Tuscany Spa Experience

Lisa Brady on 29 November 2017
Rolling Tuscan countryside, terracotta houses, tall thin cypress trees, beautiful palatial hotels and villas with thermal spas – what an amazing four days I’ve had visiting three different hotels in Italy that would make a perfect relaxing break. Beautiful weather as well - mist, fresh mornings turning into lovely warm sunny days around 16 degrees.

Hotel Fonte Verde 5*

A city break in Rome or Florence and then transfer to the Fonte Verde within one hour thirty minutes for a luxury, tranquil experience. This palatial hotel is set in the hills of the rolling Tuscan countryside with amazing panoramic views and an outdoor thermal spa.

There are seven pools including a pool for dogs and a cold-water pool (May-Oct). What I loved in this spa and the other spas that we visited were the heated wardrobes for your bath robes and slippers – putting on a warm robe makes such a difference when you are in and out of the thermal waters outside. Treatments are also available here. There are standard rooms, Junior Suites, accessible rooms, pet-friendly rooms located in the 17th Century Medici building or the new building (slightly larger rooms) with lovely views. The higher priced rooms having their own coffee machines.

This hotel offers a fabulous buffet breakfast in the La Corte Restaurant, lunch served on the outdoor terrace and dinner in the more formal Ferdinando restaurant offering Tuscan and Mediterranean dishes complemented by a fine wine list. I found the food here fantastic. There was such a wonderful choice at breakfast and lunch and the dinner was delicious – baked cheese in a very thin pastry, spaghetti ragu, veal, tiramisu and coffee. The aperitifs that we had in the lounge area were also lovely.

Enjoy morning walks with a guide through the valley, cycling, hiking, horse riding, truffle hunting, vineyard tours or hire a classic car and explore the surrounding villages and countryside.

If you’re looking for a total escape into the hills for two to three nights, peace and quiet, panoramic views, luxury and be very well looked after, this is the hotel for you.

Hotel Grotta Giusti 4*

This hotel used to be a grand residential villa and is set in the Tuscan countryside between Pisa, Lucca and Florence. This elegant 19th century property boasts a charming historical ambiance and a natural spa with a unique thousand-year old underground cave and hot springs.

The underground thermal cave with its natural steam and distinct areas named Heaven, Purgatory and Hell is an amazing 50 minutes experience. Inside the cave you can also have a floating experience or diving experience (need a diving licence). Once you’re out of the cave there are also two outdoor thermal pools to relax in, one of which is 750m2 as well as a cold water outdoor pool open in the Summer. Treatments are also available here, including a mud bath. I found this to be more of a medicinal Spa retreat – great for respiratory problems.

Various categories of rooms from the comfort to the junior suite in the historical and new building, with views of either the front parkland or the mountains. This hotel offers lots of late check out rooms for guests.

The Veranda restaurant features an array of Tuscan specialities, La Pergola is ideal for al fresco dining and the poolside Bioaquam café tempts with a selection of light meals. In the main restaurant, The Veranda, we had a lovely buffet meal consisting of fish, pasta, meat dishes, lovely choice of salad, fruits, cheeses and desserts.

At the hotel there is a gymnasium, synthetic grass tennis court and many golf courses located nearby, making it a perfect base for a golfing break. The hotel offers a transfer service to the golf courses at an extra charge as well as a shuttle to the train station and shopping area.

Other activities include bird watching by day and listening to the birds by night with a guide, bike rental (professional bikes to rent) and personal trainers.

We went on a lovely morning walk into the hills, past olive groves which took around 30 minutes and included various stops with signs indicating an activity to do for example squats, deep breathing, stretching which was a perfect way to start the day!

The Grotta Giusti is perfect for groups, couples and families who want to explore the cities of Lucca, Florence and Pisa, golfing breaks and those who like to relax in a spa but also like to be active. A minimum of four nights would be recommended.

Hotel Bagni di Pisa 5*

Originally built as a majestic spa residence in 1743 for the grand duke of Tuscany, and becoming the destination of choice as a relaxing retreat for royalties, dignitaries and celebrities over the centuries, the Bagni di Pisa has been lovingly restored. This hotel is only 10 minutes by car or train from Pisa and from some of the rooms you have a view over the city. The beautiful city of Lucca is only 12km away so easily accessible.

There is a simply wonderful spa with a range of thermal pools fed by the natural hot springs, a steam room set in a cave, unique treatments and an outdoor thermal pool. I really enjoyed the salt treatment here where I had to lie on a bed of warm salt, wrapped up in a white muslin cloth and had warm salt crystals poured over my body, bliss. The indoor thermal salt pool was also fantastic as you could literally float and relax there.

There are 61 rooms ranging from standard comfort to larger suite. All rooms are beautifully decorated, suites with frescoes and boast separate living room and luxurious marble bathrooms.

The Byron Lounge on the second floor is lovely for aperitifs and in the elegant restaurant on the third floor we had a delicious buffet breakfast and evening meal – mozzarella and tomato salad, seafood pasta, seabass in a lovely tomato and vegetable sauce, tiramisu and coffee.

This hotel also offers a morning guided walk into the Tuscan hills to explore more of the surrounding area. As the train station is so close, you can easily explore the surrounding villages and cities.

The Bagni di Pisa is perfect for couples, groups or families who would like a few days relaxing as well as sightseeing in the beautiful cities of Lucca and Pisa and the Tuscan hills.

Please contact me for further information on these leading hotels as well as other hotels and spa breaks worldwide.