Where to catch the last minute winter sun

Unlock Editor’s Digest for free

FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Magical midwinter in Tuscany

“Yes girl! “Always open.” This was John Voigtmann’s satisfying response when I sent him a WhatsApp to ask if La Bandita Townhouse, his hotel in the Renaissance town of Pienza, was open during the winter. It is the perfect destination for those who enjoy a fairly independent B&B style stay; There are the thermal springs in nearby San Filippo, the cantinas of Montepulciano and Montalcino to explore, and plenty of cozy places to fill up during the winter. tuscan cuisine (La Trattoria Il Leccio in Sant’Angelo in Colle and La Scottiglia in Seggiano, each about a 40-minute drive from Pienza, are ideal for this.)

In the late afternoon and early evening, La Bandita’s spacious first-floor living room is the ideal place to curl up, with its lending library, self-service bar, and spectacular vinyl collection (Voigtmann was a record executive in Nueva York in his previous life). The hotel’s excellent restaurant, Townhouse Caffe, will be closed after January 7, although chef David Mangan, formerly of Gleneagles, has been known to open its doors on a whim for special chef’s dinners. The rooms are contemporary, spare but very comfortable, with floating beds and low sofas set beneath the sloping 15th-century beamed ceilings of a former convent.

---

Enter the valley of well-being

It calls itself (somewhat unfortunately) a “luxury and wellness hotel”. But I implore you not to be discouraged by clumsy Euroisms, because Lily of the Valley offers one of the most positive wellness experiences I have ever had. More importantly, for the non-Spartans among us it was by far the most enjoyable. This is the spa without a spa, dressed up like a super-chic beach hotel (courtesy of Philippe Starck, who was having a really good day when he designed these interiors) with excesses of color, flavor, happy people and changing treatments. bumps and pain from pampering.

Three nights, one plan: choose weight loss, detox, sport or age better. The first two will see you (still) eating three full meals of beautiful fresh food a day. Movement classes are included in the package price; plus long coastal walks, bike rides and a very fun sea water aerobics session on Gigaro Beach (complete with wetsuit and balaclava of course). Sauna and steam circuit, swimming pool (well heated) and a large and very nice gym: all, to the maximum. Or ignore them; Embark on a Steak Tartare-tiramisú-grand cru classé-massage relax program instead. They also do it very well.

---

Blink and you’ll miss it in the Maremma

It was La Bandita’s Voigtmann who first brought my attention to Locanda Sospesa, Johnny Petrucci and Elizabeth Silvestri’s unique palace in the town of Pereta, deep in the Tuscan Maremma. At first glance, their B&B is a chalk of La Bandita’s cheese, with its grand 15th-century dimensions and increasingly art deco design; but the two hoteliers share a spirit of generous hospitality.

Petrucci and Silvestri will leave you alone to enjoy your book in a solitary corner if that’s your agenda; but, like Voigtmann, they are packed with local intelligence. If it’s a sunny, mild day, the hanging garden is nice for late morning tea. And there is a great saloto to relax at the end of the day, complete with a large fireplace and pool table.

---

Design and detox in the south of France.

we in HTSI They were happy to be the first to arrive at Valéry Grégo’s house extraordinary hotel-spa-cultural restoration project in the heart of Nice’s old town when it opened its doors in June. After several months of operation, it’s firing on all cylinders: on-site bakery, impressive spa complex and Roman baths, street-level bistro and all. This year, Grégo and company will keep the Couvent open throughout the month of January on a trial basis. I (finally) had the opportunity to stay the night a couple of weeks ago and can attest to the winter appeal of this hotel.

The orange trees in the patio were golden and ocher at the beginning of dusk, the orchard minimalist and mostly asleep. Inside everything was glowing warmth; The bar scene has moved indoors, to cozy banquettes and large shared tables piled with newspapers. The restaurant is also dimly lit and has a quiet atmosphere – it is open to outside guests, so the niçois They make up a good portion of the clientele, and the food is refined and comforting (the lemon chicken comes with a real roasted lemon). A relaxing herbal tea, based on the nuns’ original recipes, awaits you when you open the room. The rooms are a masterclass in impeccable sobriety, and the silence of a winter night here was absolutely comforting.