Relais Roncolo 1888

We stayed one night and were due to arrive in time for an anniversary tasting meal with paired wines but the weather ( thunder storms over the Alps) and a technical issue on our flight meant we arrived after midnight. The hotel treated us to a bottle of champagne and a free balsamic vinegar bottle as a present and then extended our check out to after 4pm the following day. They were amazing! Breakfast was fabulous with so much choice and delicious food; the pool is wonderful and despite having only a light lunch, it was fantastic. The room was large with everything you need including a yoga mat. Make sure you do the balsamic vinegar tasting. The staff were so laid back and helpful we felt de-stressed instantly. We are planning on returning and staying a lot longer!

My husband and I really enjoyed our stay there. Prior to arrival, I had been corresponding with Michael and Simone who both were very prompt and helpful in organizing tours, reservations and recommendations. Upon arrival, everything was executed flawlessly. As you can see on the map, the hotel is located in Venturini Baldini winery, however, instead of turning right into the winery, the hotel and restaurant is further up the hill with a gorgeous view overlooking the region. We reserved a Superior Villa but got upgraded to a Senior Suite Villa upon arrival, which was a nice surprise! The room was very spacious and well thought out. I appreciated that the windows had screens as there are a lot of mosquitoes and insects around and you could open the window and not be worried about it. I also appreciated the heated floor in the very spacious bathroom as well as the complimentary drinks and snacks. It was one of my favorite rooms during our time in Italy. Restaurant Limonaia is a short walk nearby. Breakfast (included) started at 7:30A and was an impressive assortment of breads, pastries, cold cuts, cheese, fruit, etc as well as cooked to order hot items (eggs, pancakes, etc). I highly recommend dinner at the restaurant, where the tasting menu was at a very affordable price (85 Euros) or you can order a la carte. The main part of the restaurant is in a covered patio with gorgeous views of the region below. Within the hotel grounds, the pool is a bit further up past the restaurant and parking area and you can stroll around the vineyards up on top of the hill and follow the road to the bottom to the winery and lake. Very pleasant, though the path at times can be a bit bumpy. There is also a gym near the villa that goes into what looks like a basement dungeon. There are also bicycles available to use as well next to the front desk/reception. Our friend was visiting us for the day from Milan and the staff was so accommodating to add him to the wine tasting and balsamic tasting. Both are highly recommended as they take you to the attic to see the different barrels to sample their balsamic vinegar and then down to the cellar to sample their Lambrusco in one of the wine storage areas. All the staff we encountered were pleasant and friendly and really made our stay very enjoyable. I particularly wanted to note that they were able to find us a last minute tour of a prosciutto producer, which we thoroughly enjoyed! My only regret is that 2 nights was too short! I definitely wanted to spend 3 or more nights there, but unfortunately my schedule didn’t allow for it. The other tip I would say would be to stay during the week if you are interested in doing tours of Parma cheese or prosciutto facilities. Unfortunately, majority of them only conduct tours during the weekday and the cheese tours are only in the early morning when they start making the cheese. I would definitely stay here again and highly recommend this hotel!

This countryside vineyard estate is hidden away amongst the hills of Roncolo, and is one of the most striking, picturesque, beautiful hotels I have ever stayed at. It is the perfect blend of modernity and traditional Italian styles. The hotel manager, Massimiliano, and his staff (Michael in particular) cannot do enough for you and are so polite, welcoming, and accommodating. There are a range of activities to do on the estate. We did wine tasting (accompanied with cheese and salami) and balsamic vinegar tasting. Staff were very knowledgable and the produce is divine. The estate is 3 levels, with the hotel on the second level. You are free to roam around the estate as you please and there are several designated walking routes which can take you up to the third level which gives you the most incredible view of several slanted valleys as far as the eye can see. The scenery is stunning. I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough for a dose of serenity.

This is a very beautiful and relaxing place, ideal for exploring this very exciting and interesting region of Italy. It’s ideal for going on half day trips and then coming home and relaxing by the beautiful swimming swimming pool or in the extraordinary gardens. All the staff for a wonderful but particularly Laura and Michael and reception were anxious to make us stay very special and they succeeded in that! We loved it!

Such a beautiful start to our Italian Roadtrip. Relais Roncolo 1888 was perfect for our foodie family with a vineyardand a balsamic vinegar producer both on site - tastingsavailable and DO take them up on them if you can. There is currently one restaurant with views to die for; and one more in the making to provide guests with more options. We had dinner and breakfast at the hotel and both meals were lovely but the breakfast was my favourite - mainly for the freshly made doughnuts and Madelines. You can't, after all, beat cake for breakfast! We stayed in the Family suite which was perfect for our little family - 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms meant no shouting for the bathroom in the morning. Family peace has been maintained but, alas, not the waistline.

This really is a hidden gem. Not only is the place itself worth a trip, but also travelling to Emilia was a real discovery. We fell in love with this region (food valley/motor valley anyone?) As a family we kept it busy with hikes, visiting local food producers and the motor valley, but would also have loved just spending the day at the pool. Recently renovated, a very stylish, yet unpretentious estate. Lovely staff with very personal touch. We will be back next summer!