camh

Message: We are celebrating our 10th anniversary in Italy this summer and would like a romantic country inn to celebrate. The small hotel/country inn would be dripping with authentic charm (not the renovated fake overdecorated stuff) and offer large unfussy, not terribly formal, rooms. The cuisine would be homemade multi-course meals (but again not formal) paired with wines to match. It would be located in Emilia Romagna or anywhere two hours or less from Verona where our children will be staying with their grandparents.
Thanks for any suggestions.

bobthenavigator

Hmmm ! Just my cup of tea.
1. Hotel Orta on Lago Orta
2. Hotel Stella d' Italia in San Mamete on north shore of Lago Lugano
3. The hotel in Torre del Benaco on Lago Garda whose name I forget
4. The Cavallino d' Oro in Castelrotto in the Dolomites
5. The G.H. Portovenere in that village as a gateway to the Cinque Terre

That is a start--I do do know ER well and really prefer romance on the water

Bailey

A little further north in the Dolomites...one of our favorite little inns...with terrific view...AND terrific food & wine!!
Hotel Uhrerhof Deur....in Pufels St Ulrich....39 0471797335
http://www.uhrerhof.com

rex

Are you equally considering all price ranges?

And some places that are two hours <i>north</i> of Verona are a long way from Emilia-Romagna.

If you mean in a two-hour radius from the Verona-Bologna &quot;axis&quot;, then the northern points are less relevant.

Not really on this axis, but still fairly close to Bologna is http://www.locandasolarola.com (Michelin one-star restarant designation) - - is this close to what you are seeking?

Best wishes,

Rex

camh

In response, we are considering a two (to three) hour drive in ANY direction. I was assuming that our romantic getaway would be in E-R, but it doesn't have to be. I've looked at the Locanda Solanda, too much floral chinz in the pics. As for price range, in the Euro 200-300. But having said that the Palazzo Viviani looks intriguing. Could it be real?
I'll check out all your suggestions.

camh

After looking at your suggestions, I think that the ones in the Dolomites are just too far and not really the Italian experience that we're going for. I want to go south or west of Verona, maybe on Lake Garda or Lake d'Iseo if the place was great. But my husband likes the idea of the Virilus Mountain Resort and I'm pretty sure that's out of our price range. We are NOT in the golf or tennis set, more of the foodie and afternoon bike jaunt type.

rex

Well, my hat is off to you. Not only do I see how I missed the mark (disregarded &quot;not terribly formal&quot - - but it is quite impressive to see someone answer their own question like this. Of course, you realize that this location is a goodly bit more than two hours from Verona isn't it?

But I remain surprised and impressed to learn about jpmoser.com - - I see that it has appeared here before, though not often, and quite infrequently, in conjunction with Italy - - but I, for one, am glad to know about the site/collection of properties.

camh

How much time do you think it would take us to drive to Montegridolfo? Do you think the Palazzo Viviani could be just way to authentic to be real? Villa Gaidello, in Castelfranco Emilia, sounds rustic but with incredible food and then there is Il Bottacio di Montignoso with its food but it seems a bit far from Verona. Maybe I should reconsider Solarola...

I'm drawn to places that are farther south in Tuscany. What to do?

I too have found JP Moser to be helpful if a bit stodgy but I suppose that his guides are meant for an older crowd.