Review of Villa Fontelunga, by Barbara Soldi

A sleek and elegantly understated boutique hotel housed in the heart of Arezzo, Villa Fontelunga is a traditional Tuscan villa with touches of urban cool.

The facilities

It is a pleasure to relax in the boutique hotel's bright and airy lounge, where books and interesting magazines are scattered around at guests' disposal. Wi-Fi would be a great plus, but the communal laptop with broadband connection does the trick.

Move from the lounge to the veranda, and the ambient music will follow you via hidden wireless speakers. Walk across a soft green lawn to Villa Fontelunga's salt water swimming pool, surrounded by olive trees: if you had doubts before, now you can be sure you are in Tuscany.

The rooms

Once inside the boutique hotel, climb the immaculate staircase, past white orchids and Tamara de Lempicka prints, to reach the eight rooms. These are all decorated with a mix of brocade and silk fabrics and designer furniture. The effect is tranquil and all comforts are provided, but they won't win your heart in the same way as the luxury hotel's common areas.

Try to book one of the four rooms with view on the valley and your day will have a great start as soon as you open the pale blue shutters. If you are an early bird you will be able to enjoy the morning mist rising from the Val d'Orcia, unveiling the beautiful medieval town of Cortona on the horizon.

The boutique hotel's greatest achievement is located a ten-minute walk away from the main villa. This is 'Fattoria Scannagallo', a beautiful complex of guest rooms, born from the ashes of an old farmhouse. This little architectural jewel is composed by the four-bedroom Villa Scannagallo, the two-bedroom Villa Gallo, and Villa Galletto, a charming one-bedroom cottage, a perfect private retreat. The three villas share the fragrance coming from the lavender gardens and two pools: one of them is a stunning infinity pool with a view over the valley and, in mid-June, of the sunflower fields.

All bedrooms in the boutique hotel are lovely, but - again - the real pieces de resistance are the living areas, with kitchens opening into spacious and comfortable sitting rooms. Despite the modern open-plan layout, these manage to maintain the traditional Tuscan feel; they are also a perfect setting for dinner parties (a giant clock painted on one of the lounge walls with the hour hand set on 5pm reminds you its cocktail time!)

The contemporary bathrooms in the boutique hotel are decorated with grey stone mosaics - deserve a special mention: they feature sunken bathtubs and open showers with full-length windows, offering great views, and a kinky sense of freedom while you stand there facing the valley au natural…