Tenuta San Pietro

Contemporary gastro-hideaway surrounded by olive trees and vineyards in a lesser visited part of Tuscany

Tenuta San Pietro is everything a Tuscan hotel should be: intimate, with a mouthwateringly fantastic restaurant and wine cellar, surrounded by olive groves and close to historic and cultural towns. Add to that a dash of modern design, a divine infinity pool and views of the Garfagnana mountains and you’ve got something a little bit special.

Nestling in the hills outside the gorgeous town of Lucca, it's a bit of a hidden gem, much like the region itself. This is Tuscany without the tourists, but you're still only a half-hour drive from Pisa, and 45 minutes from Florence.

Tenuta San Pietro is owned by a Norwegian family, so the heavy fabrics and Baroque gilding found in so many Tuscan hotels have given way to a more minimalist, Scandinavian-influenced sensibility in this 10-roomed hotel. We loved the wooden floorboards, exposed brickwork and design details like an iconic scarlet lip sofa in reception.

Food is another real highlight – the hotel’s restaurant draws diners from miles around and is regularly booked out in the summer months. As well as a restaurant, there’s a wine cellar with 350 bottles, a tasting room (you can also sample their own olive oil), a lounge and terrace overlooking the olive tree-studded grounds.

Highs

• The food. The New York Times called this region the best in Italy, and guests rave about the cuisine here
• Italian manager Gastone is full of energy and enthusiasm and, being married to an Englishwoman, his English is impeccable
• Wine buffs will love the huge range of local and national vintages, and there are some excellent fattorie nearby for tasting tours
• The view from the infinity pool of the Tuscan countryside is exactly what you come here for
• It's a stylish modern hotel and a breath of fresh air in a region crammed with grand Baroque palaces

Lows

• You ideally need a car and Sat Nav - it's not that easy to find - though they do offer a free shuttle into Lucca
• It's an intimate hotel and sound travels between rooms
• There isn't a shower in all bathrooms - some just have a shower attachment on the jacuzzi bath
• The hotel is right on the road (which can get a bit busy in summer) so the rooms next to it may be noisy