Follow a winding road up through Moscato vineyards to the hilltop village of Santo Stefano Belbo, and you'll find this handsome former monastery surrounded by centuries-old parkland and vine-striped hills. Cistercian monks founded the place back in 1619 on the old salt road from Liguria, and you can still feel that contemplative calm, even as you're sipping a Barolo in the candlelit cellars or soaking in a repurposed wine barrel at the spa. Firmly rooted in the UNESCO-listed Langhe region, it's a stone's throw from Barbaresco and Barolo country, with the truffle capital of Alba just fifteen minutes away. For food and wine lovers, this is the true epicentre.
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The original stone façade and vaulted corridors set an elegant but unhurried tone. Settle into the library with its grand piano (guests are encouraged to play), or head to the Hemingway-inspired cocktail bar for a Negroni with a view of the cloister gardens. Dining is a serious affair: the Michelin-starred Guido da Costigliole is tucked into the ancient cellars, serving Piedmontese classics like agnolotti del plin. And for night two, the Origini Bistrot offers lighter fare, served alfresco! The wine cellar alone — over 20,000 bottles — deserves its own postcode.
There are 36 rooms spread across the monastery and the neighbouring Villa San Luigi. In the main building, former monks' cells and stables have become characterful rooms with vaulted ceilings, frescoed walls, inlaid parquet floors and, in some cases, original fireplaces. Over at Villa San Luigi, things take a more contemporary turn: think sleek design, private patios and outdoor jacuzzis. Bathrooms are generous and stocked with the hotel's own organic skincare products made from ingredients grown in the surrounding gardens.
This corner of Piedmont is edible, drinkable and endlessly explorable. Hop on one of the hotel's e-bikes or Vespas, and wind through hazelnut groves and medieval villages, or lace up your boots for vineyard walks with panoramic picnic stops. Cooking classes with the resident chef are brilliant (their ravioli del plin is legendary), and seasonal truffle hunts are an absolute must in autumn. The spa's salt cave and thalassotherapy pools are the perfect antidote to a day's indulgence... or perhaps a very good excuse for more of it.
The spa's "wine therapy", including saunas built inside two enormous, early-1900s Barolo barrels. You'll emerge smelling faintly of grapes and feeling like a new person.
Ask the concierge to arrange a truffle hunt with a local family. You'll go foraging with the dog, then eat what you've found shaved over fresh cheese and paired with local wine.
The outdoor pool closes in winter and the spa is off-limits to under-14s, so it's worth factoring both into your plans if you're travelling with younger children.
A romantic and restorative escape to postcard-towns & lake-side beaches.
