Luxury Travel Advisor - July 2008 - (Page 19)

Diaz (luisa.diaz@villalamassa. it), and Front Office Manager Tamara Trambusti (tamara.tram busti@villalamassa.it) typically are available to assist with VIP reservations and requests. Once the home of Machiavelli, Villa Mangiacane (www.mangi acane.it) is a 500-year-old masterpiece designed by architect Giorgio Vasari. About seven miles from Florence, the villa is owned by Glyn David Cohen, a South African, who bought the property in 2001 and has restored it wonderfully. Set amid olive groves and vineyards and with a view of Florence from the veranda, Mangiacane has 26 rooms and suites, including the main villa and a seven-room vineyard villa. The furniture is eclectic, combining southern African design with French and Italian antiques. Rent the whole main villa (eight rooms) for an intimate wedding. In the main villa, we liked the five rooms that open onto the main terrace, including Suite 3, with its loft bedroom and ground-floor living room. Otherwise, ask for the two-bedroom Terrace Suite, also with a loft. Number 4 is slightly bigger, with a Jacuzzi tub and corner windows that let in ample daylight. For a group traveling together, take all five terrace rooms and the terrace becomes their own private space. The 492-square-foot Royal Suite is one of those amazing Only an hour’s drive from Florence is the Tuscan countryside. Chianti is its heart, and the best wine is from this region. I went to Montelcino last fall for a day from Florence (about 1.5 hours away). Sampling wines at the Altesino winery was a treat. I learned that the Brunello from 2003 was a great year. Max, our driver and wine expert from Sunny Tuscany Tours (in Florence) took us to Enoteca Osteria Osticcio for lunch afterward, and we enjoyed the most breathtaking view of the valley as we sipped more wine with our amazing lunch. What a day! I also recommend for clients to go to Siena and San Gimignano as a day trip. It’s just an hour outside of Florence and a dream of an excursion outside of the city. Doing it with a private driver makes it all the better, because San Gimignano, an ancient hill town, is very difficult to get to by public transportation. If you want to save money and visit Siena on your own, the Sita Bus line (behind the train station in Florence) has express buses that run frequently and are very comfortable. You can spend the day in Siena, making rooms you never forget—the main door opens into a giant marble bathroom, with two showers, and a roofed spa tub reminiscent of the Bernini baldacchino in St. Peter’s. The suite’s bedroom, overlooking the garden, features an absolutely gigantic silver bed—your client will need navigation equipment to locate his or her partner. Naduschka Spa at Mangiacane is elegant and well equipped, with three treatment rooms. Contact Silvia Piazzini (silvia@mangiacane.it) for anything and everything; Joan Miquel (jmiquel@ villamangiacane.it; Mobile: 01139-335-879-1880) is the general manager. Both are reachable at 011-39-055-829-0123. sure to see the famous square where they have the Palio (horse race) in July and August. Back in Florence, after seeing the countryside, taking a half-day walking tour with a guide is a must. I recommend a private guide if possible, as it’s so much easier to hear all the interesting facts. I usually suggest this with admissions to the Acadamia (where the statue of David is housed), with a break for lunch, and I will reserve the Uffizi Gallery in the afternoon. Riccardo & Laura from Sunny Tuscany give the best tours—I have worked with them for seven years. Finally, before leaving town, take a ride to Fiesole, outside of Florence. The Villa San Michele affords some amazing views of the city. It’s got 17th-century frescoes and gardens. I had dinner there last fall and cannot say enough about the experience. Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and should not be missed. If you don’t want to drive and stay in the country, you can feel comfortable using it as your base with lots of day trips.” ADVISOR INSIGHT: “Everyone should have a passion in life, and Italy is mine,” says Barbara Katz, travel specialist for American Express Travel Service in Boston. “When I arrive in my favorite city, Florence, in late October every year, I feel like I’ve come home. It’s small and manageable and you can get around very easily. It’s a great city for walking, without as many hills as there are in Rome, so it’s easier on your feet. “I love staying at the Helvetia & Bristol, which is centrally located. It once was a private residence and its décor is typical Florentine. I am blessed to know the general manager, who has often, and generously, upgraded my clients. If someone wants a more minimalist feel, the Hotel Savoy is the best, and its service is renowned. It’s in the heart of the city, and my favorite leather store, Calzaiuoli, is on the street behind it. Raphael Silletti, the owner, offers my clients discounts and has entertained many famous people at his store. Gorgeous jackets and handbags are a specialty. One of the most well-known and www.luxuryta.com favorite restaurants in Florence is the family-owned Il Latini. I call it an Italian “free for all,” because you’re often seated with others and staff keep bringing food to you until you tell them to stop! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a menu. The key is to get a reservation for 7:30 p.m., because they have ‘seatings’ and people line up to get in. They have an amazing wine cellar downstairs and are only too happy to keep refilling your glass. If your clients are looking for a charming place for lunch, suggest Olio & Convivium, on the Ponte Vecchio—it has an excellent menu. Even though the dollar isn’t great, I still love shopping in Florence. There are so many unique and beautiful leather goods that you will never find at home; even if you did, they’d cost more. The gold on the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) is blinding. One of my favorite stores is Fratelli Piccini, owned for more than a century by the same family. They have some exquisite pieces. I have their logo charm, the seahorse, which is supposed to be good luck. I get so many compliments on it. July 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 19 http://www.mangiacane.it http://www.mangiacane.it http://www.luxuryta.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - July 2008

Luxury Travel Advisor - July 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter California Coast Tuscan Villas Ranch Vacations Gansevoort South Rancho Las Cruces Reserva Conchal Spas of the Maldives St. Lucia A Gentleman's Touch The Pulse Just Back Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - July 2008

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