Villa Fontelunga

Contemporary design, personal service and top-notch facilities, all served in a traditional Tuscan manor

From the pine-shaded carpark, the tall terracotta padronale with pale blue shutters, stone balustrades and flower-filled amphorae looks quintessentially Tuscan. But step in through the French windows and you're in Scandinavia: clean, crisp living spaces with designer furniture, modern art and hi-tech audiovisuals. Upstairs are 9 bedrooms with Philippe Starck and Arne Jacobsen furnishings and unmistakably Tuscan views. Like the house, its owners - 2 English, 1 Italian - combine cosmopolitan flair with Latin charm.

Self-cater or B&B, it's your choice. Stop off for a few nights à deux, and you get B&B par excellence with unbeatable service. Book the main house for a party of 10-18 and you’ve got the pool, tennis courts and gardens to yourselves – plus staff, if you want. There are also 3 smaller concierged villas for 2-10 nearby. Either way you’re ideally placed: 10 minutes from the motorway, 20 from Arezzo and Cortona, and bull's-eye-centre for Siena, Florence, Assisi and Orvieto.

Highs

• Friendly, helpful English-Italian hosts
• Sociable atmosphere, with communal lunches and twice-weekly dinner parties
• Good facilities: swimming pool, tennis, bikes, and well-equipped bedrooms
• A refreshing change from the sombre, antique-laden décor of most Tuscan hotels
• The best single base from which to tour all of Tuscany and Umbria

Lows

• This level of care and style doesn’t come cheap
• You may find the bedrooms small for the money
• Don't expect a rustic, Tuscan atmosphere
• Apart from Tuesdays and Fridays, you will have to drive to nearby restaurants for dinner