Inside the New Hotel Castello di Reschio

Hotel Castello di Reschio is picture-perfect Umbria: a striking stone-walled castle sitting against the background of ancient rolling green hills. Now, as the hotel prepares to welcome visitors for the first time, we invite you for a look around this stunning Italian destination.

Occupying a thousand-year-old renovated castle, Hotel Castello di Reschio sits within the ancient Reschio Estate – a sprawling 3,700-acres of hills, valleys and forests. Originally bought by Count Antonio Bolza 25 years ago, the entire estate has been undergoing a thorough transformation in a bid to restore it to its former glory, a process which is now led by Antonio’s son Count Benedikt and his wife Donna Nencia.

The castle restoration is the latest installment in the family’s bid to inject new life into this beautiful part of the world. Using their artistic background (Count Benedikt is a trained architect and Donna is an artist), the husband and wife duo have delivered a new level of elegance to the design-led hotel, employing a team of remarkable local artisans, carpenters, stonemasons and tilemakers to help bring their vision to life. The result is an impeccably stylish space that celebrates modern elegance while still remaining true to the building’s storied history.

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In addition to its stunning interiors, the Bolza family has gone to great lengths to ensure the guests can enjoy the surrounding estate at its best, from immersive nature-based activities to serving estate-grown ingredients in its various restaurants and bars. Despite the bags of style and sophistication at Hotel Castello di Reschio, in the spirit of true Italian hospitality, the destination remains a firmly family-friendly hotel, with children of all ages welcomed to enjoy a taste of a truly free-range lifestyle.

As you would expect of a hotel that relies so heavily on the natural world, sustainability is at the heart of Hotel Castello di Reschio: the entire renovation has been imagined to be low-impact, relying on existing structures wherever possible; the bounty of the estate is used to form the culinary offering and the whole estate is completely single-use plastic-free. The Bolzas have also gone to extreme efforts to ensure locality and tradition are celebrated wherever possible.

Sleep

The hotel offers a total of 36 meticulously designed rooms and suites, all of which are located in either the castle building or in the nearby San Michele Church’s adjacent vestry. Not only do each of Castello di Reschio’s accommodations exude contemporary style, but they have also all been thoughtfully imagined to reflect the castle’s long history and the characters who resided within.

Bespoke pieces of furniture and 21^st century mod-cons blend seamlessly with antique treasures and authentic touches such as wooden beams and terracotta floor for a charming and remarkably chic result. Each of the suites offers its own added touch of luxury: all of the individually designed Suites Castello, for example, have decadent bathtubs, while each of the aptly named Grand Suites have sweeping views of the Umbrian hills.

However, while each of the rooms and suites are undeniably special, it is the Tower Suite that is the ultimate showstopper. Occupying five floors of the hotel’s tallest tower building, the Tower Suite is spread across 1,938 sq ft and boasts two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an in-room bar, a spacious living area and a study. The suite’s real highlight, however, is its private rooftop garden, which offers 360° views of the Umbrian countryside, best enjoyed from its open-air bathtub.

Dine

At the very core of Hotel Castello di Reschio’s culinary offering is sustainability, with the hotel championing a fully farm-to-fork ethos. Every ingredient possible is sourced from within the estate: its organic garden kitchen supplies fruit and vegetables, while the beehives and olive groves provide honey and olive oil.

The few ingredients that can’t be sourced on the estate will be provided by local trusted suppliers. The result is a simple menu of dishes that celebrate the bounty of the Umbrian countryside, as well as showcase the importance of treating this landscape with care and respect.

The hotel has two main restaurants: Ristorante Alle Scuderie serves simple yet elegant fare in rustic, leafy settings, while the partially uncovered Ristorante Al Castello offers traditional Italian dishes alongside captivating views across the surrounding landscape. In addition to the more formal dining outlets, guests can enjoy an aperitif at the glamorous Bar Centrale, indulge in afternoon tea at the courtyard Palm Court Bar or have a light snack at the poolside Il Torrino bar.

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The hotel is equally as considerate in its drinks offering, with the estate’s vineyards producing an outstanding selection of light reds and rosés. Joining these on the expansive wine list is a number of lesser-known Italian labels from organic and biodynamic winemakers, all of which have been specially selected by Reschio’s resident sommelier. Guests can enjoy a bespoke wine tasting at Enoteca – Reschio’s intimate wine store.

Explore

As you’d expect of a hotel that sits in the heart of a sprawling countryside estate, guests of all ages at Hotel Castello di Reschio are unlikely to find themselves short of things to do. Equestrian enthusiasts will be delighted to hear that Reschio has its own stables, home to some of the finest purebred Spanish horses in the world. Guests can attend one of the first-class dressage performances, take part in a horse-riding class at the equestrian school or – for an alternative way to take in the wonders of the estate – join a guided hack through the wilderness.

The estate boasts a secluded glassy lake where guests can try out both paddleboarding and fishing, or even hire out the peaceful lakeside cabin for a relaxing day on the waters’ edge. Wildlife spotting opportunities are in abundance on the estate, with the resident gamekeeper on hand to guide guests through the species that call Reschio’s ancient forests home, from wild boar and roe deer to porcupines and foxes. Clay pigeon shooting, tennis lessons and court hire, and cycling excursions are all also on offer.

On days when the weather isn’t as agreeable, retreat to Hotel Castello di Reschio’s inviting library, where hour after hour can easily be whiled away in a cozy corner with your nose in a good book. Alternatively, head to Reschio’s cookery school that adjoins Ristorante Alle Scuderie for an immersive cooking class. Here, guests can learn how to forage for ingredients before transforming them into a delicious dish using classic Italian cooking techniques.

Relax

The castle’s ancient wine cellars have been transformed into The Bathhouse, which draws upon the time-honored traditions of Roman baths to create a tranquil sanctuary. At the heart of the stone-walled spa is a large salt-water plunge pool, which invites guests to gently float through its warm waters to achieve a Zen-like sense of calm.

In a series of vaulted cellars adjoining the plunge pool are a Hamman space, a sauna and two treatment rooms, including the Private Room which features a tepidarium, steam shower and two tubs. The treatments on offer have been carefully developed in partnership with medical specialists to ensure that they are both effective and relaxing.

Ranging from massages and facials to traditional bathing rituals, each treatment is entirely bespoke dependent on your individual needs and will be delivered by expert therapists. For complete privacy, in-room treatments can also be arranged.

Back above ground, Hotel Castello di Reschio has an inviting outdoor swimming pool, which sits just outside the castle walls. Designed so the water gently overflows its borders into the surrounding grass, the pine tree-fringed swimming pool perfectly matches the organic, natural feel that the entire hotel exudes. Whether you’re taking a dip or reclining on the surrounding loungers, this is the perfect spot to enjoy an Italian summer’s day.

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Hotel Castello di Reschio is accepting bookings from May, 13. Suites from €1,010 (approximately $1,220) per night, Tower Suite from €1,800 ($2,175) per night.

reschio.com

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