Located between Pisa, Florence and Siena, within an hour of Tuscany's most iconic sites and cities, the immaculately-restored hamlet and country estate, Castelfalfi debuts new accommodations, a new wellness offering and fine dining restaurant for 2024. This marks the culmination of an extensive transformation project that started in 2022 to create a unique, destination resort in this much-loved region of Italy. A 'borderless' estate with no walls or gates, Castelfalfi combines one of Tuscany's most scenic hill-top villages, inhabited since Etruscan times, with a contemporary-luxe hotel and stylish, renovated villas set in over 2,700 acres of rippling countryside, woodland, vineyards and olive groves. Here, a medieval-meets-modernity approach invites a new generation of travellers to immerse themselves a timeless Tuscan dreamscape, whilst experiencing sensational contemporary design, culinary creativity and transformational wellbeing.

RAKxa WELLNESS SPA AT CASTELFALFI

An exclusive RAKxa Wellness Spa at Castelfalfi will launch this Spring. Castelfalfi will be the first European outpost for the respected integrative wellness brand, who have collaborated on a set of curated, rebalancing treatments and packages for the resort, targeting sleep, stress and healing. The spa now offers over 1,500sqm of serene wellness spaces, including seven treatment rooms, two saunas, a steam room, relaxation area, salon and granite-lined indoor/outdoor heated infinity pool with breath-taking hillside views. Originating in Thailand, RAKxa combines a variety of therapies and wisdoms developed over millennia with modern day knowledge to create personalised healing programmes to complement individual health goals. Expertly-trained therapists, a new hydrotherapy suite designed to reduce inflammation and promote relaxation, and a carefully-devised, nourishing wellness menu support RAKxa's core principles of rebalancing body and mind.

ACCOMODATION & DESIGN

Guest accommodation in 146 rooms, comprising 115 rooms in the main building and the 31 rooms in the historic tobacco warehouse, spa, public spaces, bars and restaurants and seven reclaimed villas scattered across the estate, have now completed a three-year comprehensive renovation in collaboration with design maestros Henry Chebaane, Affine Design, and Caberlon Caroppi. In the main hotel, four spacious new Signature Suites by Affine Design showcase lavish finishing from glossy wood veneers, bespoke fabrics and private outdoor living rooms. Original art and endless views of the gardens and Tuscan hills add a further touch of magic. The first of the new, luxury accommodations set within historic borgo (hamlet) will open in March. Designed by Raed Abillama with plush, contemporary interiors and glamorous, mid-Century-Deco styling, the renovated 18C Casa Medici is a delightful three-bedroom villa with dining room, kitchen, lounge and its own private, botanical garden.  Graceful arched windows offer vistas over the Medicean Park and Tuscan Hills.  

CULINARY CREDENTIALS

Guests can look forward to an epicurean adventure discovering the resort's six restaurants and bars, helmed by Executive Chef Davide De Simone. All founded on a farm-to-table ethos and creative, contemporary menus using the finest Tuscan and seasonal produce. La Rocca, located in the medieval castle itself, will open as a 25-cover, restaurant in 2024, offering re-imagined cuisine, inspired by Tuscan ingredients in a series of restored, historical salons and on the romantic, panoramic terrace.  Olivina was conceived by Henry Chebaane as a dynamic modern bistro and food atelier, encouraging guests to take an exciting culinary journey. This theatre of Mediterranean tastes has many, entertaining spaces, which are open throughout the day, include the wine room, delicatessen, bar, bakery and open show kitchen. Given a stylish new facelift for 2024, Tuscan trattoria, Il Rosmarino is a favourite with guests and locals alike, serving wood-fired pizza, grills and traditional Tuscan, convivial surrounds. Featuring fresh design with floor-to-ceiling windows, and overlooking the challenging 27-hole golf course, the Country Club House combines a casual, day-time dining menu. Sophisticated indoor seating coupled with a panoramic outdoor terrace, international cuisine, live music and crafted cocktails can be found at Ecrù Lounge Bar, and light lunches, low-carb options and healthy smoothies at Giglio Blu Pool Bar.

SUSTAINABILITY & THE ESTATE

Castelfalfi enchanted Indonesian entrepreneur, Sri Prakash Lohia, in 2021, when he took on the project with the support of a team of local experts in restoration, craftsmanship and agricultural husbandry. His vision was to transform the existing hotel, the medieval hamlet, and rural buildings and farmland into a destination resort with community at its heart. Now the certified organic, agricultural estate is overseen by farmer and agronomist, Diego Mugnaini, Director of Agriculture. With over 62 acres of vineyards, the Castelfalfi wine estate produces six wines in conjunction with expert Tuscan winemaker Emiliano Falsini. Each vintage is available to taste and purchase in La Barriccaia the characterful, on-site wine shop and larder. Fruit from over 10,000 olive trees are pressed in Castelfalfi's frantoio (mill) which also serves the local community each harvest. The estate also hosts resident honeybees in 40 hives, a seasonal kitchen garden which inspires the resort's restaurants, a scented rose garden and a shaded, public pool for locals to use. Sustaining the community, protecting the local ecology and reducing impact are core considerations for every new development of the estate, which is CasaClima®-certified. Carefully-monitored efforts include collecting rainwater in purpose-built lakes so the property has a 100% autonomous water supply, filtering wastewater for irrigation and using an innovative wood biomass plant for heating and cooling.

AUTHENTIC ACTIVE & CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

A full programme of active adventures set in nature and inspiring cultural experiences provide an insight into Tuscany's rich heritage. Highlights include: beekeeping, animal mindfulness, learning bushcraft, tackling the treetop adventure park, pizza making, private picnics, truffle hunting with dogs and joining the grape harvest. Yoga, personal training, tennis, padel, trekking, cycling and e-biking, golf, and countryside pursuits like archery and fishing are arranged by the vibrant and warm-hearted estate team.

Castelfalfi will re-open on 23 March 2024 with a spectacular two-day Spring Festival and a host of new facilities and programming to celebrate…

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For further information on Castelfalfi, interviews with the team or to find out more about press stays, please contact castelfalfipr@masonrose.com    

Information: rates at Castelfalfi start at €600 (approx. £510) for a deluxe room, including breakfast and taxes.

Images: HERE

URL: https://www.castelfalfi.com/