L'Albereta et Restaurant Gualtiero Marchesi is a 19th-century villa that was converted into a luxury hotel by the Moretti family in 1993. Ideally located in Erbusco, just 80 km east of Milan in the Franciacorta district, L'Albereta is also just a hop, skip and a jump away from Brescia, Bergamo, Verona, Cremona and Mantova.

Closer to home, Erbusco itself is certainly nothing to sniff at, either - this area is world-renowned for its prestigious sparkling wines and expansive vineyards, its medieval towers and abbeys, ancient villages and of course, Lake Iseo.

The facilities

L'Albereta consists of five buildings: the original Bellavista Tower, the new Lake View Tower, the farmhouse, the Contadi Castaldi Tower and the Casa Leone. Its restaurant is run by internationally acclaimed chef Gualtiero Marchesi, whose unique style of cuisine combines classic and modern Italian dishes.

The Henri Chenot Spa is run by Dr. Chenot, an expert in the field of health and well-being. This grand spa takes up the entire ground floor of L'Albereta's Lake View Tower and is designed to take in as much natural light as possible. This design ensures that guests will be able to enjoy the tranquil views of the verdant countryside while pampering themselves with the wide amount of treatments offered, including homeopuncture and micro circulation therapy.

The rooms

L'Albereta has 57 rooms with 9 suites, 11 junior suites, 35 double rooms and 3 single rooms. For the ultimate in luxury, ask about L'Albereta's most unique and exclusive room, which features a skylight - and even a terrace equipped with a telescope - so guests can gaze at the stars as they drift off to sleep.