L'Orto degli Angeli, Bevagna, Italy
L'Orto degli Angeli 4 Stars
"A lovely old boutique hotel, with hanging gardens and rooms named after angels, in the Umbrian countryside."
Hotel Overview
Review of L'Orto degli Angeli, by Kamin Mohammadi
A hanging garden connects the two 16th-century palaces that make up this jewel of a boutique hotel. The mellow stone walls of the Palazzo Andreozzi and the Palazzo Alberti have been home to the Angeli family since the 18th-century. This beautifully converted hotel, still home to the family, combines all the comforts of a luxury hotel with the feel of a family house - albeit on an impressive scale.
The rooms are named after angels and there are collections of books and magazines everywhere to be thumbed through or borrowed. The public rooms manage to be cosy, grand, traditional and chic all at the same time. Sensitive restoration has not interfered with the palaces' own unique atmosphere, furnishings and décor are luxurious and tasteful and faithful to the history of the buildings without being overbearing.
The hotel also encompasses two ambulatories of a 1st-century AD Roman theatre, excavation and restoration have now allowed them to be used within the hotel - Redbis restaurant is located along the corridors gladiators would have walked down before entering the stadium. The service is friendly and very personal and the hanging garden truly special, connecting the courtyard of the two palaces and giving views over Bevagna's medieval rooftops and bell towers.
The facilities
While there is no spa on site, the hotel can arrange for a masseuse to visit the property and convert one of the rooms into a therapy room, complete with log fire and scented candles. The focal point of L'Orto degli Angeli is the hanging garden which dates back to 1720 and is overlooked by the stone loggia of one of the palaces. Wisteria, jasmine, clematis and roses scent the air with their sweet perfumes and the lavender flowers are used throughout the hotel as well as the restaurant desserts.
The rooms
There are nine magnificent rooms in the Palazzo Andreozzi and five suites in the Palazzo Alberti overlooking the hanging garden. The rooms are grand, with soaringly high ceilings and polished stone floors, and many are decorated with enchanting frescoes. Four-poster beds and fine period furnishings make them a romantic dream - the hotel is a hit with honeymooners.
The suites require a walk across the wonderful garden and along the loggia - again the romance is overwhelming. Sitting rooms come with log fires and deep armchairs to sink into, bedrooms are stylishly and simply fitted and bathrooms are individually luxurious - one has a sunken stone bath, another an opulent wet-room. Every room has its own individual look and feel but each one is as relaxing as it is splendid.
Facilities
Rooms
14Come for...
- The acclaimed Redbis restaurant
- Gracious country house living
Not Suitable for...
- A hip city break, Bevagna is a beautiful stone medieval Umbrian town – very charming but dead after 10pm
Children
This romantic hotel is better suited to couples.
Eating in
Redbis, the hotels’ restaurant, is one of the finest in Umbria, arguably Italy, and dramatically set in part of an old Roman amphitheatre. The cuisine uses the finest ingredients of the region such as the delicious Umbrian olive oil, the menu draws on traditional recipes from the family and there is even a glossy cookery book, a mixture of the old family recipes along with family photos and memories. Service is excellent and the wine list is accomplished.