In the first of a two-part focus on Tuscany, editor Richard Young visits a boutique hotel resort in the Maremma region

As the grand gates swing open to the long cypress and pine lined avenue, the taxi driver who has collected us from the station in Grosseto, the ancient town near the Tyrrhenian coast, paints a scene from years past.

He explains how the avenue, with vineyards either side, was the way farmers used to travel through the fields, and the root of its name comes from the Italian ‘to go’ - andare. The hotel rising on a hill at the end of the avenue takes its name from it, L’Andana.

Both the explanation and the scene are a beautiful introduction to this hotel resort – isolated in the Maremma countryside of Tuscany.

Great British Life: The lobby connects La Villa to La FattoriaThe lobby connects La Villa to La Fattoria (Image: Jenny Martinez/Ann Scott Associates)
The 19th century villa aligned to the avenue was the summer residence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II. He led a major reclamation project in the surrounding countryside, creating the agricultural estate that surrounds his former home.

Today, the original building is part of a larger complex – in a style matching the villa - of three wings set behind the villa, built around a central garden courtyard, called La Fattoria. There are also several separate self-contained apartments around the estate – ideal for families.

Greeted by staff at our car, our bags are whisked away, and we climb stone steps to the elegant lobby – a large conservatory connecting the old villa with the new addition.

Our hands soon have a glass of the estate’s delicious white wine in them and we are seated in the adjoining garden, watching house martins swoop and rise as they catch insects for their broods in the nests under the eaves of the old building. If this all sounds impossibly charming, this is, after all, Tuscany.

Our room is in the new part of the hotel, a deluxe with mezzanine, overlooking one of the resort’s pools and with views for miles across the countryside to hazy hills beyond and a glimpse of Elba – the island where Napoleon was exiled before his escape a year later.

Great British Life: Our room - a deluxe mezzanineOur room - a deluxe mezzanine (Image: Jenny Martinez.Ann Scott Associates)
The interior design, like the rest of the resort, incorporates an eclectic collection of antique and antique-inspired pieces creating the feel of homely opulence, much like a well lived in English country house but with Mediterranean colours of terracotta and stone. The supersized tiled bath with huge shower reminded me of long-gone post-rugby match baths with several players from each team in at once, minus the mud.

Where you will find mud – a marine mud body wrap - is in the spa. We booked in to use the indoor swimming pool, the mineral-rich vitality pool and sauna. The spa opens on to the outdoor pool and gardens. The smell of jasmine, which climbs around many of the doorways, filled the air. An ESPA spa, there are also four treatment rooms, a Turkish bath and thalassotherapy pool.

Great British Life: The spa poolThe spa pool (Image: Jenny Martinez/Ann Scott Associates)
If you feel like being more active, the grounds have tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, mountain bike routes and a dedicated ‘kids’ club’ - a mini resort with pool, games and activities with staff on hand to entertain youngsters. There are cookery classes, horse rides and affiliated beach clubs too.

There’s a choice of two restaurants. The in-house La Villa is in an addition to the front of the old villa and spills out into the gardens, and the Michelin starred La Trattoria, at the end of an olive tree lined path - magically lit at night - and in the duke’s converted granary. Here for two nights, we tried them both.

Seated in the garden by an ornamental pool and with a view down the long avenue, dinner as night fell at La Villa was memorable. The menu is prepared by the same chefs as La Trattoria, so you can be assured dishes are perfectly cooked as well as artful. Undecided between starters, our waiter informed us the cold cuts were ‘from the best butcher in Tuscany’ - decision sorted. Other highlights were the sea bass fillet and Chianina beef fillet, washed down by the estate’s lovely rosso.

Great British Life: La Villa restaurant with a view along the entrance avenueLa Villa restaurant with a view along the entrance avenue (Image: Jenny Martinez/Ann Scott Associates)
If La Villa is memorable, La Trattoria is indelible. It serves a tasting menu of eight dishes, either fish or meat based. You may however want to go for the paired down option of three or four dishes as there are several amuse bouches plus paired breads and wines.

The restaurant kindly called our room to ask us if our five-month-old would like to eat too. As a first experience of solid food our cooking would only have been downhill from there, so we declined. The waiting staff, like so many Italians, adore bambinos, and expertly explained dishes as we bounced our son around.

Great British Life: Michelin starred La Trattoria is in a converted granary barnMichelin starred La Trattoria is in a converted granary barn (Image: Jenny Martinez/Ann Scott Associates)
Every dish here has a story. Head chef Enrico Bartolini draws on the produce and traditional cooking techniques of Tuscany and the overall effect is one of authenticity, full flavours and beauty.

Breakfast is served in La Villa where we met several Americans. There’s a small chapel in the grounds – an original part of the duke’s estate – and a wedding party from New York had booked the hotel for the weekend. ‘It’s quite the production,’ the bride’s sister told us. I can see why they chose this place, it’s a beautiful spot to celebrate love and life.

How we got there: Flight to Pisa from Stansted, a coastal train from Pisa Central takes around two hours to Grossetto, then a 15 minute taxi ride to L’Andana. andana.it/en