Sitting on the banks of the Arno River, Villa La Massa is an intimate bucolic oasis, located between Florence and the Chianti region. The hotel, member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is linked to the city center by a courtesy shuttle running daily to and from Ponte Vecchio. This Medicean splendid mansion, surrounded by 25 acres of park with lemon trees and olive groves, was turned into a luxury hotel in 1948. Its five hundred years of history live on, telling tales of Renaissance splendor and the lifestyle of Florentine aristocrats. The hotel features 54 rooms, divided between six historic buildings: the Villa Nobile, the Mill, the Villino, the Casa Colonnica, the Limonaia and Villa Hombert. The spirit of the Renaissance is still palpable in the first three villas decorated with sublime canopied beds, frescoes, tapestries, silks, and brocades—while the other three are beautifully furnished in a more contemporary Florentine style. The gourmet restaurant “Il Verrocchio” offers the traditional Tuscan cuisine with over 400 labels of wine; its terrace overlooking the Arno River is a unique setting for romantic dinners. Overlooking the pool area L'Oliveto bistrot is open for lunch. Named after surrounding olive trees, which are used to produce the hotel’s own olive oil, it occupies a former barn. For those looking for a full day of relax, an outdoor swimming pool, a modern fitness center, the Arno SPA, mountain bikes and a jogging track are available on the property.