Rooms

The 16 rooms and suites come in a range of sizes, but each has a different personality; all individually designed around the villas’s original features, and each a labour of love.

Nicola is the designer in the house and she clearly relished the job, trawling antique shops and local markets for the curios and beautiful textiles, the clay pots, Rococo mirrors and unusual one-off pieces of exotic and period furniture that have been used to create a variety of different styles. In her “French Quarter” in the main house, the rooms are all whitewash, creams, dove grey, silver, faded damask and pale painted furniture; others are down-to-earth Italian, furnished with warm wood, terracotta and wrought iron. Some have high vaulted ceilings or bare brick walls; all are light and spacious with interesting beds, quirky details and great views.

We loved one of the Deluxe Doubles with its own front door (and giant iron key) off the garden, travertine floors and a contemporary four-poster bed, draped in wispy white muslin and dressed with a luxurious faux fur throw. The walls are all white, other than a fragment of preserved 1800s fresco; French windows open onto a generous terrace (shared with the Suite next door), and carved doors lead into a large bathroom. The Penthouse, the villa’s original master bedroom, is another stunner - furnished with antique floor tiles, a romantic roll-top tub and a balcony with views of the rose garden. The Junior Suite and Granary Suite are romantic and ideal for cosying up in.

Most of the bathrooms are big and gorgeous, many have large wet-room showers; all have windows with the exception of the rustic Single Room (or, as Nicola calls it, the “emergency double”).

All rooms are supplied with locally produced bottles of shampoo and bath/shower gel, heavy white towels, fluffy bathrobes and posies of flowers. All come with a minibar fridge and hot drinks tray (if you want fresh milk, just ask).

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Bathrobes
• Central heating
• DVD player
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Iron
• Minibar
• Pool towels
• Slippers
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

The hotel’s restaurant - La Vie - has an informal guests-only dining room, with views of the garden and pool, and a star-lit courtyard overlooking the vineyards. Prepared by local chef Matteo Rossi, a typical meal might include peperoni ripieni with Roccaverano cheese, fresh tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, Piemontese beef with Barolo sauce and seasonal vegetables, followed by their trademark tiramisu. Dishes vary according to the season, and all are served with a selection of Piedmontese wines. Go for extra indulgence by adding white truffle shavings to your meal, sourced from the nearby woodland.

Breakfast is served in a garden room by the bar, where doors open out onto a terrace (you can eat outside on fine days); expect fresh fruit, cereals, breads, pastries and preserves, hams, cheeses and eggs to order.

If you fancy eating out, a comprehensive list of local restaurants (all tried and tested by the Nortons) is provided in the room. You can, for example, do fine dining at I Caffi, a Michelin 1 Star in Acqui Terme (25 mins from La Villa), or try the best pizza in the area at Cascina Vecchia in Canelli (15 mins). Eat out every day for a week and you wouldn’t get through them all.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Explore the beautiful Roman spa town of Acqui Terme (20 mins' drive), the Piedmont equivalent of England’s Bath Spa (with piping hot thermal springs). It’s great for shopping and there’s a weekly market
  
  
• Medieval Alba, the centre of the Barolo wine region, is also worth a visit: there are pay-as-you-go bikes for hire in the centre, and in October/November the town hosts an annual 6-week truffle festival
  
  
• Enjoy the hustle and bustle of Wednesday morning produce market at Asti (30 mins) - a great introduction to Piedmont’s foodie culture - or come in September for the town's palio (horse-running festival)
  
  
• Local towns and villages worth a look include: Nizza Monferatto (7 mins), good for restaurants, shopping and mooching around; the hill village of Mombaruzzo (5 mins), home to the Amaretti biscuit, the Berta Grappa distillery and an excellent Cantina Sociale; and Canelli (15 mins) for cobbled streets and more cantinas
  
  
• Soothe your senses at the small on-site spa, with a range of treatments on offer using locally produced products, a sauna and hydromassage pool. You can also take part in yoga and pilates sessions here.
  
  
• Or enjoy the views from Nieve, a beautiful medieval village with a Castello winery - and perfect for an al fresco lunch
  
  
• Longer day trips can take you up to museum-rich Turin (the famous shroud is stored in the Capella della Sindone in the Duomo), the fashion capital of Milan (the drive into the city is not for the fainthearted), or to the coast around Genoa
  
  
• During the truffle season (Sept-Nov), you can join a truffle hunt (see Rates), including a truffle supper - the hotel can organise this for you
  
  
• If there’s anything else you fancy doing - horseriding, hiking, cookery courses, vineyard tours - just ask. Guests can take part in the chef’s regular Italian cookery courses to recreate dishes at home

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Museums / galleries
• Shopping / markets
• Tennis
• Traditional cultures
• Yoga

Kids

It’s not overtly child-friendly; children over 10 are welcome and pay normal rates. They can be accommodated on sofa beds in the suites (there is a small supplement), and a baby-sitting service can be provided. Children over the age of 10 can also have their own room.

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

La Villa sits among Monferrato vineyards, 4km from Mombaruzzo in the Asti region of Piedmont, in northern Italy.

By Air
The nearest airports are Genoa (1 hour by car), Turin and Milan Malpensa (both 90 minutes), and Bergamo (to the east of Milan, 1 hr 45 mins) for some charter flights.

By Train
From southern England, it's a surprisingly easy rail journey to reach the cradle of Slow Food: leave London in the late afternoon, change in Paris and have dinner and an early night's sleep on your way to Milan; then take a morning transfer and be in Turin in time for early breakfast. See the excellent Seat 61 for details. The nearest stations are at Mombaruzzo (4 mins) and Nizza Monferatto (7 mins).

By Car
You will almost certainly want a car during your stay: the hotel can arrange for a hire car to meet you at the station. See our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to Italy and getting around