the mediaeval village of Montecatini Alto for panoramic views.
FOR FAMILY GETAWAYS
Villa Lena
Nurture your inner child — and spark the creativity of your actual children — at Villa Lena. This 500-acre artist’s retreat-turned-hotel keeps the region’s Renaissance spirit alive with creative workshops led by visiting creatives. Little ones have ample room to play, with their own dedicated pool and a games room featuring ping-pong and table football, a sandpit, pétanque court and other outdoor distractions. Plus they have a dedicated menu in the restaurant. With the kids happily occupied, parents can have their own fun perfecting their floristry skills, embarking on a truffle hunt or a wine tasting, or simply savouring a quiet aperitivo before your mini Michaelangelos return with yet another masterpiece for the fridge.
Best room for families The apartments in the Renacchi building are family-ready, with at least two bedrooms and a kitchen. Alternatively, the standalone Cassetta Bella or Maison Stento are sizeable and secluded so you can let the kids be kids, noise and all.
Design details There are many artful details to admire within the walls of this creative stay: works by former artists-in-residence, farmhouse-style rooms augmented with a mix of antique and bespoke furnishings, and enough flowers to keep Miley Cyrus going for at least a decade.
Something to eat The menu here celebrates Tuscan simplicity, transforming humble ingredients from the garden like fava beans and Pecorino into flavours that linger long after the meal. We love the spring-vegetable risotto, and the brioche ice-cream sandwich is a hit with the little ones.
See the sights There’s so much to do here — workshops, lessons, film screenings, concerts — that it’s a shame to leave; but if you must, rent a bike and explore the rural surrounds where the locals get a little wild: boar, red deer, rabbits, pheasant and mouflons.
FOR THE BEACH
La Roqqa
No one does glamour like the Italians, especially in Porto Ercole, a traditional fishing village on the Monte Argentario peninsula turned chic holiday playground. Fittingly, there’s a shot by famed travel photographer Slim Aarons, which cements its glam status: it stars stylish Italians disporting themselves on a Riva yacht.
In the heart of this jet-set enclave, you’ll find La Roqqa hotel, a striking terracotta building inside and out (with room colours varying by floor) that boasts captivating views of hilltop fortresses, swooping seagulls, and boats bobbing on the Mediterranean. Soak it all up from the restaurant’s terrace, sea-gazing private balconies, or the hotel’s exclusive beach club, where guests can secure two sunloungers and a parasol daily for free. As evening falls, wander through Renaissance piazzas and mediaeval alleys, gelato in hand.
Best room for beach-lovers The Maremma Sea View Terrace Room’s outdoor space is nearly the size of the room itself — it has stunning Mediterranean views and lets you enjoy the fresh sea breeze both on and off the beach.
Design details The hotel’s interior showcases unique pieces by celebrated Italian designers. Keep an eye out for Gaetano Pesce’s iconic Up chair.
Something to eat The hotel’s rooftop Scirocco restaurant has local fishermen on call, but its signature dish is the seasonal spaghetti agli otto pomodoro, which uses eight kinds of tomato.
See the sights The neighbouring area of Monte Argentario has a rich landscape of pine forests, vineyards and fortresses to explore and Maremma National Park boasts an Instagrammable flamingo-filled lagoon.
FOR EXPLORING FLORENCE
Collegio alla Querce
Auberge Resorts’ latest stay, Collegio alla Querce, earns top marks in Northern Florence’s leafy outskirts. This reimagined schoolhouse is an education in Tuscan elegance with its Duomo-gazing suites, a tree-lined pool and Baroque gardens.
Europe’s brightest scholars once flowed through its marble-lined hallways on their way to the library, theatre, chapel and — if they’d erred on the naughty side — the headmaster’s office, which has been newly transformed into a sultry cocktail bar. But the real jewel in Collegio’s cap is its location: just far enough from the city to enjoy the peace of the countryside, but close enough for spontaneous excursions.
Best room for city views The fresco-adorned Affreschi Suite has dazzling views of the Duomo, but Residenza La Quercia does one better — you can look out over the city from atop its rooftop terrace (plunge pool included).
Design details The virtues of this former schoolhouse have been expertly preserved by architects Esteva i Esteva, while Florentine studio ArchFlorence took on interiors. The result is a charming mix of old and new with lofty vaulted ceilings and restored frescoes alongside modern Italian designer pieces.
Something to eat Tuck into wood-fired pizzas at Cafe Focolare, or elevated Tuscan fare at the hotel’s signature restaurant La Gamella — think pici toscani with Chianina beef ragù or a classic panzanella.
See the sights There’s so much to do in Florence, but if we had to choose, make a beeline for The Uffizi Gallery, followed by an afternoon spent strolling the boutique-lined streets of hip neighbourhood Oltrarno.
FOR COUNTRY RETREATS
Follonico
Tucked away in a Tuscan valley, Follonico is a beautifully restored 200-year-old farmhouse which feels more like a home than a hotel. And in a way, it is. With just six guest rooms, mornings begin with a communal breakfast alongside owners Suzanne, Fabio, and their children, often accompanied by the croaks of the resident frogs and the occasional visit from wildlife like deer or wild boar.
Follonico is filled with personal touches: playfully mismatched chairs surround the dining table, a wedding dress adorns a wall and an antique typewriter graces a dressing table. But unlike most homes, it claims panoramic views of a typically Tuscan patchwork: vineyards, olive groves, and cypress trees stretching for miles, with the picturesque hilltop villages of Montefollonico and Montepulciano perched alluringly on the horizon.
Best room for country views Rosso Tramoto means ‘red sunset’ in Italian, and that’s exactly the type of thing you can expect to see from this room’s three large windows.
Design details Interiors here are a true Tuscan fantasy, featuring stone walls and floors, exposed beams, and rustic wooden doors.
Something to eat Dining is a celebration of Tuscan sustainability. Meals are crafted using ingredients either homegrown or locally sourced, meaning the menu, with its minimal meat and fish options, shifts with the seasons and local availability.
See the sights Explore the Val d’Orcia region’s famous wine towns like Montalcino and Montepulciano, the perfectly preserved Renaissance town of Pienza, or take a short drive to Siena for art, history, and its renowned Palio horse race, which runs through its streets.
FOR ALL-OUT LUXURY
Reschio Hotel
Reschio Hotel is technically in Umbria, but don’t let that deter you — it has some of the best views of Tuscany from its borderline perch between the two green regions. Housed within a 1,000-year-old Etruscan castle and surrounded by a collection of enviable villas, Reschio occupies the sweet spot between all-out decadence and relaxed home-from-home hospitality.
Here, every detail has been painstakingly considered by architect-owner Count Benedikt Bolza and his wife, Donna Nencia, ensuring each room exudes character, and is impeccably furnished with bespoke pieces from the Count’s own design studio. Stepping beyond the ramparts, Reschio’s expansive estate has an abundance of delights for every interest, from leisurely strolls to equestrian pursuits. On returning to your quarters, you’ll feel, for the duration of your stay, like the true sovereign of your own magnificent castle.
Most extravagant room Go all out and book the castle’s tower. The five-floor suite has unparalleled views, an open-air tub on the roof and a dumb-waiter for hoisting up your sundowners.
Design details Architect-owner Count Benedikt who has been hailed by Architectural Digest as one of the 100 best working today. His soulful reimagining of this mediaeval castle incorporates antique tapestries, Modernist chairs, Art Deco lamps into elegant spaces full of straight lines and svelte silhouettes.
Something to eat The tasting menu at Ristorante Al Castello is chock-full of delectable fresh-from-the-garden delights like Jerusalem-artichoke risotto and dried-fruit-filled sbrisalona cake.
See the sights The estate has peaceful lakes to fish in, forests for truffle-hunting and a state-of-the-art equestrian centre for lessons or dressage. Further afield, Arezzo, Siena and Perugia are all within an hour’s drive, opening up opportunities for wine tours and visits to Lago Trasimeno.
FOR BOUTIQUE BREAKS
Borgo 69
Nobody loves a boutique hotel more than Mr & Mrs Smith, especially when it’s the product of a love story. Borgo 69 is precisely that: a picturesque estate born from the romance of owners Philip Robinson and Paolo Kastelec, who swapped London for Italy in a bid for a slower way of life.
Their modern take on Italian rusticity is evident across 12 stylish villas where local materials like wood, stone and marble sit beside modern furnishings, hinting at the couple’s urban past. Like the best boutique stays, guests often feel like part of an extended family, perhaps indulging in gentle games of boules, swimming in the infinity pool overlooking the Val di Chiana, or zipping off in a classic car for vineyard tours, falconry or even a hot-air-balloon ride.
Best room to unwind in Each villa has a full kitchen and private terrace, but we love Villa Galletto for its additional freestanding bath tub, pretty herb and rose garden, Sixties-inspired dining area and prime perch next to the pool.
Design details Interior-design expert Philip has put the skills he acquired as a film-set designer to good use across each of the villas, combining upcycled furnishings and market-sourced antiques with Tuscan terracottas and the odd beamed ceiling.
Something to eat The restaurant here runs a Venetian-style cicchetti menu from Thursday to Sunday with small sharing plates like gorgonzola bruschetta topped with pear, walnuts and honey, aubergine parmigiana or salsa-topped pork skewers.
See the sights Hire a vintage car and explore the Val di Chiana, take a hot-air-balloon ride over the vineyards, or discover charming nearby villages like Cortona, Pienza, and Montepulciano.
FOR CASTLE STAYS
Castello di Vicarello
Castello di Vicarello is a honey-hued Italian castle set within rolling olive groves that has been honing its rustic majesty for centuries. Its perfumed gardens could well be a scene plucked straight from a painted Tuscan masterpiece from a monarch’s private collection. But there’s nothing stuffy about this noble abode — its ethos remains deeply rooted in its green and fertile lands. Expect delectable home-style cooking, prepared in the castle’s historic kitchen, two valley-gazing infinity pools, Bali-style huts ready for massages and yoga, and romantic rooms fit for a principe.
Best room for royalty If you’re really looking to indulge, book the secluded Spa Suite, which is a short walk from the main castle. This modern, chalet-style hideaway has teak-clad interiors and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out across the Ombrone Valley and river at the bottom of the hill. There’s an indoor hammam and sauna, and a wooden barrel hot tub on the deck, which has been positioned to perfectly catch the sunset.
Design details Under rustic beamed ceilings you’ll find a handpicked selection of antique and contemporary furnishings, from 18th-century tables to mid-century chaises-longues.
Something to eat Start with the fiore di zucca (squash blossoms), follow with ricotta- and spinach-stuffed tortelli and finish with a boozy rum babà topped with white-chocolate ganache and raspberry powder.
See the sights The neighbouring city of Grossetto is packed with history, with its remarkably preserved mediaeval walls and ancient buildings. Go just a few kilometres west, and you can explore the expansive Regional Park of Maremma, which spans from the Uccellina Mountains to the Tyrrhenian Sea.
FOR GRAPE ESCAPES
Borgo San Vincenzo
The cypress-surrounded Borgo San Vincenzo takes its name from the patron saint of wine, which should give you a good indication of what’s in store at this rustic Tuscan farmhouse — namely a cellarful of juicy Montepulciano reds and velvety Chiantis.
Sample rip-roaring regional wines at the hotel’s regular tastings, where you can also try the region’s other exceptional produce, namely cheeses and oils. And with honey-hued stone, rust-red rooftops, undulating hills and an oh-so-enticing pool, there’s no better place than the Borgo to nurse a hangover, either.
Best room for a post-sipping snooze Rooms here are (suprise!) wine-themed and named after bottle sizes. The Imperial Suite has a king-size bed dressed in Frette linens, sturdy wooden shutters that come in handy when you’re after a lie-in, and a terrace with a garden view from which to enjoy a hair-of-the-dog pick-me-up.
Design details Despite a 21st-century makeover, the Borgo’s 18th-century bones remain. Exposed oak beams, brickwork and terracotta-tiled floors retain a rustic olde-worlde vibe while Frette linens and sleek leather sofas up the luxe factor.
Something to eat Expect a contemporary spin on Tuscan classics at restaurant Il Ciuchino, with its menu of tapas-style small plates, featuring creations like octopus sliders, steak-tartare tacos, and even a wild-forest-mushroom crème brûlée.
See the sights There’s much more to be savoured across the region’s renowned wineries. Il Conventino does tastings in the pretty grounds of a former convent, while Icario hosts regular art and photography exhibitions in a modern space above the cellar.
Now see the best of the rest in Tuscany, and discover our top tips for how to spend 48 hours in Florence, the region’s Renaissance capital.