Honeymoons hotspots

Five wonderful hotels from the very north to the very south of the peninsula

WHEN THE MOON hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore!’ Makes falling in love all sound rather simple but when it comes down to choosing where to go on the most important holiday of your life, Italy is a moveable feast.

With regions that are each uniquely different in architecture, atmosphere and art as well as the all important food and wine, the
Boot is a banquet for the senses. To help you find the most seductive and stylish hotels in the land of love, the boutique hotel
experts at Mr & Mrs Smith have selected some of their favourite hideaways: the recipe for a perfect honeymoon.

DESTINATION: PUGLIA

Located in Italy’s sunny south, Puglia has a particular character and charm, little known to outsiders; the Italians who flock here in the summer keep this laidback playground of blue sea, golden sands and olive groves strictly a family affair. As at all good Italian get-togethers, food takes centre stage: fresh fish, melons, figs, olive oils and wines.

Puglia produces almost all of the country’s - in fact Europe’s - pasta. Yet although the region may appear Italian down to its boots, the heel of Italy has a very cosmopolitan past: the Greeks, Spanish and Normans all paid visits, leaving a quirky mishmash of architectural heirlooms, from Baroque churches and Romanesque cathedrals to whitewashed villages and the traditional conical dwellings called trulli.

WHERE TO STAY:

Masseria Torre Coccaro in Puglia (left)

STYLE: Refined fortress

SETTING: Sea-scented olive groves

The rooms in this historic fortified farmhouse in Puglia are exquisitely furnished with linen bedding, silky sofas, large baroque mirrors and antique furniture. Torre Coccaro is a masseria fortificata, a family-run working farm and fortress, producing its own vegetables, fruits, olive oil and salami. Surrounded by formal gardens and orchards, there are plenty of places to canoodle from caved recesses with padded seating built into the thick whitewashed walls, to discreet wooden benches in the garden. Take a dip in the lake-style pool, superbly integrated into the gardens, or indulge in a pamper session at the subterranean Aveda spa offering a vast selection of massages, and therapies in hot and cold pools. Room 35, which is a junior suite set in an ancient tower, has beautiful sea views and cosy fireplace, and room 6, the Orange Garden suite, set into the bedrock, with large dining area, garden and Jacuzzi, is ultra-private.

ROOMS: 37

RATES: €252-€1,233, breakfast and taxes included.

DESTINATION: SOUTH TYROL

Austrian until 1919, the South Tyrol - or Südtirol - is Italy’s most northerly province, with a distinctive Teutonic tone. Two-thirds of the population speak German as their mother tongue and handsome schlossen dot every hillside, but still an Italian sensibility prevails, creating an intriguing cultural mix. The landscape is dominated by the dramatic peaks of the Dolomites mountain range, towering over peaceful valleys of orderly farmland, apple orchards and award-winning vineyards. The spa town of Merano and ancient Bolzano are the South Tyrol’s two main towns; their undoubted charms are perhaps eclipsed by the sheer beauty of the natural backdrop, which provides a perfect adventure playground for nature-loving honeymooners.

WHERE TO STAY:

Vigilius Mountain Resort (left)

STYLE: Modernist lodge

SETTING: Dramatic Dolomites

The sleek minimalist design of this hip hotel and spa is as easy on the eye as it is the body and soul. Set in the spectacular scenery of the Dolomites, and only accessible by cable car, Vigilius is warm and cosy on the inside, and just as inviting with its action-packed outside offerings, from skiing and tobogganing to hiking and horse riding. The hotel is open-plan, yet intimate thanks to clever partitioning and simple, functional furniture, and it’s also built with natural, local materials making it as soothing to eco minds. If you’re a sucker for a view, reserve a room on the second floor at the front of the hotel, or a more secluded-feeling upper room at the back.

ROOMS: 35 and six suites.

RATES: €310-€585, including breakfast, unlimited use of the cable car and activities such as archery and yoga.

DESTINATION: AEOLIAN ISLANDS

The ‘seven sisters’ of the volcanic Aeolian Islands are scattered like stars across the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea, north of Sicily. Once believed to be the home of Aeolus and Vulcan, the god of the winds and the god of fire, they are now worshipped by islandlovers drawn to the cobalt waters, secret

coves, brooding volcanoes and windswept mountainsides. The islands mix elemental forces in extraordinarily variety: the fiery volcano of Stromboli; black-sand beaches of sulphurous Vulcano; glamorous bougainvilleaframed hideaways on Panarea; the lush vineyards of Salina. Serene and peaceful and yet volatile and capricious - a playground fit for the gods.

WHERE TO STAY:
Hotel Raya

STYLE: Hotspot by night

This boutique island hideaway is pure Med heaven with simple, elegant rooms tastefully furnished in Raya’s signature colours of blue and white. The hotel is split into three levels - Raya Alto, Raya Basso and Raya-Peppe Maria. Raya Basso contains the reception, bar, restaurant and sundeck; Raya-Peppe Maria houses the island’s hippest shopping boutique, together with a few small rooms; and Raya Alto, with its mesmerising views, is the level to choose your accommodation on. The hotel is deliciously exclusive as the island is tricky to get to, unless you have a boat or helicopter. We loved rooms 41 and 42, which are located at the top of the cliff and are the most private, with the best views. 36 has a private terrace and 32 an enormous private patio with volcano vistas.

ROOMS: 36 + two suites, one junior suite.

RATES: €195-€480, including breakfast.

DESTINATION: VENICE

Truly one of the most beautiful cities on earth, Venice is a maze in which to lose yourself, wandering its charming, traffic-free alleys. Drifting along one of the hundreds of canals by gondola or water taxi, you can admire Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Give Piazza San Marco a chance

WHERE TO STAY:
Ca Maria Adele

STYLE: Baroque elegance

SETTING: Canalside charm

Hotel-wise, what you want in such an architectural museum of a city is something chic, sophisticated and as far from the madding crowds as possible (and the crowds can be quite something, especially in summer). With its huge Murano chandeliers, flock wallpaper and heavy damask fabrics, the Ca Maria Adele is absolutely Venetian, but its African wood, polished concrete and laid-back, bohemian atmosphere mean it is also undeniably modern and sexy. Located right opposite the Salute, it is in the heart of Venice’s most tranquil area, the art quarter, (the Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection are both nearby), and the only tourists you are likely to come across are lost ones. We adore the themed rooms, in particular the Sala Noir, Doge and Fireplace rooms. Room 332 and the Moorish Room have the best views. The new third-floor suite also has a good view, and a Jacuzzi.

ROOMS: 12

RATES: €280-€630 (plus 10 per cent tax), including breakfast and soft-drink minibar.

WHERE TO STAY:
Villa Fontelunga

STYLE: Grand guesthouse

SETTING: Glamorous gardens

Fans of contemporary cool will appreciate the way Villa Fontelunga in Tuscany combines Starck and Jacobsen with flourishes from the locale. Crafted from a traditional padronale, the villa is a marriage of traditional Tuscan style and contemporary design. It is homely and stylish and the personalities of owners Paolo and Philip (film-set designer), Simon (landscape gardener) and Paolo’s Mamma (domestic goddess) combine to make guests feel like part of an extended family. There are nine rooms, each individually designed, with stunning views across the Val di Chiana and a fantastic pool. The Oro room has wonderful views over the secret garden and the valley. The junior suite is in its own separate cottage with private terrace.

ROOMS: Eight rooms and junior suite in a separate building.

RATES: €154-€370, including breakfast.

Details:

www.mrandmrssmith.com