Few cities are as frantic and bustling as Rome. But for those who want to escape the crowds, Ruth Jackson looks at a retreat in the Eternal City and a farmhouse in Tuscany.
Rome: a busy city that assaults your senses but peace and quiet can be found
Few cities are as frantic and bustling as Rome it is, after all, both a major European city and Italy's top tourist destination. Sometimes, though, you want to be able to escape the crowds, and the Lord Byron Hotel makes for a perfect, tranquil base.
It's situated in the classy streets of the Parioli district, to the north of the Borghese Gardens. "The upside of its off-centre location is peace, quiet and the sense of having wandered into the private Roman residence of a wealthy collector," says Lee Marshall in The Daily Telegraph.
Despite the quiet leafy streets you aren't in the suburbs the Spanish Steps and other main sights of the city are 15 to 20 minutes walk away. Inside, the hotel is a "haven of tasteful elegance, with a 1920s vibe", says Marshall. It is a "chic hideaway" with a "clubby ambiance, and everybody is oh-so-very-discreet here", says Frommers.com, which considers it the most romantic hotel in the city.
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Sapori del Lord Byron, the hotel's restaurant, is "one of the finest and most romantic restaurants in Rome", says Frommers.com, and wine lovers will love the award-winning "encyclopaedic wine cellar", says Marshall.
The location is idyllic, a 30-minute drive from the coast and 15 minutes from the world famous Terme di Saturnia thermal spa. Situated around a volcanic pool, it offers an impressive array of treatments and an excellent restaurant. Thereare also several wineries in the area the owners of the villa live next door and are happy to help arrange wine-tasting tours or recommend local eateries.
Nibbio Reale from £1,500 per week peak season, off-peak from £1,200. Homeaway.co.uk.
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Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.
Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.
Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.
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