Moira Fitzpatrick's Borgo Santo Pietro Features Fabulous Spring Getaways

January 2015

Dear Colleague,

For those dreaming of a special spring getaway in April, when the Tuscan countryside is at its best, what could be more idyllic than vacationing at a restored 13th-century Tuscan villa, Relais Borgo Santo Pietro, which nestles in quiet seclusion near the village of Palazzetto, just 30 minutes from Siena. This splendid Relais & Chateaux villa offers panoramic views of the Serena valley, and lies within walking distance of the historic San Galgano Abbey, once a popular destination for pilgrims.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Adding to its many previous awards, the hotel most recently received two Andrew Harper Readers Choice Awards, and was voted Best Small Hotel in Italy by the International Hotel Awards. It has also been shortlisted for Conde Nast Gold List. Selected one of the Best Cookery Schools in the World by Sheerluxe Magazine, the hotel was voted #15 among the World's 20 Top Food & Wine Resorts; #4 among the World's Top International Hideaways; and #3 among the World's Best Cookery Schools. Borgo Santo Pietro's restaurant in Florence 'La Bottega del Buon Caffè' has been awarded a Michelin Star in November. This internationally recognized award pays tribute to the restaurant's Head Chef Antonello Sardi's commitment to exceptional cuisine. His passion for local ingredients and natural produce combined with his imaginative cooking has now been truly acknowledged.

SPECIAL SPRING PACKAGES
Although the hotel is closed for the winter season, it re-opens on the 30th March with special spring offers, including 2- and 3-night packages for two that include accommodation; welcome bottle of Spumante; fresh fruit & flowers; gourmet breakfast; use of garden hot tub, tennis, basketball and badminton court, table tennis, mountain bikes, hiking boots, archery and trampoline; and all taxes.

GRAND EASTER ADVENTUREApr 2- Apr 6, 2015) This 3-night package for two (additional nights 25% off) includes a fun-tastic Easter Egg Hunt through the resort's 13 acres of gardens and parks where guests search for hand-painted eggs, solve riddles, sip champagne and finish off with a gourmet Easter lunch for the adults and pizza-making course and lunch for the kids, who also receive jumbo chocolate Easter eggs and entertainment. Guests are also eligible for a grand lottery draw prize. The package includes:

Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday morning
5-course gourmet Easter Sunday lunch
art lesson and pizza-making/eating session for kids
one 40 min massage at Borgo's award-winning spa

Package rates start at €1425 for two (reduced from €1615) for double and deluxe rooms.

ROMANTIC GETAWAY OFFER (Apr 7- Apr 30, 2015) This 3-night package for two features an unforgettable spring experience in the Serene Valley. The package includes:

wine tasting for two at Borgo’s own Wine Academy in the wine cellar
gourmet 5-course tasting menu for two (excludes beverages)
chauffeured visit to Casanova di Neri winery in Montalcino for an exclusive tour for tasting and lunch in their cellars
60 min massage
5-course romantic candlelit dinner (excl beverages)

Package rates start at €1290 (reduced from €1765) for two for double and superior rooms.

SPRING FEVER AT BORGO SANTO PIETRO These two night packages for two welcome guests to springtime in Tuscany with its warmth, subtle sunlight, peach and almond blossoms and climbing wisteria. All rooms include welcome drink, gourmet breakfast and fresh fruit, flowers & prosecco in room.
BLOSSOM PAMPERING PACKAGE package includes:

room category of choice
gourmet 5-course tasting menu for two (excludes beverages)
one 60 min massage
one 30 min refreshing facial
one manicure and pedicure

Package rate starts at €870 (reduced from €1,180) for two in a deluxe or superior room. Each extra night receive 25% off.

SIMPLY SPRING DEAL Stay for two or more consecutive nights and receive 30% off. Includes:

welcome drink
gourmet breakfast
fresh fruit in the room
flowers in the room
bottle of prosecco

Cannot combine with other offers. Pre-paid and non-refundable. Not retroactive. Does not include “Santo Pietro Suite” nor “Casa dell’Unicorno”

UPCOMING PACKAGES

TRUFFLING IN TUSCANY Throughout the spring and also in the fall, this highly popular two-night or three-night package includes:
room category of choice
one-day guided truffle hunt followed by truffle-based lunch
wine-tasting at the Borgo Wine Academy in Borgo's own fantastic wine cellar
The three-night package also includes a Tuscan Truffle cooking class with Internationally acclaimed Chefs.

Rooms/Suites
Rooms are uniquely decorated in Renaissance-style with luxurious, vintage Italian period pieces, hand-painted wall murals, luxurious fabrics, polished floors, exquisite chandeliers, as well as contemporary sound-proofing, heating, air conditioning, plasma TVs, DVD players, and fully loaded iPads. The self-contained Santo Pietro Master Suite takes up the entire first floor of the south wing and includes a private terrace, huge bathroom, four-poster bed and sitting room with stone-carved fireplace and oak dining furniture -- ideal for honeymooners.

All junior suites are uniquely decorated and include fireplaces, seating areas, and roll top baths. The seven garden suites each resemble a little cottage with stone floors, antique furniture, chandeliers, sumptuous fabrics, exposed beams and old carved fireplaces. All have a courtyard and garden area and the Casa dell'Unicorno offers its own private “full seclusion” garden as well.

Dining & Lounges
Evening meals are served in a mirrored and candlelit dining room or outdoor on the terrace. Chef conjures up such marvels as goat cheese-filled cappelletti with butter and almonds or saddle of lamb with Borgo's own garden peas and wild garlic puree. Diners can go à la carte or try the superb five- eight- or ten-course tasting menu – and trust the excellent sommelier to recommend suitable wines from a well-stocked wine cellar. A pool bar by the waterfall pond in the garden offers light meals and snacks from 11am until 11pm. A buffet breakfast,! serving freshly baked bread, homemade jams, muesli, fresh orange juice from the garden’s trees, yoghurts, hams and fruit, is set up in the open-plan kitchen and taken outside. The chef will cook breakfast specialties as you like - Eggs Benedict, pancakes, omelets etc. Complimentary in-room breakfast service is also available. Gardens & Grounds This informal,15-room/suite Relais & Chateaux country retreat features medieval stone buildings,13 acres of garden with a courtyard, fountains, gazebo, rose garden, cypress-shaded lanes, a cherry orchard, apple, orange and lemon trees, vegetable and herb gardens, wildflower meadow, park and lake. The hotel has recently hired renowned Head Gardener Johnny Norton, previously of Babington House, who is working on a design for the flower gardens which will be revealed in 2015. Also, the hotel's new Estate Manager (Marco) - is overseeing the expansion of the estate, including a newly planted vineyard.

Facilities & Services

The hotel includes a free-form, freshwater heated infinity pool with poolside bar; a spa, children’s playground, babysitting services; free WiFi throughout; free parking, and lots of hiking trails. The hotel supplies complimentary hiking boots and mountain bikes. In 2015 the hotel will open a new luxury spa featuring two therapy suites and two garden treatment rooms, as well as a spacious lounge area with open fireplaces.

Activities & Nearby Activities
Wine tasting at the Borgo Wine Academy, artist in residence offers personalised art classes, flower arranging courses, garden tours, cooking lessons by the talented chef, tennis (coaching can be arranged), basketball or badminton on the hotel’s courts, bocce on a court shaded by jasmine flowers or trampolining on a lawn-embedded trampoline.

Day trips to Siena, Florence and local vineyards (Borgo Santo Pietro’s sommelier can get you into vineyards otherwise closed to the public); golfing; hot-air ballooning; visits to a nature reserve; cheese-making; basket weaving; jewelery making with local artisans; birding; horseback riding 5 minutes from the property; mountain biking and cycling to the beautiful ruins of San Galgano, featuring the locally famed 'sword in stone' and the gothic Abbey of San Galgano.

Visit the website at www.borgosantopietro.com for more information - info@borgosantopietro.com. For reservations, to VIP your clients & add an amenity, please contact Moira Fitzpatrick of Exquisite Hotels & Resorts at 1-604-602-1282, 1-866-322-7199 or mfcons@bismail.com

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