Need to know
Rooms
12 villas.
Check–Out
10am. Earliest check-in, 3pm. Occasionally earlier check-ins can be accommodated, on request and subject to availability. For stays in 2024, any check-ins after 8pm will be subject to a surcharge of €100.
More details
Rates usually include a Continental breakfast spread of freshly baked cakes, pastries and bread; juices; cereals; yoghurt; granola; coffee and tea. A minimum three-night stay is required, but you’ll likely want to stay longer.
Also
Alongside fruits and vegetables harvested onsite, the hotel’s boutique sells things Phillip and Paolo love in the area: leather bags by Officine904, bespoke tote bags with the hotel logo and deliciously scented Ortigia bath products. Pet-lovers will thrill at seeing the owners’ five doggies (and one cat) scampering around the estate.
Hotel closed
The hotel closes annually from 6 January to 21 March.
At the hotel
Private tennis court at nearby Villa Fontelunga (must be booked in advance), boules court, courtyard, gardens, shop, bikes to hire, concierge, laundry, free WiFi. In rooms: Smart TV, sound-system, coffee machine, fireplace, central heating and air-conditioning, Ortigia bath products. Villas also have fully-equipped kitchens.
Our favourite rooms
All of the villa’s have been lovingly tended by interior-design expert and former film-set dresser Phillip, who’s chosen luxe local materials (wood, stone, travertine, marble…), antique and upcycled pieces, and modern furnishings that bring some urbanity to this remote country corner. All villas have a full kitchen and a private terrace (number 11 has two for maximum alfresco time), and they’re all very lovable, but number six wins our favour for its cosiness and number seven enjoys a prime position by the pool.
Poolside
Set in a peaceful grove just beyond the villas, the 20-metre infinity pool (heated during October, November and December when the weather cools) looks out over the edge of the valley to the historic town of Cortona and the run-wild Val di Chiana. There are changing rooms, beach towels to borrow and parasol-shaded sunloungers from which to enjoy the view in repose. There’s some stylish landscaping around the pool area (we enjoy the mini fountain that trickles into the water) and the circular arch that frames the view is the spot for like-garnering Insta snaps.
Spa
No spa onsite but the concierge can arrange for a local masseur to come work out your knots in the privacy of your villa. And yoga lessons in the open-air are planned for the future.
Packing tips
You’ll need a headscarf for top-down drives through leafy surrounds. And, if you haven’t read Under the Tuscan Sun – Frances Mayes’ memoir that launched a thousand expats – here’s the best place to do it; the movie adaptation was set in nearby Cortona. Beware: may cause emigration.
Also
One of the villas is adapted for guests with mobility issues; however the rustic nature of the setting makes public areas tricky to navigate unaided.
Pet‐friendly
Welcome onsite. Owners should be aware that the hotel has their own pack of five dogs that may be wandering around the estate. See more pet-friendly hotels in Tuscany.
Children
Very welcome and well-looked after here. The borgo’s privacy and generously sized dwellings make family holidays a breeze (as long as you don’t have to field awkward queries about the name, that is).
Best for
The hotel is well geared towards little ones; juniors will especially love the pool and bombing around the grounds.
Recommended rooms
The two- and three-bedroom villas will very comfortably sleep a family.
Activities
Play tennis or boules onsite. Wine tasting and historic-town-hopping may not thrill little ones that much, but falconry sessions and safe spates of biking will keep them distracted.
Swimming pool
The pool is 1.4 metres deep, has Roman steps and is fenced off. It’s unsupervised, but parents can plonk down on a sunlounger and keep watch on their water babies.
Meals
Having a full kitchen gives you the chance for flexible mealtimes and to cook for finicky eaters. But the restaurant’s small plates, pastas and such will appease little appetites too.
Babysitting
Just ask your gracious hosts and they’ll arrange a local sitter.
Sustainability efforts
The owners of Borgo 69 have gone to great pains in designing the villas to make them energy efficient, with decorative ventilated walls, and eco-friendly heating and cooling systems. The hotel is largely supplied with energy from photovoltaic panels and there are refillable products in the villa bathrooms. Food here is especially green, with many ingredients garnered from the fruitful gardens and olive grove.