Villa Giona

The four star Villa Giona is a dream—a private, historic residence-turned-accommodation. The cordial Saletti family has meticulously restored and maintained all the original architecture and has run it firsthand, creating an aura of hospitality in the home of friends. The impressive, 16th-century stately villa, surrounded on all sides by vast, open lawns accented with lemon vases and ancient statues, is complete with the characteristic “barchessa” wings and holds six, very spacious guestrooms. Each of the non-smoking guestrooms on the upper two floors has the amenities of a five-star hotel plus some unique feature, whether it be the mansard beamed rooms on the top floor, the high-ceilinged rooms (one with private terrace) on the upper, noble floor, or the one and two bedroom apartments in a separate tower across the manicured vineyards. Breakfast is a country buffet complete with fresh breads and cakes, offered on the upper loggia overlooking the enchanting garden. In Veneto wine country (Villa Giona is the home of the prized Allegrini wines) and halfway between lovely Verona and Lake Garda, the villa is also where Giuliano Hazan conducts his weeklong cooking courses.