Hotel Villa Lauri - close to Cuneo, Italy - ahotelinitaly.com

Hotel Villa Lauri, Neive near Cuneo

Neive is one of the most stunning of the villages in Piemonte's Le Langhe hills - a superb landscape of rolling slopes clad with vines, medieval castles and watchtowers. One of the most fertile regions of Italy, this north-western corner is the ideal location for a romantic vacation or a gastronomic tour - not just home to the white truffle, it also boasts some of Italy's finest red wines, among them Nebbiolo, Barolo and Barbera. The Hotel Villa Lauri is the perfect berth: this is an elegant old Liberty villa, artfully and carefully transformed into a small hotel boasting all the contemporary comforts.

There are just 12 bedrooms at Neive's Hotel Villa Laura, with two junior suites and nine superior rooms. These latter can be set up with twin beds or one kingsize double. Each room has a bathroom with shower, television, telephone and minibar. The suites have, in addition, a balcony. Services at the hotel include luggage storage; there is a charming restaurant and bar, and breakfast each morning is a buffet. There are non smoking rooms, free parking for guests, and newspapers each morning.

The little hamlet lies north-east of Alba, a delightful medieval town, its centro storico boasting a fine Gothic cathedral, churches and historic palazzi. The town is superb for dining out and there are a number of cantinas selling the superb local wines (and other wineries scattered around the Langhe Hills of course). Trips out should take in the marvellous castle at Grinzane di Cavour, and there are organised walks through the vineyards - ask at the front desk of this Le Lange hotel.

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Double room from €75