L Albereta Hotel Erbusco - Reviews - Erbusco

One of northern Italy's little-known gems, the Franciacorta area's lush, undulating landscape, studded with castles and abbeys, is the ideal backdrop for L'Albereta. A rambling 19th-century villa, covered in Virginia creeper, the hotel seems to rise organically out of the vine-covered hills on which it stands.

Home to a world-class restaurant and equally impressive spa, L'Albereta's approach to a luxurious break covers all bases. Yet despite the grandeur of the setting, the atmosphere is homely - probably because both the hotel and the vineyards that surround it are owned and run by a family. Papa Moretti tends the Bella Vista grapes while his daughter Carla runs the hotel. (Guests can take wine-tasting tours.)

At the helm of the restaurant, which has two Michelin stars, stands the legendary Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi. The L'Albereta's spa, meanwhile, is the province of Dr Henri Chenot, who is also a leader in his field.

Detox, diet, hydrotherapy, massage and beauty treatments are the principal ingredients of the spa's menu, but the set packages - and Chenot likes his guests to choose one and stick to it - coverweight, stress, anti-ageing and overall health.

The spa's unique selling point is the bio-energetic testing; guests are wired to a computer via their "energy points", and the results, claims Chenot, reveal the toxins in their bodies.