HONEYMOON So Siena 12429 views
Italian romantics will head to Tuscany every time. It is a honeymoon heaven with fabulous food, wine, designer shops and oodles of culture. Florence is first choice for most, but we have found a hotel in Siena that you just won't be able to resist.
Standing tall above the Tuscan landscape, Siena with its winding terracotta streets (almost traffic-free!) is immaculately preserved within a grand city wall. Hotels inside the city wall are few and far between. Yet it is better to be inside the city wall than anywhere else. And the best place to be inside the city wall for honeymoon pampering is the Grand Hotel Continental.
Located in a magnificent 17th century Palazzo, built by the Chigi Pope Alexander VII for his niece Olimpia for her wedding, it is the only 5-star luxury hotel in Siena. Its guest book holds reams of famous names, going right back to Queen Margaret of Savoy.
It was also a favourite stop off for the young European aristocratics on the Grand Tour - and it has lost none of its appeal.
Each of the rooms at the Grand Hotel Continental has a unique character whether it is a coffered ceiling, a delicate fresco or a four poster bed. All rooms have Carrara marble bathrooms, luxurious fluffy white robes and terracotta floors. One of the most exceptional rooms is the Altana suite, situated at the top of a Medieval tower. On two floors, the suite is filled with antiques and has a stunning panorama over the city from all four sides of the tower.
As the sun sets over the rooftops, the hotel opens its 'enoteca', the vaults at the foot of the hotel's Medieval tower. Wine and regional specialities are served to guests for the evening's tasting with a somellier to guide you through a selection of the 200 prestigious labels. Or you may prefer an aperitif at the trendy Enoteca Ai Banchi, a covered courtyard in the centre of the hotel. Dining at the Sapordivino is not to be missed. Its series of elegant rooms are the ultimate romantic setting for a refined Tuscan feast with regional dishes such as warm lobster salad and ravioli with asparagus sauce.
To find out more about the Grand Hotel Continental, go to royaldemeure.com or call ++ 39 0577 56011.
Go there: Three nights at the deluxe five-star Grand Hotel Continental cost from £741 pp (two sharing) including return flights to Pisa, return rail tickets to Siena, three nights’ B&B, and Kirker’s Guide Notes to restaurants and sightseeing. Call Kirker Holidays on 020 7593 2283 (kirkerholidays.com).
Posted in category: Honeymoon
