A luxury stay on Lake Como
Elisabeth Rushton discovers the many charms and facilities of Grand Hotel Villa Servelloni, which enjoys an incomparable location on Lake Como, Italy.
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La Dolce Vita
Two new Italian spas have recently opened and couldn’t be more different. Though, strictly speaking, neither is a conventional spa and neither is entirely new. Anna Selby mixes red wine and chocolate therapies with hot yoga and serious rejuvenation. Villa Lucia, half an hour’s drive from Pisa, is everyone’s idea of the perfect Tuscan villa, its gold ochre walls bathed in the light of a warm sun, cypresses lining its drive. There are big, airy rooms, roll-topped baths and frescoed walls. Swallows swoop across the surface of the outdoor swimming pool and there are lovely gardens filled with fragrant plants and sculptures.Most meals are served outside at a long, shaded table. The food is, quite simply, sensational and the chef versatile enough to adapt to everyone’s needs. While I was there, we sampled the red wine and chocolate diet....
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A Charming Tyrolean Time Warp
Graced with fresh air, wow views and scenic mountains, Val Gardena isn’t just an active holiday destination for cycling, climbing and Nordic walks. The South Tyrol also boasts a quirky spa featuring alpine ingredients. Annabelle Hood went to see for herself. I’m fortunate to have had a number of back massages over the years, but there are only a handful that are memorable, such as my short but sweet half hour massage at the Anais Beauty Farm in the basement of the Hotel Gardena Grödnerhof. The gourmet alpine hotel and spa is not just any Relais & Chateaux member, but the winner of the ‘Relais & Chateaux Spa of 2011’ award.My treatment left me with lasting physical benefits for some time after I’d left the treatment room and pondering the theoretical advice of my young therapist (who can’t have...
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A Sicilian Taster
Whether you’re a keen golfer, a spa aficionado, or just appreciate fine wining, dining and holidaying in beautiful locations, Sicily’s Donnafugata Golf and Spa Resort is sure to please, says Sarah Dawson. Located in the south west of the island, nestled between the sea and within an area of natural history and conservation, the Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa is dubbed a golfing enthusiast’s dream, but that’s not the only reason guests come here. Sicily is known as la ‘isola bella’ and is the largest island in the Mediterranean. With the two main industries being tourism and agriculture (an award-winning olive oil hails from here, as does delicious Ricotta cheese), you can expect mouthfuls of appetising Italian food and drink, fascinating ancient cities, a stunning coastline and a landscape dotted with traditional farms, carob, olive and orange trees, and a...
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