Borgo San Felice Review — Near Siena, Tuscany, Italy

A truly perfect gem near Siena — the most well-rounded borgo in Tuscany, and one of my favorite stays so far.

Region: Chianti Classico, just outside Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Style: Restored medieval borgo among the vineyards (Fora Reserve)
Perfect for: Couples, first-timers to Tuscany, anyone who wants Siena close by and everything done well

The review

A perfectly restored Chianti borgo outside Siena — the most well-rounded of the Tuscan borghi, and one of my favorite stays so far.

Borgo San Felice is a medieval hamlet in the Chianti hills just outside Siena, perfectly restored and run as one hotel. Stone houses, a little chapel and a piazza, all surrounded by the estate’s vineyards — quaint in the best sense of the word.

Of all the borghi I’ve stayed at and visited in Tuscany, it’s the most well-rounded. The service is fantastic, the food is fantastic, and the village has been restored so carefully that it never feels like a set. More than anything, it just feels like home.

It also has everything you’d want for a longer stay: tennis, a gym and a spa on property, with Siena close enough for an afternoon in town and dinner back at the borgo.

I’ve slept here, not just toured it, and it’s one of my favorite stays so far. It’s a truly perfect gem, part of Fora Reserve, and my pick for anyone who wants Tuscany done well from start to finish.

Borgo San Felice from above at golden hour, ringed by cypresses and Chianti vineyards — The borgo among its vineyards

Dinner tables in the piazza at Borgo San Felice with live music outside the chapel at dusk — Summer dinner in the piazza

A lane of stone houses at Borgo San Felice leading to cypresses and the Tuscan hills — The view down the lane

Stone villas with green shutters and flower boxes around the lawn at Borgo San Felice — The villa courtyard

What stood out

The details that made the list

01: A real feeling of home. The staff remember you, the piazza fills up in the evening, and within a day the borgo feels like your village.
02: Fantastic service and food. Warm, polished and never stiff — and the cooking is a reason to eat in, especially dinner out in the piazza on a summer night.
03: The borgo itself. A medieval hamlet perfectly restored: stone lanes lined with flowers, a chapel, cypresses and the vineyards running right up to the edge.
04: Tennis, gym and spa. All on property, so the days you don’t leave the borgo are just as full as the days you do.
05: Close to Siena. Near enough for an easy afternoon in the city, far enough that the nights are quiet.

Know before you book

The Fine Print, From Your Advisor

01: You’ll want a car (or a driver). The borgo sits in the Chianti hills a short drive from Siena, and Florence is an easy day trip. I arrange drivers who know the back roads, and can link it with my other Tuscany estates.
02: Book dinner in the piazza. In summer, tables go out in front of the chapel with live music as the sun goes down. Tell me your dates and I’ll make sure you have one of those nights.
03: Stay longer than one night. This is a place to settle into. Plan for at least three nights so Siena, the vineyards and a slow day at the spa don’t compete.
04: Three borghi, three different travelers. Borgo Pignano, Borgo San Felice and Il Borro each suit a different traveler, and all three are fantastic. Borgo San Felice is the most well-rounded; tell me who’s coming and I’ll tell you which one is yours. Here are my side-by-sides: Borgo San Felice or Borgo Pignano and Borgo San Felice or Il Borro. Or see all three side by side.

Book Borgo San Felice through me

Fora perks.
And someone who knows the hotel.

Work with me and you get two things: Fora perks, and someone who knows Borgo San Felice personally. Borgo San Felice is part of Fora Reserve, so as a Fora advisor my clients receive a space-available upgrade, daily breakfast, and a hotel credit. I know the property and the team, so I personalize your stay, from the room I request to what’s arranged before you arrive, and I’m your direct line to them while you’re there. Rates are identical to booking direct.

When are you thinking?

Tell me who’s traveling and when. I’ll match you to the right room, time it to the right season, and build the rest of Tuscany around it.

My Tuscany Guide → All My Rankings →

A perfectly restored Chianti borgo outside Siena — the most well-rounded of the Tuscan borghi, and one of my favorite stays so far.

The details that made the list

The Fine Print, From Your Advisor

Fora perks.And someone who knows the hotel.

When are you thinking?

Fora perks.
And someone who knows the hotel.