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The 12th-century Castello del Nero greets visitors with austere graciousness. The spacious terra-cotta foyer recalls those of grand hotels, while the expansive back terrace presents a Tuscan panorama complete with cypress trees and rolling hills clothed shades of green and yellow stretching to the horizon. Matching its surroundings in splendor, the hotel boasts Tuscany’s first exclusive destination spa, designed by ESPA, which offers holistic treatments alongside signature spa essentials.

Nonspa guests will appreciate the urban-hotel-style amenities, like the large fitness area, twenty-four-hour room-service and ample executive suites, whose marble bathrooms feature free-standing clawfoot bathtubs and tiled rain showers that promise a pristine level of cleanliness. The hotel is only 30 minutes from Florence by complimentary twice-daily shuttle and equally near to Siena and the Chianti region, accessible by car. During the summer months, guests can dine on the romantic terrace. With the luxury and amenities of a metropolitan hotel, plus faultless service and a supreme Tuscan location, Castello del Nero will turn even the most diehard urbanites into country mice. Rooms from $540.

Who Should Stay: Spa goers, travelers who want to be based in Tuscany but close to Florence, and those who like the aesthetic of a private villa withe the high-end service of a luxury hotel.

Recommended itinerary from this base: From Florence to Siena