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 Umbria Hotels
'Italy's green heart', land-locked Umbria, is rich in art, well-preserved walled towns and gorgeous scenery, yet remains relatively undiscovered. Tourists flock to see the world-famous sights in Assisi and Orvieto, but few explore the delightful medieval towns of Montefalco, Bevagna and Spello or the stunning, remote upland plain known as the 'Piano Grand' near Castelluccio. Umbria cannot claim as many hotels and agriturismi as Tuscany, but it has some wonderful places to stay and generally much more reasonable prices. The hotels are listed by price category, and their order bears no reflection on our preference.
 Reviews by Nicky Swallow |
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| Luxury: Rambling 17th-century palazzo converted to a stunning hotel |
| Location: in the centre of Bevagna |
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| A thoroughly civilised hotel housed in a wonderful, rambling 17th-century palazzo filled with beautiful antiques and pictures. The excellent restaurant occupies part of what was a Roman amphitheatre and there’s a charming hanging garden. |
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| Luxury: Swiss-owned hotel in a lovingly converted 18th-century oil mill |
| Location: Castel Ritaldi, 13km north-west of Spoleto |
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| The Swiss owners of this converted 300-year old oil mill have done a beautiful restoration job; interiors are a modern take on Tuscan rustic with lots of wood, stone and natural fabrics. The food is good and there’s a big garden with a pool. |
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| Luxury: Former hunting lodge of the Medicis, now an informal hotel |
| Location: Località Piazzano, outside Cortona |
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| This imposing ex-Medici hunting lodge is run as a relaxed, civilised country hotel in fairly traditional style, and comes complete with an Italianate garden and a large pool. Views are over a landscape of rolling, wooded hills near Cortona and Lake Trasimeno. |
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| Luxury: Old farmhouse transformed into smart rural accommodation |
| Location: Località Armenzano, 12km east of Assisi |
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| This sophisticated country hotel is set way up in the hills east of Assisi, a rambling and stylishly-converted old farmhouse where you can choose between bedrooms or self-contained apartments. There’s a plethora of facilities and a good restaurant. |
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| Mid Price: Charming bed-and-breakfast furnished with good art |
| Location: in the village of Monteleone d’Orvieto |
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| This delightful guest house combines the feel of a grand palazzo with a genuinely warm welcome from the Anglo-Italian owners. Situated in a quiet, hilltop village, the house is filled with the previous owner’s collection of antique furniture, pictures and objets d’art. |
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| Mid Price: Stylish interiors and spectacular views at this sophisticated country guesthouse |
| Location: Località Canonica, just north of Todi |
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| This property, centred around a solid, medieval stone tower, has been converted into a smart country guest house. There are stunning, far-reaching views from the beautiful grounds while inside are beamed or vaulted ceilings, antiques and vibrant colours. |
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| Mid Price: Liberty villa with extensive grounds and a sense of history |
| Location: just outside Montefalco, 20km south of Assisi |
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| This Liberty-style villa numbers poet Gabriele d’Annunzio among its former guests and has a charming sense of the past. Set in a huge garden just outside Montefalco, it’s a very civilised hotel with an excellent restaurant. ‘La Torre’ has spectacular 360° views. |
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| Mid Price: Glorious, pale-stone abbey with a stunning setting |
| Location: just outside Ferentillo, in the Nera river park, 20km north-west of Terni |
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| This lovely old abbey, built in pale stone and spectacularly situated on a hillside in the Valnerina, has 8th-century origins and a graceful cloister. It successfully combines the comforts of a hotel with the ambience of its past; bedrooms are in the ex-monks’ cells. |
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| Inexpensive: Chic hotel in a bustling market town |
| Location: in the centre of Città della Pieve |
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| A dynamic makeover has recently been given to this hotel which now offers stylish accommodation in the centre of a bustling market town and very reasonable prices. The square, grey-shuttered building is set in attractive grounds, while inside, traditional and contemporary design elements combine to make a refreshingly different overall result. The pretty garden now incorporates the welcome addition of a sun deck and plunge pool. We highly recommend the hotel's elegant restaurant, Zafferano, which serves regional dishes with a creative twist. |
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| Inexpensive: Rustic chic hotel in a glorious, rural setting |
| Location: Località Buchella, between Todi and Orvieto |
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| The setting of this country hotel, in a national park, is magnificent and there are plenty of outdoorsy things to do. Inside, the style is modern Italian rustic with white walls and colourful ceramics and fabrics. The food is good and there’s a wonderful indoor pool. |
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