La Villa Hotel, Mombaruzzo, Italy

La Villa is a 17th- (or maybe 16th-) century palazzo which sits high on a hill amongst the beautiful rolling Monferrato countryside, surrounded by vineyards. It has superb views in every direction, framed by the Alps over 100 kilometres away.

The church spires and hilltop villages can be seen on the surrounding hills and the church bells compete for the attention of the cyclists and walkers as they explore the magnificent countryside. La Villa already has a reputation as the most relaxing, indulgent and comfortable accommodation in the area.

La Villa currently accommodates up to 26 guests with suites, double and single rooms, all with antique and period furniture purchased in the local area.

There are landscaped gardens with a large covered pergola, a lounge bar, wine tasting room and sun terraces, and a superb swimming pool with views along the valley, plus a games room. Originally built for a wealthy local benefactor, the property has undergone careful and thoughtful renovation to restore many of the old country features typical of the area of the time. La Villa is set in the Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) region, home of many of Italy's (and the world's) finest wines including Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Brachetto, Gavi, Asti, Grignolino, Dolcetto and Moscato. The Monferrato hills alone are home to over 40 DOC and 6 DOCG wines and there are several wine producers who offer wine tastings within 5 minutes of the hotel, together with one of Italy's most renowned grappa manufacturers - Berta.