Big news from Italy today: Timbers Resorts has opened its latest European property, Hotel Castello di Casole. A former 10th century castle turned 41-suite boutique hotel, Hotel Castello di Casole – A Timbers Resorts Hotel & Residences, is part of the company’s 4,200-acre private estate in Tuscany, within an hour of Florence, Siena and the Chianti and Montalcino wine regions. What makes it special: The hotel has more than 100 acres of vineyards and olive groves, a model game reserve, a state-of-the-art wellness center and some of the region’s finest cuisine.
Once a castle home to Italian nobility, 14 of Hotel Castello di Casole’s 41 suites have large private gardens and terraces with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking acres of vineyards and lemon and olive trees.
Hotel highlights include:
· The three bedroom, two-story, 3,350- square-foot Bargagli Penthouse with a private terrace
· Fine-dining venue Ristorante Tosca serving a range of Executive Chef Daniele Sera’s local Tuscan cuisine using local produce from the hotel’s gardens, and extra virgin olive oil produced on the estate
· Gourmet pizzeria Pazzia with a traditional wood burning pizza oven, an espresso bar and gelateria
· Bar Visconti – named after Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti, who once lived at the Castello – offering bottles of the estate’s private label vintage, as well as cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
· The Essere Spa, located in what was originally the estate’s wine cellar, features seven treatment rooms with barrel-vaulted ceilings and restored stone walls. Treatments are inspired by natural products indigenous to Tuscany, including olive oil, rosemary and grape seeds. Guests also have access to a gym and outdoor gardens for yoga and Pilates classes
· A restored 18th century chapel, perfect for both wedding ceremonies and private social gatherings
Castello di Casole is also home to 28 restored and reconstructed Casali farmhouses and 10 Hotel Villas available for private residence club and whole ownership purchase. The concierge team can arrange private wine tours, truffle hunting, customized on-site cooking classes and mountain biking.
Best of all: From now through August 31, guests looking to stay at a hotel in Tuscany can reserve “Book Four, Stay Free” which includes a complimentary fourth night. For more information, visit www.castellodicasole.com.