Independent villa and boutique hotel specialist Simpson Travel has introduced a new 'Tuscan Wandering' programme, allowing clients to combine a selection of their Tuscan hotels and villas in one flexible and inspiring holiday.

There are four handpicked properties to choose from, with a complimentary 'Taste of Tuscany' experience at each one. These treats range from a visit to the thermal baths at Gambassi Terme and pampering massage to more gastronomic indulgences such as wine tastings and even cookery lessons.

The properties featured in the Tuscan Wandering programme include two new boutique Simpson Hotels: the traditional, stone-built La Madonnina near the Tuscan/Umbrian border and Mille Desideri – a 17th-century Adult Only retreat not far from Arezzo. 

Sleeping up to ten guests in a combination of suites and a studio, La Madonnina  is set in glorious gardens, complete with a pool, and has breathtaking views over the surrounding landscape of vineyards, olive groves and the beautiful Val di Chio. Mille Desideri has just five one-bedroom suites, with a private pool, spa, extensive gardens and a spectacular outlook over tranquil wooded hillsides and valleys all around. Interiors are simple yet chic, with lovely public areas and comfy sofas to relax in, as well as plenty of terraces with different aspects from which to soak in the surrounding views.

Also included are stays at the two-bedroom Casetta Carina – a beautiful apartment occupying the east and south sides of an ancient stone house in the 15th-century hamlet of Bricciano, near Barbischio. Surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and the native forest of the Chianti countryside, the property is the perfect retreat for two or three people, with balconies and a terrace and access to an 18m salt-water swimming pool with panoramic views across to the distant hilltop hamlet of Castagnoli.

The fourth property in the programme is the rural hillside retreat of Capanno di Riorsoli, a pretty two-level barn conversion up in the Tuscan hills. Set in olive groves, with its own private pool surrounded by green lawns, it's just a ten-minute walk from the charming medieval town of Gambassi Terme and a 60-minute drive from Florence's multitude of cultural, culinary and artistic treasures. Sleeping up to four guests in two bedrooms, this tasteful renovation combines wooden-beamed interiors with comfort and vibrant colour and is a tranquil escape for enjoying the very best of Tuscan lifestyle.

Prices start at around £800pp for seven nights' accommodation only. Hotels are offered on a bed and breakfast basis, whilst villas are offered as self-catering accommodation. Stays in each of the four properties are for a minimum of three nights. This offer is valid from 13 May to 10 June subject to availability. 

For bookings call 020 8003 6557 or visit simpsontravel.com.

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For further media information, please contact: Sarah Bolam on 07714 337756 or email sarahbolamcommunications@gmail.com or Anthea Yabsley – 0208 578 6777 or email anthea.yabsley@ideal-pr.co.uk

Notes to Editors: Simpson Travel was established in 2002, yet its heritage predates this by many years. Founder Graham Simpson, a veteran of the travel industry, built up the highly successful Simply Travel in the 1970s with his Greek wife Yianna. From humble beginnings in a flat in Chiswick, it became one of the most respected independent travel companies of its time, renowned for offering authentic rather than 'packaged' holiday experiences, with carefully researched programmes, exceptional product knowledge and service.

In Simpson Travel, he recreated the original ethos of Simply Travel, offering a very personal service, with individually-selected properties, exceptional local knowledge for each destination, a highly experienced team of staff and excellent representatives in resort. Clients booking with Simpson Travel can be safe in the knowledge that their holiday has been created with their needs in mind and each property matched to their individual tastes and requirements. They can also rest assured that they will be really well looked after by the excellent representatives on hand in each resort.

In Greece, destinations for villas and hotels include Corfu, Paxos, Anti Paxos, Kefalonia, Ithaca, Lefkada, Meganissi, Zakynthos, Sivota, Skopelos and Crete. In Turkey, there is a choice of villas and some hotels in Akakya, the Bozburun Peninsula, Dalyan, Kalkan, Islamlar and Kaş. In Mallorca, choose from villas in Pollença, Puerto Pollença, Fornalutx and Southern Mallorca, whilst in Corsica, there are properties in Porto Vecchio, Bonifacio, The Valinco, The West Coast,  Calvi & The Balagne, Central Corsica, St Florent and Cap Corse, as well as the private island of Cavallo. The French programme includes villas and châteaux across France, with a particular focus on Provence, the Côte d'Azur, the Vendée and the South West/Dordogne area, whilst the 2017 Italy programme includes villas and apartments in Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria and Venice, as well two new boutique Simpson Hotels in Tuscany and range of properties in Cefalù on Sicily.