The heart of Tuscany - Staying at Il Borro
“This place isn‘t reinventing the luxury hospitality business but rather offering the best of the classic: a perfect countryside retreat in line with what the past has created and what nature has to offer ”
Isn’t it that we all seek and live for these unforgettable moments in life? The moments we think of during bad days and the memories that help us motivate again and again during the everyday routine? For me, these moments are made during pure vacation freedom: a tennis match post breakfast, a round of golf before the afternoon swim and a wine tasting directly followed by a wonderful dinner. What sounds like a dream holiday to many was just a regular day of my summer vacation at Il Borro. You‘re right if you assume that this summarized my experience at Il Borro already and that‘s reason enough not to continue reading. But would you really want to miss out on a story about one of the most interesting and diverse luxury resorts in my personal favourite region of the world? I promise it is more than Spaghetti Pomodoro and Vino Rosso.
That easy sunny Monday in June, my friend and I took the car from Venice and headed straight towards the heart of Italy, namely Tuscany. The medieval villages and the Renaissance history of this region hold a very special place in my heart - also due to my parents bringing me here since the age of two. Besides knowing almost every corner of Tuscany, Il Borro was one of the very last high-end properties I have never had the chance to visit before. That‘s why I was more than excited when I got the chance to stay here and explore what the Ferragamo family has created starting with just the reconstruction of a single villa. Already when we entered the heavy iron gate, we realized the massive size of the land owned by the estate. Upon arriving at the front desk, we parked the car and entered the lobby to proceed with the check-in. Surprisingly there was a lot of buzz going on and a friendly lady offered us still water for the wait.
Once we were checked in, we were informed that our driver will bring us to our suite in the medieval village. While all suites at Il Borro are spread across the main medieval village only reachable by a stone bridge, the villa (which can be rented for private events and sell-outs) is just across the front desk behind another iron gate. About 20 minutes after arrival, we were in a Fiat being driven to our Suite „Tenore“. Located quite at the beginning of the old town Borro, our suite was right in between the main facilities, the Borro pool and medieval shops. Normally I am not a fan of ground-floor rooms, however, I know this is quite common in the countryside and love the feeling of staying in a tiny Tuscan townhouse. Our suite was facing the main road towards the court of Il Borro so it generally is located at the busiest place in the medieval village. However, we had a great sleep and were not disturbed by any noise during the entire stay. The only downside was that we had to keep the curtains closed all day to avoid other guests looking into our bed- and living room.
While the main bedroom was semi-separated from the living room by a stair, the bathroom was situated in the back of the suite and came with access to a private patio. I would say the suite was very comfortable and came with a sofa, two armchairs, a dining table, a working fireplace and a sideboard with a coffee machine and a complimentary minibar. Everything was in perfect condition and flawlessly clean. I appreciated the fruit platter and the branded water bottles as a welcome gift and immediately fell in love with the locally produced products inside the minibar - a great touch. Just like booked, we received two twin beds and they were of great comfort and were prepared during the turndown service where we even received a tea bag (though missed the warm water for it). Even though the main room of the suite was very pretty, my personal highlight remains the bathroom that was split over two levels.
On one level were the bathtub and wardrobe space as well as the double sinks while on the lower level were the toilet, bidet and walk-in shower with seating possibilities. Needless to say that the amenities were all Salvatore Ferragamo branded and were even replenished during turndown service. Unfortunately, we didn‘t have time to use the patio at the back of the suite, however, we made use of the private fireplace after dinner. One of the staff members brought us a basket of fresh wood that we could light up while enjoying a bottle of the gorgeous Il Borro wines. Speaking of which, the wine tour and tasting are reason enough to plan a stay at this unique luxury property in the heart of Tuscany.
After we settled in our suite, we enjoyed a challenging match on the property‘s own tennis court. After the exhausting sports activity, we showered and were ready for the full wine experience which included a private tour of the wine cellar followed by a tasting of Il Borro‘s classics. Next on the list was the Il Borro bar which is located at the most prominent place of the entire estate. You’re seated along the infinity edge pool overlooking the romantic medieval Borro town that was just painted orange with the ongoing sunset amidst the Tuscan woods. It was just the right time for a bottle of Il Borro Chardonnay - a great white wine to celebrate the first perfect day of vacation in Tuscany. The evening kept getting better when we were awaited for dinner at Osteria del Borro. Declared as the property‘s fine dining gastronomic outlet, we were up for a culinary surprise.
Not just did the chef perform at his best, but also the sommelier at Osteria del Borro went above and beyond to create the most unforgettable evening for us. While we both didn‘t figure out why nobody could sit outside on their amazing terrace that sunny warm June night, we were so impressed by the outrageous wines offered that particular night that we soon forgot about the terrace situation. In order to get the best insight into the kitchen, we were served the four-course „walking through Il Borro“ menu. Starting with a fried egg and truffles, the pasta dish was a tortello of oxtail with more truffles. As main we had the venison with red turnips which very much reflected the local influences. During the dinner, we had the chance to enjoy glasses of Alessandro dal Borro - the property‘s high-end wine - as well as the, rose sparkling and a brand-new chardonnay that has not been released yet. Overall it was a great dinner experience with top service and unforgettable memories.
The next morning we had breakfast underneath the Osteria del Borro in the dedicated breakfast room. Again there was no al fresco option for breakfast and the staff was rather busy keeping windows open as fellow guests exhilarated their oud perfume consumption. I have to admit that the breakfast buffet was among the best in Italy I have seen so far with high-quality products, mostly from their own production - another great and unique thing at Il Borro. They have their own agriculture where they grow fruits, vegetables and herbs on the grounds. After breakfast, we received a tour of the vast estate and the villa to get a feeling of the concept behind Ferruccio Ferragamo‘s vision when creating and cultivating Il Borro. Before leaving we tried the Il Borro Bistro which is their latest F&B outlet serving casual food with products from their own gardens. We had carpaccio of beetroot with the property’s own goat cheese and pasta with tomato sauce which was the best I have had for ages. It‘s hard to create something new but even harder to outperform the classics! That‘s one quote that doesn‘t just fit the food at Il Borro but the entire overall experience. Il Borro isn‘t reinventing the luxury hospitality business but rather are they offering the best of the classic: a perfect countryside retreat in line with what the past has created and nature has to offer. This place proves once again, Italians know how to do it right - there is no need for an international hotel chain to manage a hotel as perfectly as the Ferragamo family does.
Disclaimer: Our stay at Il Borro was for editorial reasons and was kindly provided by the estate. However, all the above written expresses our own opinion and has not been influenced.
