4 minute read
Tuscany has been on my list for years. Not the sanitized version you see plastered across travel feeds, all soft-focus vineyards and overpriced agriturismo dinners, but the real thing: time in the Chianti hills, good wine, truffle hunting, riding horses through the kind of landscape that makes you feel like an idiot for waiting this long. I’ve been trying to lock in a trip with my friend Adri (BigDawg), and now I have a very specific reason to finally pull the trigger.
Chapter Chianti opens in June 2026, and it’s exactly the kind of property I’d been hoping would exist by the time I got there.
The hotel is built inside a restored 16th-century village across 99 acres in the Chianti hills, roughly 45 minutes from Florence and in easy range of Siena. That location matters more than it sounds. A lot of luxury Tuscany properties are gorgeous and completely isolated, which is fine if you want to disappear. But if your plan involves actually moving through the region, like Florence one day, Siena the next, a wine estate or two in between, you need a base that supports that. Chapter Chianti is designed around that kind of itinerary rather than against it.
Not Your Typical Tuscan Hotel
The design is worth paying attention to. The property brought in designer Tristan du Plessis from Studio A, and his approach is intentionally not “historic Tuscany cosplay.” Original stone walls, vaulted ceilings and agricultural structures are preserved, but the contemporary layer on top uses clean architectural lines, sculptural lighting and modern furniture. Travertine, timber and muted greens tied to the surrounding landscape keep it grounded without leaning rustic. Lighting comes from DCW éditions and Marset, furniture from &Tradition and local makers.
It’s the kind of design language that photographs well but also reads as a real point of view rather than a renovation.
Food That Doesn’t Play It Safe
Culinary direction comes from Michelin-starred chef Vincenzo Martella, whose “Roots and Branches” concept sits somewhere between traditional Italian cooking and modern technique. The main restaurant, Osso, is built around Tuscan macelleria and grill traditions updated for a contemporary dining format. Parasole handles lighter Mediterranean dishes poolside. And then there’s Hey Güey, a Mexican street food concept that also runs at Chapter Roma. On paper, Mexican street food in a medieval Tuscan village sounds like a stretch, but the Roma location has made it work.
The Wellness Setup
The spa, Spa F.A.R.M. Social, clocks in at 500 square meters and is designed as shared infrastructure rather than a traditional treatment-first environment. Steam rooms, saunas, salt and hydrotherapy pools, a dry hammam, jacuzzi — all arranged to move people through them communally rather than tucking everyone into private treatment rooms. I tend to prefer that model, especially when traveling with someone else. Adri would probably live in the sauna.
What’s Actually on the Property
For the activities side: vineyard horse riding, truffle hunting with local specialists, olive oil harvesting, mountain biking, padel, sunrise yoga, guided countryside exploration. That’s a legitimate range for two people with different daily itineraries. There’s also a private five-bedroom residence, The Mansion, with its own pool and gardens for groups.
The pool features an underwater artwork installed below the waterline, visible from above. A small detail, but one that signals someone was thinking about the experience past the photography.
Rates start at €400 per night on a B&B basis. Chapter Chianti opens June 2026.
Now I just need to actually book it.
