Arborina Relais

The daily SPA allowance really rounded out our three days at Arborina Relais for our mini moon. The place is magical, with a superb view, and the staff were very nice and always ready to help. Breakfast was tasty, and it’s well placed for exploring the Barolo region. We highly recommend it.

The food at the hotel was very, very good, which was handy on evenings when we didn’t want to drive. The staff were the highlight, friendly and highly capable. The hotel in Barolo is ideally located near La Morra, Bra, and Alba. Our room was spacious and modern, with great views of the surrounding vineyards and hills.

We were disappointed when we arrived and learned that the Michelin star restaurant would be closed for renovations during our four nights in October. Still, the boutique hotel won us over on its own merits. The romantic suite had heavenly views, the room and bedding were top notch, and the staff were attentive and kind. The spa was a classy addition. We enjoyed the heated pool, then the steam bath and dry sauna. Set among the hills and close to countless award-winning vineyards and restaurants, this is where I’ll stay next time I’m in the area. Bravo.

The staff were very nice, and customer service was five-star. Breakfast was good too, but the relais as a whole left us underwhelmed. The location is in the middle of La Morra hill, so having a car is a must, and even that is a bit complicated. We booked the Junior garden suite mainly for the terrace and vineyard views, but the view was disappointing. Trees and the breakfast building blocked most of the vineyards on the right; on the left was the neighbor’s garden, so close you could see their leg hairs if you wanted to. The best vineyard view is to the east, from inside the breakfast building, which felt ironic. The garden is mostly soil with some grass, and no footwear was provided, so it was easy to get dirty shoes and bring dirt into the room. There wasn’t much privacy either. We could hear people talking or moving outside, and the terrace and window face the breakfast area, so someone always seemed to have eyes on us. The bathroom is designed for disabled access, which is good for disabled guests, but it didn’t work well for us in terms of looks or practicality. Water spilled everywhere no matter how we showered. Every little extra cost money, even the bottles of water in the room, which was probably the most appalling part of such a high-class relais. The funny thing is, they gave us a goodie bag to take home, and it had a bottle of water in it. Bikes were extremely expensive, over 150 euros for two, though we expected that. They also aren’t supplied by the hotel. The relais is just the middleman, and you pay another shop a steep delivery fee to bring the bikes there. In the Langhe, a two-minute taxi ride to dinner can cost at least 60 euros if you want to drink. That really needs a solution. Taxi drivers are paid way too well, and everyone should want to be one in Langhe. Even I’m thinking about it!