Lupaia is not a resort and does not try to be one. It is a hamlet of old stone farmhouses at the end of a long gravel track in the hills of Torrita di Siena, restored by its owners into a hotel of around a dozen rooms, with an infinity pool facing the hills of Montefollonico, a kitchen garden that sets the dinner menu and Montepulciano only minutes away. There is no spa, tennis or golf; what you get is quiet, personal service and glorious countryside. My one-line verdict: arguably one of the most charming small bases for Vino Nobile and the Val d’Orcia, as long as you want a farmhouse rather than a facility list.
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Quick facts: Lupaia
- Location: Località Lupaia, Torrita di Siena, province of Siena, between the Val di Chiana and the Val d’Orcia, roughly 10 minutes by car from Montepulciano.
- Rooms and suites: 12 rooms and suites according to the hotel’s Small Luxury Hotels listing; the MICHELIN Guide lists 11 (see below).
- Recognition: one MICHELIN Key for the hotel; the restaurant is listed in the MICHELIN Guide Italia 2026, without a star.
- Price level: high, comparable to other small luxury estates around Montepulciano and Pienza.
- Season: seasonal, closed in winter, roughly from December to March. Exact dates differ between sources, so ask the hotel.
- Nearest airport: Perugia, about 77 km and roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by car. Florence is about 90 minutes, Rome Fiumicino about 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Best for: couples, food lovers and wine travellers who want a small, quiet country house within easy reach of Montepulciano.
Check prices and availability
With only a dozen rooms and a season of around nine months, Lupaia fills early for May, June and September. Compare dates before you book flights.
Location and getting there
Lupaia sits on a hill in the municipality of Torrita di Siena, in the band of countryside where the flat Val di Chiana starts rising towards the Val d’Orcia. The MICHELIN Guide describes views across the valley to Montepulciano, and the pool and terrace look towards the hills of Montefollonico. Montepulciano is roughly 10 minutes away by car, Pienza about 15 to 20 minutes and Montalcino around 45 minutes.
The last stretch matters. The estate is reached by an unpaved white road from the main road, lined with cypresses and olive trees. The MICHELIN Guide gives it as 2.5 km, a 2025 Small Luxury Hotels feature as nearly four kilometres; either way, drive slowly and do not trust your sat nav blindly. The hotel sends detailed directions after booking, and you should use them.
Perugia is the closest airport (about 77 km), with Florence (about 132 km) and Rome Fiumicino (about 207 km) as the main international options. By train, Chiusi-Chianciano Terme on the Florence to Rome line is about 45 minutes away, and the hotel can collect you there for a fee.
A hire car is close to essential here: dinner in Montepulciano, a morning in Pienza or a day of tastings all start with a drive. Our Val d’Orcia road trip works perfectly from Lupaia as a base.
Rooms and suites
The estate dates back to 1622, when it was a podere, a traditional Tuscan farm. Heidi and Christopher, an Austrian couple, took it over in 2016 and spent years restoring the main house and the surrounding farm buildings with traditional materials: terracotta floors, old roof beams, rough stone, linen and reclaimed wood. The style is warm and rustic rather than designer.
On room count, our research turned up contradictory information: Small Luxury Hotels and Mr & Mrs Smith say 12 rooms and suites, while the MICHELIN Guide lists 11. It was not clear to us which applies in 2026, so ask the hotel if you are booking for a group. SLH lists these categories:
- Garden Room and Deluxe Room: the entry categories for two, some with garden access.
- Junior Suite: for example Serra, which has a stone fireplace and a four-poster bed.
- Suite: Suite Montepulciano has a mezzanine level, as does one of the deluxe rooms.
- Prestige Suite and Grand Suite: for up to three. The Grand Suite Vigna has an outdoor shower with valley views.
- Master Suite: the largest unit, sleeping up to four.
Rooms are spread across the main house and the annex buildings, and several have a private garden or outdoor space. Nice details include espresso machines, a minibar included in the rate and wardrobes stocked with basket bags, pool sandals and yoga mats. Breakfast is included. Room sizes are not published consistently, so ask the hotel.
Dining
Dining is the centre of a stay at Lupaia, and it is where the hotel feels most like a private house. The restaurant has an open kitchen in the main building, and the daily menu is built around the organic vegetable garden and a handful of named local suppliers: sheep’s cheese from the Cugusi dairy, beef from the Belli butcher and vegetables from a neighbouring farmer.
- Dinner: a four-course set menu that changes every day with the seasons. The 2025 SLH feature says you can also order à la carte. In warm months tables move outside onto the terrace; in cooler months you eat in the dining room overlooking the kitchen.
- Lunch: relaxed and light, with a pool bar in summer.
- Breakfast: cooked dishes and pastries baked on site each morning.
The 2025 SLH feature named the chefs as Andrea and Luca. Kitchen teams in small hotels can change between seasons, so ask the hotel who is cooking in 2026 if that matters to you.
Michelin status: the restaurant is listed in the MICHELIN Guide Italia 2026 under country cooking and farm to table, at the upper price band, but it does not hold a star and I found no Bib Gourmand. Non-residents can eat here, but only with a reservation. The hotel itself holds one MICHELIN Key, the guide’s award for hotels.
Spa and pools
The pool is the photo you will see everywhere: a large, tiered infinity pool facing the hills of Montefollonico, open roughly from morning until early evening, with a jacuzzi set into the deck beside it.
There is no spa on site. What Lupaia offers instead:
- Massages: in-room treatments can be arranged on request. Book ahead in summer.
- Fitness room: small, with a treadmill, elliptical trainer and kettlebells.
- Thermal water nearby: the hot springs of Bagno Vignoni are within driving distance. Mr & Mrs Smith mentions a link with ADLER Spa Resort Thermae there; ask the hotel whether day spa access can be arranged for your dates.
If a full spa matters, read our ADLER Spa Resort Thermae review and consider splitting your stay between the two.
Sport and activities
Lupaia is not a sports hotel. There is no tennis court and no golf course on the estate, and I found no confirmed partner course; the MICHELIN Guide only notes that golf is nearby, so ask the hotel if you want to play. What it does offer is a good, low-key programme that suits the setting.
Wine
Lupaia is not a winery, and I could not confirm that it bottles its own wine. Instead, its wine room hosts private tastings of five wines from Montepulciano, Montalcino and Chianti, with a discount on bottles bought on site. Dinner pairings lean on Vino Nobile and Brunello from neighbouring estates. The hotel can also book a private driver for cellar visits. For producers and tasting rooms, see our guide to Montepulciano, Brunello’s more approachable neighbour.
Food and country life
- Cooking classes: fresh pasta and seasonal dishes with the kitchen team.
- Truffle hunting: with a local hunter and his dogs.
- Foraging walks and olive grove picnics.
Active options
E-bikes are available for hire by the hour or day, there is a jogging track, and the gravel roads around the estate are lovely on foot or by mountain bike, if hilly. A games room and a library cover rainy afternoons.
What’s nearby
- Montepulciano: about 10 minutes away, a hill town of Renaissance palazzi and historic wine cellars, and the home of Vino Nobile.
- Pienza and Montefollonico: Pienza for pecorino and the classic Val d’Orcia views, Montefollonico for a quiet village dinner. If you prefer to sleep in Pienza itself, read our La Bandita Townhouse review.
- Montalcino: about 45 minutes for Brunello. Our guide to wine hotels in Montalcino and the Val d’Orcia covers Lupaia alongside the big estates on that side of the valley.
- Cortona, Siena and Perugia: realistic day trips, and the hotel can arrange guided visits.
Lupaia vs other southern Tuscany hotels
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lupaia | Torrita di Siena, near Montepulciano | Around a dozen rooms in 1622 farmhouses, infinity pool, garden-led daily menu | Couples and food lovers who want intimacy |
| Monteverdi Tuscany | Castiglioncello del Trinoro, Sarteano | Restored hilltop village, more design and more facilities | Design fans and honeymooners |
| ADLER Spa Resort Thermae | Bagno Vignoni, Val d’Orcia | Thermal pools and a large spa | Spa lovers and families |
| Castello Banfi Il Borgo | Banfi estate, south of Montalcino | Rooms and suites on a working Brunello estate | Wine lovers who want to sleep at the winery |
In short: for more polish and facilities nearby, read our Monteverdi Tuscany review. Castello Banfi puts you on a producing estate. Lupaia wins on scale and atmosphere, like staying with friends who cook very well.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Couples looking for a quiet, romantic farmhouse with excellent food and very few other guests.
- Wine travellers who want Montepulciano close by and Montalcino within a day trip.
- Food lovers who enjoy a daily set menu built around a kitchen garden, plus cooking classes and truffle hunts.
- Travellers with a dog: pets are accepted for a fee.
It does not suit:
- Anyone who needs a full spa, a tennis court or golf on site.
- Travellers without a car, or those who dislike driving on gravel roads after dark.
- Guests who want to walk out of the door into a town for dinner; Pienza or Montepulciano town hotels suit that better.
- Winter travellers, since the hotel closes for the cold months.
Charlotte’s tip: eat in at least three nights
With Montepulciano so close, it is tempting to drive out for dinner every evening. Resist it. The daily menu is the heart of a stay at Lupaia, and it changes every night, so three dinners in the farmhouse taste like three different meals. Book a driver for your tasting day and keep the white road for daylight.
Practical tips
- Season: our research turned up contradictory dates. SLH says Lupaia closes from December to March, the MICHELIN Guide says December to mid-March, Mr & Mrs Smith gives mid-March to early December, and one directory says late March to mid-November. Confirm dates with the hotel for March, November or early December.
- Booking: reserve early for late May, June and September. One directory mentions a two-night minimum; ask the hotel what applies on your dates.
- Best rooms to request: the Junior Suite Serra for a fireplace and four-poster in spring or autumn, the Grand Suite Vigna for its outdoor shower and views, the Master Suite for a family of four.
- Kids: children are welcome and cots are free for babies, while extra beds for older children carry a nightly charge. There is no kids’ club, so this is a calm stay rather than an entertainment one.
- Transfers: the hotel can arrange paid transfers from Florence or Rome.
Check prices and availability
Compare the garden rooms, junior suites and the Master Suite, and check that your dates fall inside the hotel’s season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lupaia have a Michelin star?
No. The restaurant is listed in the MICHELIN Guide Italia 2026 without a star. The hotel holds one MICHELIN Key, the guide’s separate award for hotels.
Is Lupaia open all year?
No. It closes in winter, roughly from December to March. Sources differ on the exact dates, so ask the hotel before booking a stay at either end of the season.
Does Lupaia make its own wine?
Not as far as we could confirm. It has a wine room with tastings of wines from Montepulciano, Montalcino and Chianti, and can arrange cellar visits with a driver.
How far is Lupaia from Montepulciano and the airports?
Montepulciano is roughly 10 minutes by car. Perugia airport is about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes away, Florence about 90 minutes and Rome Fiumicino around 2 hours 30 minutes.
Planning more trips to southern Tuscany?
