Locanda Palazzone

Rooms

The most striking thing about the suites is their loftiness, and the tall windows that pull in the views. The combination of history and modernity is striking too, particularly in the main suite, Cardinale. Long cream curtains nudge creamy tufa stone, wide wooden steps spiral up to the loft, high mullioned windows frame the hills. All the rooms bar one - the first-floor Suite - are split level, with the bed upstairs. The Family Suite, also on the first floor, has a kingsize bed on the lower lever and twin beds (can be made into one king) plus bathroom on the upper level and all rooms (bathroom included) have good views.

We stayed in a Junior Suite and loved the Juliet balcony, fantastic views, and the remnants of the old stone archway within the room.

Comfy beds vary from ultra plain and encased in white to a chic pale grey four-poster. But it's not all minimalism, there are decorative touches too - an antique painted wardrobe, a rococo-esque armchair, a splash of pink or red. Pretty timbered ceilings and new-oak floors complete the elegant picture.

Bathrooms have fashionably circular or square white basins, tiny mosaics, Bulari soaps, limestone showers (no baths), and white waffle towels bundled with raffia and lavender. The attention to detail is reassuringly, exquisitely Italian.

Note the Family Apartment is of simpler design and on the ground floor with 2 levels: on the ground level there is a small living room which also a sofabed (5th possible guest) and handicapped-access bathroom. There is a wooden staircase to the upper level, which offers a king size room and a twin room. There are windows in all the bedrooms (not the bathroom) and lots of light, but no particular view.

Features include:

• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Food plays a big part here. The restaurant makes best use of the excellent produce and ingredients from local farms, and the Locanda's own vegetable garden tended by Pietro Dubini; all dishes are beautifully presented.

Our dinner was exceptional; the best meal we had during our 10-day tour of Tuscany and Umbria. It began with courgette flowers, filled with ricotta cheese and lightly fried in batter - beautiful to look at, light and flavoursome. Next up came a carpaccio of salmon with a parmesan crisp, which was wonderfully fresh. The homemade spaghetti with squid ink and calamari was divine; the pork served 3 ways was slightly too adventurous for my palate, but my husband loved it. We finished with seasonal fruits with gelatinous wine and almond ice cream - a fitting conclusion to an excellent meal.

Wine-wise, we sampled the Palazzone Compo del Guardino - an easy white made of 5 local grapes; the Piviere Sangiovese 2006 - a gorgeous, deep smoky red; and the Muffa Nobilis pudding wine - a lovely, syrup-y, moreish treat. You can buy bottles to take home at reception (we did).

On balmy evenings, dinners are served on the beautiful outdoor terrace, framed by white rosebeds, with views of Orvieto in the distance, and the sun setting. Cristana and Giovanni Dubini chat to guests in their easy hospitable manner. Should it be too cold, meals are served in a low-lit dining room (The Enoteca), where tables are elegantly set.

Dinners are available every day except Monday, thus giving you the opportunity to eat out in lovely Orvieto. Ask for recommendations. Lunches are by request only.

Breakfast is also a joy, out among the lavender, myrtle and white roses. There's a wonderful Italian spread of homemade pastries, a decadent cherry jam tart, toasted ciabatta served with local ricotta, and fresh fruit salad. Jams are homemade - fig, wild plum, orange and lemon - and as you'd expect, the coffee is jolly good.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Honesty bar
• Kids' meals
• Lunch by arrangement
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Follow the ancient paths that slice through the hills around, and the hotel's 'Path through the Woods', a lovely 30-minute walk to an old borgo (fortified hamlet)
  
• Orvieto sits stop a vast tufa outcrop - a spectacular setting. Approach via funicular railway (the city has Slow status: no parking within its walls), then head for the beautiful Duomo. Admire its striped facade then head inside to the Chapel of San Brizio and Luca Signorelli's magnificent frescoes of The Last Judgment
  
• Civita di Bagnoregio, a precariously balanced tiny hilltown is a 25-minute drive away. Only accessible via a footbridge over an abyss, its setting is fairytale-esque. Arrive late afternoon to explore its tumbledown buildings, then walk back across the footbridge and watch the sun set behind the town
  
• The walled hilltown of Todi is less well-known but has an irresistible charm
  
• Just over the border in Lazio is Bolsena, a lakeside town worth a visit for its Etruscan ruins and stunning rampart views - and you can catch a boat to the island in the middle of the lake
  
• Franciscan monks - and East European pilgrims - still wander the streets of Assisi, a medieval town of narrow lanes, hidden courtyards and painted churches. Best visited after the crowds have gone home
  
• Perugia, capital of Umbria, is a place of some style, and packed with Renaissance art (1 hour away). There's also a jazz festival in summer
  
• Try the local wines (Umbria’s full-bodied Sagrantino reds, or Orvieto’s crisp whites) and the hotel's own whites... you may even help out at harvesting time
  
• Get sporty with horse riding and tennis close by
  
• Cookery lessons for small groups can be arranged in Orvieto; enquire in advance

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Museums / galleries
• Tennis
• Wine tasting

Kids

Children of all ages are very welcome here, though bear in mind this is a tranquil place and they will be expected to be reasonably quiet around the pool.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

There's a Family Suite which has 1 double and 1 twin room, and a Family Apartment which also has 1 double and 1 twin room, as well as space for an extra bed and a baby cot. The Suite can fit a baby cot, the Junior Suites can fit an extra bed or baby cot, and the Cardinal Suite can fit a baby cot and an extra bed.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Locanda Palazzone is at the end of a country track, a 10-minute drive from Orvieto, in the south-west corner of Umbria.

By Air:
There are flights to Perugia (82km), Roma Leonardo da Vinci/Fiumicino (160km), Roma Ciampino (136km) and Florence Firenze (190km).

By Train from the UK
If you'd prefer to travel overland from the UK, you can reach various destinations in Italy from London. See the excellent Seat 61 for more details. The nearest station is Orvieto; see Trenitalia for timetables. The hotel is a 10-minute taxi ride from Orvieto.

By Car:
If you want to hire a car see our car rental recommendations.

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

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