After a fabulous stay at the St. Regis in Rome to kick off our honeymoon in April, we were heading in our very stylish station wagon rental car to Borgo Santo Pietro. We had been driving for about an hour on the autostrade and were in a bit of a lull. Kimberly loves music, and I remember vividly as the soaring chorus of Modern English’s “Melt With You” kicked in, we rounded a bend in the road and were greeted with epic and expansive views of the Tuscan countryside, seemingly in unison. You’d be hard pressed to find a more beautiful part of the country than Tuscany.
That beauty continued for the remainder of our drive along the Tuscan winding roads, until we noticed a small sign that read “Relais Borgo Santo Pietro” signaling our arrival. We passed through the wrought iron entrance gate and drove up a long, cypress tree lined driveway before arriving at the main building. We were warmly welcomed by exceptionally friendly staff who whisked away our luggage, and escorted us inside to check in. We were quickly handed some sparkling wine and shown to our room.
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The Room
We booked the 301 sq ft Giardin de’ Fiori junior suite for 1075 EUR or about $1,247 per night. The room is situated upstairs in the main villa, and is named after the flower-lined gardens that the room looks out upon. Speaking of flowers, upon entering our room, we were greeted by a beautiful floral arrangement, lit fireplace, welcome snacks and rosé, and a framed photo of us from our engagement shoot! It was so meaningful that the hotel went the extra mile to make our honeymoon feel special. It instantly brought smiles to our faces and let us know we were in for a truly special stay.
The room consisted of a comfortable queen size bed, double windows, seating area, working fireplace, and a beautiful and spacious bathroom complete with a separate soaking tub and large walk-in shower. Toiletries are the property’s own brand, Seed to Skin, which are made from plants grown on the property and smelled fantastic.
The property itself is ridiculously stunning and our pictures did not do it justice. It is picture perfect and immaculately landscaped- we couldn’t wait to explore every inch of it. First stop after a long travel day? Checking out the hotel’s food options of course.
Dining
Borgo Santo Pietro has 2 restaurants: Trattoria Sull’Albero and the Michelin starred Saporium. We already had dinner planned at Arnolfo Ristorante** (review coming later) in a nearby town, so we stuck with the more casual Trattoria the other 2 nights. The food was incredible. When we arrived to the property, it was already late afternoon, so after checking out our bedroom, we headed through the stunning grounds to the trattoria. The beautiful and rustic restaurant is constructed around a giant oak tree, making you feel like you are dining in a very fancy treehouse. Our server was wonderful, and made us feel right at home. During our stay, it was unseasonably chilly and rainy and Kimberly is always cold, so he took us to a table right next to the fireplace to keep her warm. This became our table for the remainder of our stay. Everything we ate here was fantastic, from the Tuscan classic ragù al cinghiale (wild boar) over handmade pappardelle, AMAZING pizza, grilled meats, and the world’s best tiramisu. Food prices were high, but not totally unreasonable given the outstanding quality and decent portion sizes. For example, tiramisu was 20 euro, pizza ranged from 24-28 euro, and pasta ranged from 32-62 euro. Again, the food was excellent, and I could happily eat every meal for the rest of my life here. During the warmer and less rainy months, there is also plenty of seating on a veranda outside the restaurant with endless views over the rolling Tuscan hills that the property is situated on.
Breakfast is served in the main building, and features both a buffet and the ability to order dishes à la carte. Buffet options consisted of fresh local meats and cheeses, fruits, and homemade pastries. They also had a wide array of fresh juices and delectable espresso drinks. Eating breakfast while looking out over the grounds and the hillside beyond was the perfect way to start the day.
The Sull’Albero Bar was unfortunately closed during our stay, but you could still order cocktails. We tended to stick with locally produced Tuscan wines, such as Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti, but we couldn’t resist bundling up and sitting outside with a refreshing Aperol Spritz most afternoons.
The Service
Service was generally excellent across the board, with all of the staff members always being kind and offering to lend a helping hand or point us in the right direction if we seemed lost while exploring the massive grounds. Our waiter at the Trattoria Sull’Albero was a highlight, and he always seemed excited to see us. On the evening of our dinner at Arnolfo** we ran into one of the managers as we were getting our car, and he asked where we were going. When we told him, his eyes lit up and we had a great discussion with him about how he went there to celebrate a special occasion with his wife and how much he loved it. The following morning at breakfast, he sought us out so that we could talk to him about our experience at dinner the previous night, and he seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say. Details like this were great, but I wouldn’t say that we formed the same connections with multiple staff members like we did at Little Dix Bay. Service was still wonderful, but besides the welcome gifts in our room, our experience didn’t feel quite as personal.
The only real negative of the entire experience was on the morning of our checkout. We had discussed with a staff member the night before we left how we had to leave in the morning before breakfast was served (breakfast doesn’t start until 8 AM, which does seem pretty late). We had to drive to the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino in Rome to catch a flight to Nice in order to make dinner at Mirazur*** that evening. We asked the night before about being able to get something to eat the next morning before our long travel day, and we were assured by the staff member that it would be no problem, and they would happily have some food waiting for us that morning. Fantastic. However, while checking out the following morning, it was as if this conversation had never happened. When asked, we were given some pushback and felt like we were being a hassle. They did eventually throw together a few pastries in a box for us, but we didn’t leave on a high note, which was a bit disappointing.
Activities
Given that the hotel is on a 300 acre working farm estate, there is no shortage of things to do here, even when the weather isn’t great. Our first full day we booked a pasta making class for 580 euro with the Borgo Cooking School. The other group who was supposed to be with us cancelled, so we ended up having a private class! The instructor was warm and personable and made it fun and informative the entire time. We laughed, drank some of their estate produced wine, and got to sit down and try the 3 delicious pastas we had created (with a good bit of help).
The pool is another showstopper. Perched above the Tuscan hillside with sweeping views over the valley, it looks as though it was carved directly from the rock, boulders and all. It is one of the most dramatic hotel pools we have ever seen. Unfortunately, the cold and occasionally rainy weather meant we never got to fully enjoy it, as it isn’t heated — something worth knowing if you’re visiting outside of peak summer months. In the warmth of summer, however, we imagine it would be nearly impossible to leave.
Through the hotel we also booked a Brunello di Montalcino Winery tour for 1000 euro. This included a private driver (which is a must when drinking your way through Tuscany), private tours and wine tastings at 2 different wineries, a stop in the town of Montalcino, and a 3 course lunch. Our driver was fantastic and very informative, and we were able to try and purchase some delicious Brunellos to bring home.
The hotel is also designed for exploring at your leisure as well. This is not a place where you need to have a set itinerary. The grounds are so beautiful that you can easily spend a day or two just meandering around. After our cooking class, we did just that- we spent the rest of the day biking around the property on their complimentary bikes, soaking in the scenery, visiting with their llamas, playing ping pong, and of course stuffing our faces in the Trattoria.
You can tour their working farm, participate in cheesemaking demonstrations and make cheese with milk from the property’s sheep, or play tennis on their beautiful grass court that feels like you are playing in a secret garden. I lost a tennis match to Kimberly here, and lost multiple rounds of ping pong on their table that overlooked the vineyard (are you noticing a theme?). They have a small outdoor gym as well with limited equipment.
We tried to get a walk-in appointment at the spa, but it was unfortunately fully booked during our stay. This was unfortunate as the spa menu looked exciting, and the facilities were top notch. At the spa you can also purchase a wide variety of products from their Seed to Skin line. I would plan on booking a treatment ahead of time so you don’t face the same disappointment we did!
Getting There
Borgo Santo Pietro is just under a 3 hour drive from Rome, but the drive is very scenic and fairly straightforward. This would be the easiest way to arrive, and frankly having a car to explore Tuscany is a must. The closest “main” Tuscan town is Siena, at about 40 minutes away by car. Borgo Santo Pietro does feel a bit out of the way, but that is a big part of its charm. You certainly can leave the property, but you have everything you could ever want and need behind those gates.
Final Verdict
The Michelin Guide defines a Three Key property as “an extraordinary stay” and “if you’re anywhere, anytime, and you can make it to a Three Key hotel- do whatever you can to get there for a night. It’s one of the most outstanding experiences in the world”. After our stay at Borgo Santo Pietro, do we agree? Absolutely. For any special occasion worth celebrating, Borgo delivers — plush rooms with a strong sense of place, sublime farm-to-table food, genuinely warm service, and a setting that no photograph can do justice. It is, without question, a celebration-worthy hotel. Now we just have to find a way to get back.
The Swoon Scale
Best for: Honeymooners, anniversary trips, couples who want to slow down and disconnect.
Room recommendation: Giardin de’ Fiori Junior Suite for a romantic entry point in the main villa; upgrade to a pool suite if budget allows.
Don’t miss: Dinner at Trattoria Sull’Albero, the pasta making class, exploring the grounds, the Brunello winery tour.
Book ahead: Spa treatments. Don’t make our mistake
Honest caveat: Breakfast doesn’t start until 8 AM. The property is remote so a rental car is essential.
Overall: ★★★★★
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