Oh Borgo Santo Pietro, where do I even begin? For a start we quickly renamed this place as Borgo Santo Perfecto as you’ll quickly realise just how special this place is. In fact, I’d go ahead and declare it as the best place we have ever stayed {that wasn’t a private tropical island}. If you’re looking for somewhere honeymoon worthy in Europe then seriously look no further. Nothing can top this place, and that’s probably the only downside I can think of to it, the fact that it will ruin you for life and you’ll be forever dreaming of returning.
After the first part of our trip in Rome {here} and then onto Florence {here}, we picked up a car that we’d hired, a quintessential Italian fiat 500 to be precise, and headed out from the city to the Tuscan hills. Borgo Santo Pietro is an hour and a half outside of Florence which is served by most train routes in Italy or you could fly straight in from the UK. Alternatively it’s only half an hour from Siena. Oh and the Italian roads were nothing like we expected and so much easier and calmer to drive on. It’s only the cities that have the crazy drivers.
After a scenic drive we arrived at the gates and could see the cypress tree, lavender lined drive we’d been waiting for. Classic Tuscany right there.
The luxury started the minute we got out of our car, our keys were taken and instead we were handed cold, scented towels that smelt like heaven and offered a glass of champagne. A good start indeed. It kept getting better and better though as we uncovered more of the estate. I mean, I can’t even call it a hotel as it is so much more than that. Borgo Santo Pietro is set in a 13th century period property that has been restored to perfection and set amongst over 13 acres of grounds! We were given a tour on which I’ll virtually take you round myself later. But first, our room for the night..
There are 18 different rooms to choose from across the property {you can find details and photos of them all here as they’re all completely unique}. Most are not even rooms, they’re full on suites. Ours was a Garden suite called Basilico complete with beams, chandeliers, our own private garden and a rolltop bath. I mean, what more could you want?? I loved the updated version of the Tuscan luxe style but done in a new bijou way.
No detail was spared, all the lights were on a mood lighting system so you could easily change the atmosphere, we were given an iPad to use during our stay and a phone to carry around in case we wanted anything at anytime. The toiletries are organic and made on the estate which was a nice touch.
We were welcomed with champagne, chocolate made by the in-house chocolatier and cherries. So decadent.
Outside we had a private garden that I could have quite happily picked up and moved back to our new house with, it was so established and beautiful. The terrace had an outdoor fireplace that you could request to be lit whenever you felt like it, and an olive and lavender lined day bed for pure relaxation.
Across the rest of the estate, it’s yours to explore. With only 18 rooms and 13 acres plus miles and miles of rolling estate land, you feel like you have the whole place to yourself. There is just so much to discover. There’s a cooking school which has just opened with a large kitchen that looked like something you’d find in a Jamie Oliver or Deliciously Ella cookbook {those tiles and shelves, LOVE!} .
It has the philosophy of wanting to share a love of good food in a Tuscan style. There are classes for all levels of foodies and you’ll learn alongside skilled chefs, having a feast afterwards in this charming little courtyard.
Surrounding the cooking school, and the whole estate, are hundreds of acres of organic farmland, orchards, olive groves and vineyards. There’s a working farm where you can wander and look at the chickens {who were by the way the poshest chickens living in the most stylish hen houses I’d ever seen}, visit the sheep or alpacas and see the gardeners planting herbs in the herb garden. Borgo try to source everything locally or grow it themselves for a real farm to plate vibe. There are Borgo bees, Borgo olives and they’ve just planted their own vineyard so expect to taste Borgo wine in just a few years.
We discovered the spa next, tucked amongst the herb gardens and wild flower meadows, a heavenly and complete well being centre with a few treatment beds outside in the quiet gardens. Inside was just as beautiful with a sense of calm and tranquillity, candles lit and deep sofas to relax into before you even go in for a treatment. Definitely the most beautiful spa I’ve seen for a long long time, it’s been restored and renovated from a building that was set on an ancient healing site here used by Monks centuries ago.
As we carried on our walk after passing the cooking school, vegetable plots and spa, we reached a lake. Seriously, this place has it all. There’s even an artist’s studio which looks out over the lake, for inspiration for painting, writing or drawing. Every month Borgo employs a different artist to offer something to guests if art is your thing. It really is unlike anywhere else.
We meandered our way back through the gardens, some of it like a maze along hidden paths and discovering sunken nooks to spend a sunny afternoon. We found the cottage gardens with pretty peonies, alliums and delphiniums to admire, a luxurious bench never far away if you want to stop and call for a drink on your way around the estate.
On our walk we said hello and peeked in at the in house florists at Casa Dei Fiori {House of flowers} who go around picking blooms out of the gardens and creating the prettiest displays for around the villa and rooms everyday. They were wedding worthy. I dreamt of spending my days living here and helping them out under that warm Tuscan sunshine..
The roses, as they had been in Florence & Rome, were at their peak at this time of year. Huge swathes of bright pinks covering whole walls that just smelt heavenly. I can’t think of a prettier, more romantic place to spend a honeymoon.
It didn’t take us long to find the pool area, where we pretty much based ourselves for the rest of our stay. A jaw droppingly gorgeous turquoise infinity pool, surrounded by roses, overlooking the valley. During our stay nobody else even used the pool, we had it to ourselves and it was almost at full occupancy. There are tables with magazines for you to read or you can sun yourself on the comfy towel lined beds. We ordered juices from the Treetop Bar, fresh kiwi apple and mint to cool us down. Wicker and wood sunloungers, canvas parasols and a pool bar demand sun-soaked lazing.
There are two restaurants so that you never have to leave the resort if you don’t feel like it {and why would you??}. We loved the Treehouse restaurant for drinks and lunches, there was an impressive wood fired oven for meat and pizzas. Again, so effortlessly styled, the owner was a former Vogue stylist. The only thing I would say is that if you were here for a couple of days the local village Palazetto is only a five minute walk down the road with a mini grocery store and pizzeria if you get cabin fever or want something that’s, ahem, a little lighter on the wallet..
The hotel can arrange countless activities around the local area, wine tasting, vespa riding or horse riding if you wanted to. Or you could go on a walk to San Galgano through the countryside. But we were quite happy staying put for the afternoon.
We’d been excited for dinner all day, Meo Modo has a Michelin Star and is set on the most beautiful terrace outside the original 13th century Villa. After spending the afternoon by the pool, we got ready for the evening and found the whole place bathed in magical evening light as the sun began to set.
The whole place is just perfection. That dappled light!!
This view fast became my favourite, it’s what I imagined when I’d pictured Tuscany. The waiters told me that they set up for weddings in this spot. Dreamy!
There had been a wedding that day, we didn’t spot any of the ceremony but walked past a beautiful private dinner for the small party and spotted this classic Vespa with trailing tin cans. How awesome to ride down the drive in your wedding dress on one of these!!
The setting for dinner made it ridiculously special before any food had even arrived. The whole evening topped my {very high} expectations and the food, oh the food, will be one to remember for a long long time. Such a romantic restaurant surrounded by candles and a couple of roaring fires for when it got a little chilly later in the evening. If you’re here on your honeymoon, ask for a special dinner away from the main restaurant if you’d prefer, amongst the roses or in a grotto perhaps??
You know you’re in for a treat when even your handbag gets to sit on a pedestal… I die!!
The food was out of this world. Plate after plate of pre dinner canapes, appetisers, fish, pasta and risotto courses, all Michelin starred, creative Italian and beautifully styled.
The lobster linguine was probably my favourite and I’d fly back there just to eat it all over again.
We both ordered fish for our second courses and then out came the puddings! A caramel apple creation and this white chocolate custard with berries and meringue.
