Escape to Italy’s Gavi region and settle in for one of the new experiential summer stay offerings within the peaceful setting of Locanda La Raia. The intimately proportioned, 12-room boutique mansion hotel is located between the cities of Milan and Genoa. The setting? A 180-hectare estate comprised of vineyards, meadows and forests of chestnut trees, elderflower and acacia, all of which provide a habitat for birds and wildlife.

© Locanda La Raia

The estate got a second lease on life in 2017 when the Rossi Cairo family renovated an old post station on the property and created a pastoral luxury guest retreat, replete with original architectural elements such as arches and vaults. The post station and grounds now house 10 guestrooms, two private apartments, a spa offering therapies and treatments with organic products, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, a private arts foundation and an estate-to-table restaurant. The property’s organic vineyards and winery produce two different types of Piemonte D.O.C. Barbera and three types of multi-award winners: Gavi D.O.C.G.: Gavi, Gavi Riserva Vigna della Madonnina and Gavi Pisé.

Under the direction of chef Tommaso Arrigone, the restaurant features a menu of local fare from ingredients produced on the estate and in its gardens, including honey, wine, herbs and Fassona beef. Seasonal dishes may include chef Arrigone’s knife-pounded beef with mustard ricotta and sauteed spinach with butter. Around the estate, art installations created by visiting international artists explore connections with the natural landscape, such as sculptures by Remo Salvadori and the inverted stone pyramid by Adrien Missika, created to house bees and other pollinators.

© Locanda La Raia

Experiential Stays allow guests to choose a room in their preferred category, and include two nights with breakfast, two tasting dinner menus at the on-site restaurant (excluding beverages), a guided tour of the art contained within the permanent collection of Fondazione La Raia, and a wine tasting at La Raia’s winery. Afternoon tea and aperitivo are also included, along with access to the sauna, steam bath and swimming pools.