Just when you think you've seen every iteration of the Tuscan spa hotel, along comes this Belle Époque beauty to prove you wrong. A stone's throw from Montecatini Terme's train station (the proper one, mind you - there are two), this Art Nouveau palazzo has been keeping the same family busy for over a century. And when we say family, we mean it - young Fabio used to play hide and seek in these very corridors whilst mamma Luciana worked, and now here he is, running the show with the same enthusiasm he had as a kid racing through the halls.
The 81-room property occupies a handsome 19th-century building that wears its Liberty-style credentials with proper pride - think high ceilings, period furniture that's actually from the period, and enough architectural flourishes to keep your eyes entertained over breakfast.
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Beyond those Instagram-worthy Art Nouveau bones, the hotel keeps things refreshingly unfussy. Free WiFi that actually works, a proper bar with someone who knows their way around a Negroni, and staff who've mastered that tricky balance between professional service and genuine warmth. The reception trio of Mena, Catia and Luana have been charming guests for decades between them - Catia since 1989, if you're counting. The real star turn is La Pecora Nera, the boutique restaurant that's become a destination in its own right. Set in an Art Nouveau dining room complete with period furniture from the family collection, or spilling onto the terrace when the weather behaves, it's where Signora Luciana presents the daily menu with proper Italian theatre, and where that homemade almond crunch at meal's end has achieved near-mythical status amongst regulars.
All 81 rooms come with the mod cons you'd expect - satellite TV, minibar, air conditioning, proper WiFi - wrapped up in that Belle Époque charm. Think carpeted floors (practical for a spa town), good soundproofing (essential when your neighbours are here for relaxation), and bathrooms with all the necessary bits including bidets (this is Italy, after all). Room sizes are generous by European standards - these Victorians knew a thing or two about proportions - with those wonderful high ceilings making even the standard doubles feel spacious. Some rooms score balconies overlooking the town, though honestly, with the thermal parks and town centre on your doorstep, you probably won't spend much time on them. The superior rooms dial things up a notch with extra space and better views, though the bones of the building mean even the basic categories have character in spades. Just note that whilst everything's been maintained with obvious care, this is heritage architecture with a century of stories - expect the odd quirk, the occasional creaky floorboard, and windows that might need a gentle persuasion to close properly. But then again, that's rather the point of staying somewhere with proper history, isn't it?
That breakfast really is something special - we're talking proper Italian abundance here, with fresh pastries, local cheeses, scrambled eggs done right, and enough variety to keep even the fussiest eater happy. The fact that it's served in rooms with those soaring Belle Époque ceilings doesn't hurt either.
The hotel has a sneaky arrangement with Grotta Giusti spa - 20% off entrance tickets plus 10% off treatments. Given that a day at this famous thermal grotto normally costs a small fortune, that's proper money saved. They'll also sort discounts at the other thermal centres, but Grotta Giusti is the prize catch here.
There's no on-site parking, though they've sorted arrangements with nearby facilities. Also, whilst the location is central for spa-hopping, you're not getting any spa facilities in the hotel itself - though they'll arrange discounts at the nearby thermal centres.
Tuscany's belle époque spa town of healing waters, grand hotels and unexpected glamour.
