The Highlight of our holiday! We booked in at the recommendation of friends who stayed here last year. The moment we arrived, Rob gave us a warm welcome and after a refreshing drink he showed us around the villa and grounds. Just so Beautiful. The Villa is in a gorgeous setting, on a hill, has a 200 year old olive grove in front of it, pebbled patio, shutters on the windows, beautifully decorated throughout with bedrooms named after jewel colours - that live up to their names, fabulous modern marble bathrooms, .......and so on! Within half an hour of sitting on the patio, drink in hand, stress rapidly dissipaiting, and drinking in the view (think olive groves, pencil pines, rolling hills) I knew that we had to double up on our time at Villa Fontalunga. Thankfully the request was granted! We spent 4 fabulous days at Fontelunga. Had lots of advice from Rob, Paolo and Philip as to places to visit, and where to eat, and typed notes were handed out on how to get there. Once a restaurant was decided upon, Rob kindly made bookings for us. We were even offered advise as to where to stay for our onward journey to Rome. The Villa was a fabulous base from which we did little sorties out into the surrounding countryside and to the medieval towns. Late afternoon it was great to return to the villa, freshen up, and have a predinner drink on the patio whilst watching the sun go down, and the lights start to twinkle on the hill town of Cortona in the distance. Fellow guests would appear and it was interesting to chat and swop notes on our days adventures and catch up with Rob, Paolo and Philip. Then off to one of the nearby restaurants (La Lodola was our favourite) for a superb meal, and then back to the villa to find a fire had been lit in the loggia, candlelight glowed on the tables and Diana Krall played gently in the background. Such attention to detail! Thank you Philip, Paolo, Rob and your fabulous team (not forgetting Charlie and Lucy). You are fabulous hosts and have set a new benchmark in hospitality. My Tuscan dream holiday was made into a reality, friendships have been made, and we have such amazing memories for our 30th wedding anniversary. Regrets.....we have all said far too much and now will never get another booking in! Quick, pass their phone number!

My wife and i stayed there for 4 nights for our honeymoon. We loved it tremendously! We can attest to all the glowing testimonies said on this site, and for fear of sounding like a broken record like all the other reviews we would just like to highlight an additional point.

The hospitality was simply amazing. The feeling you get when you enter is as though you stepped into a beautiful tuscan home, and Paolo, Rob and Philip were wonderful hosts. Philip even brought us to the antique fair at Arezzo and we have an excellent time! They even helped us with a sticky situation with our car shortly after we arrived which we are eternally grateful for! Lucy and Charlie were also great for fellow dog lovers like us.

We would love to return in future!

One of the best stops in our two week trip through Italy! My wife and I took a two week mad-dash around Italy for our 5th anniversary. We covered many locations and stayed at so many places (I’ll be reviewing most of them) I wanted to start with this review because Villa Fontelunga was easily one of, if not the best, points of our trip for so many reasons. From the moment we arrived, Paolo handed us a glass of prosecco and asked us what we wanted to do, and how he could make sure we had a fun and relaxing stay. And that is exactly what we had at this picturesque, warm, and inviting spot. Can’t wait to go back. I would recommend this to all my friends.

Let me be clear about one thing: The oasis (and that is the best word for it) that Paolo and Philip have created at this Tuscan Villa is not going to be for everyone. And THAT is what makes it great. The grounds are lovely, the rooms are exquisitely decorated, clean and large. The staff is made up of just about the friendliest people I’ve met in a long time. What makes this location different is that friendliness, that openness, that sense of community. If you are looking for a Villa were you will not only get to know the owners, but also the other guests and have fun doing so—this is the spot for you.

This is not to say that the attention is invasive. Not at all. Everyone who stays at Fontelunga can conceivably spend time keeping to themselves. But that, I fear, would cause you to miss the whole magic of the place. Pour yourself a drink (from the 24 hour honor bar in the open kitchen) pull up a chair and chat with Paolo, Philip or Rob or the other guests. Eventually you forget you are at a hotel. You feel like you are over a friend’s house (a friend’s STUNNING house) and a part of one of the best dinner parties you’ve ever been invited to. The night we stayed to have a big dinner at Fontelunga was a highlight of our trip. Not only was the food great, but we got to chat with folks from Chicago, New York, Australia, Germany, the UK. All of us sharing stories and laughs and wine in this wonderful setting.

Point of note: We did NOT rent a car. Which, especially in Tuscany, I was concerned would limit or mobility. Not the case at all. Paolo arranged for us to be picked up from the Arezzo train station (about ½ hour away) and worked with us to plan fun day trips to Cortona and various wineries, etc. He called us a terrific driver, Guido, who took us everywhere we wanted to go (and showed us a bunch of sights we didn’t know we were looking for). Things could not have worked out better.

In the interest of being well-rounded in the review, I’ll point out the two things that I thought could be improved. We had such a great time at the big “family” dinner that I would have loved for it to have been offered every night of our stay. That might be nearly impossible, but the food options within walking distance are scarce and whereas the restaurants in Cortona are good, nothing could compare to that home cooking. Not sure how this could be pulled off but we had such a great time and meal that night we’d loved to have done it again. And a little point—it gets a bit Mosquito friendly from the hours of 4 -7, so I’d recommend grabbing some bug spray for your stay.

Again, we cannot wait to go back. If nothing else I have to spend more time with Lucy Lui (one of two charming dogs!)

I feel very repetative of all the other reviews but I need to add on. My husband and I, along with two friends, spent five wonderful nights at Villa Fontelunga. Paolo, Philip and Rob (along with Lucy and Charlie) made our visit comfortable, relaxing and very special. They were very helpful on providing directions, suggestions, excellent dinner recommendations including reservations and a homey respite after a long day of site seeing.
One night, after long day and no energy to make it to a restaurant, they added on to their own take-out order and set us up with a comfortable dinner in the dining room. It was exactly what we all needed plus it was delicious! It was another one of those kind touches that they all do to make your stay with them extraordinary.
It was a wonderful experience!