Romantic honeymoon lodgings in Florence, Tuscany? (Our First Time)

[Noel Pagany]

 

 

My wife and I are honeymooning in Tuscany over the course of 6 days in mid-June.  We want an authentic experience especially when it comes to room and board.  Is there a place you would recommend that is romantic, in the center of things so we can go at it by walking or biking, and authentic to the beat of Tuscany, it's ambiance, food experience etc.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Thank in advance,

Noel.

[Dave Acton]

Hi Noel,

Congratulations! You can't beat a honeymoon in Tuscany! Can you give a general budget range per night? That would help, as there are options in all price ranges.

Dave A.

[Noel Pagany]

Hi Dave,
Thanks for the reply. I am not sure what the best value in price would be so maybe you can give me an idea but we would like to fall somewhere between $150 - 225 a night?? Is that feasible? Your help is appreciated.

Regards,
Noel.

[A&A Holidays LLC]

Hi Noel,

Where in Italy are you planning to go? There are amazing lovely romantic spots everywhere but we must be focused on the exact area. Are you looking at the Amalfi Coast? Sicily? Rome area? Venice?
If you can be a little more specific we can guide you well . If not, we can then make the reccomandations as we are a national USA Tour Operator/Wholesaler with our own offices in Italy. Are you a travel agent?

Please advise and we can help no worries.
Best regards
paul
A&A Holidays, Ltd.

[Katie Greenaway]

Ciao Noel,

Do you want to be in the center of Florence? I just wrote a post on hotels with romantic and gorgeous views of Florence. http://www.nileguide.com/destination/blog/florence/2010/05/06/a-roo...

Let me know if you want something different...

a presto,
Katie :)
Local Expert of Florence, Italy

[Laura Haltzel]

Hi Noel,

Congratulations! What a gorgeous location you have picked! Tuscany offers such variety - cities like Florence, towns like the beautiful walled-city of Lucca, and small villages in the hills of Chianti. My suggestion is that you start with the area/town you desire, and pick your accommodations after that.

LOCATIONS:

If you are seeking to stay in one location for your entire trip, then Lucca would be a lovely option as it is centrally located within Tuscany and is an easy short drive to other small towns and villages or short train ride to Florence, Pisa, etc. Unlike other towns it has been spared the influx of tour groups that other towns have experienced, so you really get a true Tuscan town feel. The area inside the wall is essentially a pedestrian zone and many locals commute by bike. You can also jog or ride your bike along the top of the wall itself!

If you prefer the quiet and truly local experience of a small village, there are plenty in the hills of Chianti. You might like Greve in Chianti, Panzano in Chianti or Radda in Chianti. These towns are much smaller than Lucca or Florence, and to explore the Chianti area you would really need to rent a car. But, you might be one of the only non-locals staying in town (particularly in Panzano) and that gives you a level of authenticity that is hard to match.

ACCOMMODATIONS: You can stay in hotels, villas that are run like a hotel, self-catered apartments, agriturismos, etc. All offer different levels of service/amenities.

So, once you have a feel for the location you prefer, and the accommodation style you prefer, the rest becomes easier. I have stayed in all of the above types of accommodation in Tuscany while developing cooking class vacations. They are all lovely options and all should be feasible within your budget. I am happy to share my favorites depending on what you are looking for.

Best wishes for tasty travels!

Laura

Laura Haltzel
Owner and Founder
Culinary Quests
www.culinaryquests.com

[Noel Pagany]

Thanks Katie for your help. Yes, I read your article on hotels. It was very helpful. I especially liked La Scaletta Hotel with the rooftoop scenery. Thanks for your help.

[Noel Pagany]

Hi Laura,
Lucca sounds like an extraordinary place to stay...would be lovely to bike around the town and see location not undulated with tourists. Are there some spots that you would recommend in that area...hotels and villas are probably what we are most comfortable with on this trip. Thanks again for you help! Noel.

[A&A Holidays LLC]

Hi Noel,

Hotel Villa Marta is ideal for your taste while in Lucca. It is an old hunting lodge renovated into a quite peaceful 4 star hotel It is situated in a lovely setting and well worth the stay. As for Florence we have several lovely villas or private stays or hotels which we like to reccomend.

Let me know
Thanks
Cheers
Paul
A&A Ciao Italy Tours, Ltd. ( a division fo A&A Holidays. Ltd.)

[Katie Greenaway]

You are welcome! Hope you have a great Honeymoon in Florence! Any other questions places to eat or drink feel free to contact me either thru my blog: http://blog.katerinafiore.com or NileGuide: http://www.nileguide.com/destination/florence

Buon viaggio e Auguri!
Katie Greenaway
Local Expert of Florence

Noel Pagany said:

Thanks Katie for your help. Yes, I read your article on hotels. It was very helpful. I especially liked La Scaletta Hotel with the rooftoop scenery. Thanks for your help.

[OneTouchWeather.com]

Here are a bunch of choices:

http://travel.onetouchweather.com/hotel/searchresults?cid=309841&am...[20100602-2]2&propUnavail=null

[Laura Haltzel]

Hi Noel,

I have a couple of places in Lucca that you might want to consider. Neither are chain hotels and both are elegant as well as being located within the walls of the city for convenience:

1) San Luca Palace Hotel: http://www.sanlucapalace.com/lucca-tuscany/
2) La Boheme Bed and Breakfast: http://www.boheme.it/rooms.html

If neither of these fit the bill, I strongly suggest that you contact my partner in Lucca, Michela Caturegli at [e-mail] . She is a wedding and event planner that has contacts with other properties in Lucca.

As an aside, I highly recommend the Cantine Bernardini restaurant for a great lunch or dinner: http://www.cantinebernardini.com/Cantine_Bernardini/home.html (the site is in Italian, but trust me when I say the food is fabulous!).

I hope that helps!

Laura

Laura Haltzel
Owner and Founder
Culinary Quests
www.culinaryquests.com

Noel Pagany said:

Hi Laura,
Lucca sounds like an extraordinary place to stay...would be lovely to bike around the town and see location not undulated with tourists. Are there some spots that you would recommend in that area...hotels and villas are probably what we are most comfortable with on this trip. Thanks again for you help! Noel.

[Noel Pagany]

Laura,
Thank you for so much. We have changed our plans and intending to stay in Lucca for a couple of days. Your advise and recommendations were very helpful... Thanks again.

Regards,
Noel.