We just returned from our Italy trip. We were fortunate to stay at many lovely hotels (Hotel de Russie - Rome; Hotel Savoy - Florence; Palazzo Brandano - Petroio) but the Castello Banfi was the absolute highlight of our trip. IMHO, this is the finest luxury resort in all of Italy.

Opened just 1 month (March 2007) and advertising only via word-of-mouth, the hotel is quickly becoming a key destination. I predict that in a month or so it will be impossible to get a reservation. You will pay dearly to stay at this property but we felt it was well worth every penny.

We were enthusiastically greeted by Andrea, the Room Division Manager. He gave us a personal tour of the entire property. This hotel is all about the details. The views in every direction are breathtaking and we loved relaxing by the pool on their lovely chaises and just listening to the frogs "sing" from a distant pond.

Rooms are huge and gorgeous. It was wonderful to finally find a hotel with screens on the windows, allowing us to sleep with the windows open at night. We also loved the complimentary "Sky TV" that provided a large selection of English speaking channels and movies. Beautiful tiled floors, wood beamed ceilings, rainfall showerheads, everything is designed and decorated beautifully.

Each room is provided with a complimentary sampling of fine Castello Banfi wines (3 different 375ml bottles). They describe the complimentary breakfast as "Continental". However, you choose from a large menu of multiple items all served on exquisite bone china.

There are 2 restaurants on the property. We ate all our meals at the Il Taverna. This restaurant is considered the less formal of the 2 but we found the food and service to be the best we had in Italy. In general, the service throughout the property was the best we have received throughout Europe.

Lastly, the website for this hotel provided the best driving directions we received for our entire trip. They provide a km-by-km driving guide from Rome airport that we found invaluable. They point out the local speed trap (people in front of us were pulled over and given tickets in both locations during our stay), best place to stop for coffee, and (most importantly) the last place to be able to get gas before you return your rental car. I found this to be an indication of how closely they manage the details of the hotel.

In summary, I enthusiastically recommend this hotel to anyone staying in the area. Make sure you stay at least 2-3 nights as I guarantee you will not want to leave once you arrive. Make reservations quickly as this property will fill up quickly once the word spreads.