Castelfalfi is not a hotel in a village, it is a village that became a resort. A medieval borgo with its own castle, church and piazza sits at the heart of an estate of around 1,100 hectares in the hills between Pisa, Florence and Siena, with a contemporary five-star hotel, a converted tobacco warehouse, private villas, a Thai-branded spa, vineyards and olive groves around it. Until recently it traded as Toscana Resort Castelfalfi; today it simply calls itself Castelfalfi. My one-line verdict: one of the most complete family and couples’ resorts in inland Tuscany, with one big caveat for 2026, because the famous 27-hole golf course is closed for redevelopment.
This article contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.
Quick facts: Castelfalfi
- Location: Località Castelfalfi, Montaione, province of Florence, in the hills between the Arno valley and the Val d’Elsa.
- Rooms and suites: 146 rooms and suites in the main hotel and the historic Tabaccaia, plus a collection of private villas and the Stefano Ricci La Rocca Penthouse in the castle.
- Recognition: Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star for 2026 and two MICHELIN Keys.
- Price level: high, with signature suites, the penthouse and villas well above the standard rooms.
- Season: seasonal. The 2026 season opened on 19 March 2026; in past years the resort closed from late December to mid-March. Ask the hotel for exact winter dates.
- Nearest airport: Pisa, roughly 40 to 55 minutes by car. Florence is about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Best for: families, couples who want a spa and countryside activities, and food and wine lovers. Golfers should wait for the course to reopen.
Check prices and availability
Signature suites, villas and summer weekends sell first, and the resort hosts weddings and events in the borgo. Compare dates before you commit.
Location and getting there
Castelfalfi lies in the municipality of Montaione, in a quiet corner of Tuscany that most visitors drive past on their way to Chianti or the coast. That is its appeal: rolling farmland and woods rather than tour buses, yet San Gimignano, Volterra and San Miniato are within easy day-trip range. The estate is huge: around 1,100 hectares (about 2,700 acres) of organic farmland, woodland and lakes, with the borgo, the hotel and the golf course spread across it.
Pisa airport is the closest gateway, roughly 40 to 55 minutes by car. Florence airport takes about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, and Bologna around two hours or more. Private transfers can be arranged by the hotel, and they are included with Signature Suite bookings. A car makes sense here. Our Italy travel planner covers car hire and transfers.
The modern resort was developed by the German travel group TUI as Toscana Resort Castelfalfi. The Lohia family, led by industrialist Sri Prakash Lohia, then bought the estate and renovated it from 2022, with interiors by Affine Design, Caberlon Caroppi and Henry Chebaane. It relaunched in 2023 under the shorter name, so booking sites may show either. They are the same place.
Rooms and suites
The hotel has 146 rooms and suites according to the resort, the MICHELIN Guide and most recent coverage. A few booking and travel agency listings show 151 rooms, so if the exact count matters to you, ask the hotel. Accommodation falls into four groups:
- Main hotel: about 115 rooms and suites in the contemporary building, with clean lines and Tuscan materials. The more polished, modern option.
- La Tabaccaia: around 31 rooms in a converted 20th-century tobacco warehouse opposite the main hotel, with a more traditional, rustic feel.
- Signature Suites: four suites in two categories, the Castelfalfi Grand Suites and Castelfalfi Suites, on floors reserved for suite guests. Expect a king bed, a living room with a sofa bed and a cocktail bar corner, a walk-in wardrobe, a bathroom with separate tub and shower, and a private garden or patio.
- Villas and penthouse: restored farmhouses and village houses across the estate, such as Casa Medici, an 18th-century villa in the borgo with three bedrooms and a botanical garden, and larger casali with private pools. The Stefano Ricci La Rocca Penthouse, inside the medieval castle, combines two suites and is booked separately.
Room sizes are not consistently published, so ask the hotel when comparing categories.
Dining
Food is taken seriously here, and much of it comes from the estate’s own certified organic farm, with more than 25 hectares of vines (wines made with oenologist Emiliano Falsini), over 10,000 olive trees and its own honey. Executive chef Davide De Simone oversees the kitchens.
- Olivina: the main restaurant in the hotel, a modern bistro with an open kitchen and terrace views, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Spanish press coverage in June 2026 named Matteo Cervini as its chef.
- La Rocca: the fine dining restaurant inside the castle, with Italian tasting menus and limited covers. Reserve ahead.
- UMMI: a new Lebanese restaurant conceived by chef Hussein Hadid on the castle terrace, announced for summer 2026 and open to outside guests as well.
- Il Rosmarino: a trattoria and pizzeria in the borgo, with wood-fired pizza and regional dishes.
- Bar Ecrù and Lounge: cocktails and lighter dishes.
- Giglio Blu: the pool bar for light lunches and drinks.
One open point: our research did not make clear whether La Rocca and UMMI both operate in the castle in 2026, or whether UMMI takes over part of La Rocca’s role. Ask the hotel which restaurants are open on your dates. On Michelin: none of Castelfalfi’s restaurants holds a Michelin star in the 2026 guide, as far as I could find. For a starred dinner, look to San Gimignano or the Pisan hills, both within reach by car.
Spa and pools
The spa is the RAKxa Wellness Spa, the first European outpost of the Thai integrative wellness brand, with therapists trained in Bangkok. It covers roughly 1,500 m² and has seven treatment rooms, saunas, a Turkish bath, sensory showers, a relaxation area and a hydrotherapy suite. Its centrepiece is a heated pool that flows from indoors to an outdoor infinity edge overlooking the hills. The signature treatment, The Tuscan Hill, combines Thai massage with the estate’s olive oil.
Beyond the spa there is a seasonal outdoor pool with the Giglio Blu bar alongside, and some villas have private pools. One recent review describes the spa’s outdoor infinity pool as adults-only, but the resort does not state this clearly on the pages we could check, so ask the hotel about age rules if a quiet pool matters to you. Sources also differ on how many pools there are in total. The outdoor pool is listed as open from March to November.
Sport and activities
Castelfalfi appears in both our guide to tennis hotels in Tuscany and our guide to golf hotels in Tuscany, and the estate offers more than 40 activities. Here is what you can count on in 2026.
Golf: closed for redevelopment
The Golf Club Castelfalfi has 27 holes by Rainer Preißmann and Wilfried Moroder: the 18-hole, par 72 Mountain Course and the 9-hole, par 37 Lake Course. It is widely described as the largest golf facility in Tuscany. However, the resort announced that from January 2025 the club would close for a course redesign and maintenance project. Local press in March 2025 spoke of about a year and a half of works, and a golf course directory now lists the reopening as planned for early 2027. The resort has not published a reopening date or said how guest access will work afterwards, so check before you book a golf trip. In the meantime there is an indoor golf room with a Trackman simulator and a 9-hole mini golf course. For courses that are open, see our guide to golf in Tuscany.
Tennis and padel
Padel is part of the resort’s sport programme, and tennis is listed among its facilities. One booking platform lists two outdoor tennis courts, but the resort does not publish the number of courts, surfaces or floodlighting, so confirm these and any court fees when you book.
Everything else
- Food and wine: wine tours and tastings, olive oil tastings, pasta and pizza classes, and a cooking class with the executive chef.
- Nature: truffle hunting with the estate’s truffle hunter and his dogs, beekeeping visits, olive picking, harvest experiences, falconry and lake fishing.
- Outdoors: e-bike tours, estate hikes, archery and the Castelfalfi Adventure Park with Tibetan bridges and treetop trails.
- Kids: the Falfy Kids Club for children aged 3 to 12, open daily from 10am to 7pm, plus swimming classes and babysitting on request.
What’s nearby
- San Gimignano: the medieval towers, Vernaccia wine and one of the area’s starred restaurants. Read our San Gimignano guide.
- San Miniato: famous for its white truffles in autumn, a natural pairing with a truffle hunt on the estate.
- Florence: about an hour away for a day in the city. Our best day trips from Florence guide helps you plan a mix of town and country.
Castelfalfi vs other Tuscan estate hotels
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castelfalfi | Montaione, between Pisa and Florence | Whole restored borgo, RAKxa spa, kids club, 40+ activities (golf closed until works finish) | Families and couples who want lots to do |
| Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel | Casole d’Elsa, near Volterra | 41 keys in a hilltop castle, tennis and padel | Couples who want a smaller, quieter castle |
| Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco | Montalcino | Private 18-hole golf course and Brunello winery | Golfers and wine lovers |
| COMO Castello del Nero | Chianti, between Florence and Siena | 50 rooms, COMO Shambhala spa | Spa lovers close to Florence |
In short: Castelfalfi is the most village-like and family-friendly of the four, Castello di Casole is the more intimate castle nearby (read our Castello di Casole review), and if golf is the priority this year, Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco is the better choice. Our COMO Castello del Nero review covers the Chianti alternative.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Families who want a kids club, an adventure park and space to roam.
- Couples who like a spa, good food and a full activity menu without leaving the estate.
- Food and wine lovers who want truffle hunts, olive oil tastings and estate wines.
It does not suit:
- Golfers in 2026: the course is closed until the redevelopment is complete.
- Travellers who want a small, intimate hideaway: with 146 rooms, villas, events and weddings, the borgo can feel busy.
- Anyone who wants a Michelin-starred restaurant on site.
- Those who want to walk to a real town for dinner; the nearest towns are a drive away.
Charlotte’s tip: come for the autumn harvest
Plan a stay for late September or October. The grape harvest and olive picking are both on the activity list, San Miniato’s truffle season is starting, and the hills turn gold. Book the truffle hunt for your first morning.
Practical tips
- Booking: reserve the spa, the castle restaurants and popular experiences such as the truffle hunt with your room, especially in summer.
- Best rooms to request: the main hotel for modern comfort and views, a Signature Suite for privacy, a villa with a pool for families.
- Season: the resort closes in winter. In 2026 it reopened on 19 March; ask the hotel for the closing date and 2027 reopening.
- Golf: if you plan to play in 2027, ask whether the course has reopened and whether hotel guests have access.
- Dress: relaxed by day, smart casual for dinner.
- Kids: children are very welcome, with the kids club for ages 3 to 12 and babysitting for younger children for a fee.
Check prices and availability
Compare the main hotel, La Tabaccaia and the Signature Suites for your dates, and check what is included with each rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Castelfalfi golf course open in 2026?
No. The club closed from January 2025 for a redesign and maintenance project. A reopening in early 2027 has been reported but not confirmed by the resort, so ask before booking.
Is Castelfalfi the same as Toscana Resort Castelfalfi?
Yes. The resort was renamed Castelfalfi after its renovation under the Lohia family, but some booking sites still use the old name.
Is Castelfalfi good for families?
Yes. The Falfy Kids Club takes children aged 3 to 12, and there is an adventure park, swimming classes and villas with space for larger families.
How far is Castelfalfi from the airport?
Pisa airport is roughly 40 to 55 minutes by car, Florence about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. The hotel can arrange private transfers.
Planning more Tuscany trips?
