The dress code during the day is bathrobe chic, while the environment is pure pleasure and relaxation set amongst the Tuscan hills near the village of Bagno Vignoni in Italy. It is easy to see why the 5-star Spa Hotel Adler Thermae Wellness & Spa Resort is one of Italy’s leading wellness hotels. It is the perfect way to end a trip to Italy—and an adventure all onto itself.

Detoxing from a trip of wining and dining, the Adler Thermae Wellness & Spa Resort did that and more. Not that I had to go cold turkey on wine. Being in the center of one of the greatest wine regions in Italy, I continued to find delight in the region and its wine as the spa encourages the enjoyment of wine.   This is especially true since the hotel now has its own winery and their wine list has more than 500 selections.

History and Location of the Spa Hotel Adler Thermae

The Sanoner family opened the Spa Hotel Adler Thermae Resort in 2004. They own four hotels, including the Tuscany resort. The family’s hotelier days go back to the 1800s when Josef Anton Sanoner acquired his first hotel, the Adler Dolomiti. All of the Adler Spa Resorts have gorgeous settings and spa offerings.

When the Sanoner family visited Val d’Orcia in 1999, they fell in love with the area at first sight. It was the thermal spring in Bagno Vignoni that attracted them. This same thermal spring supplies the water to the thermal pools today at Spa Hotel Adler.

Hotel Adler Villa. Photo by Cori Solomon

The Hotel at Spa Hotel Adler

Designed like a villa, all rooms at Spa Hotel Adler look out to a vista that encompasses the Hotel’s central gardens and the Tuscan hills. The guest suites are centered on the spa as the various levels of the hotel unite at the spa. The hotel features the indoor/outdoor pool, sport pool and kids pool. There is also the “Argillae” mud bath, Finnish saunas, steam saunas, and the secluded underground “Saline Grotto” and the spa. Of course, there is also a fitness club and restaurant.

The Hotel Adler. Photo by Cori Solomon

Guest Suites at the Hotel Adler Spa Thermae Resort

There are a total of 90 rooms at Spa Hotel Tuscany Adler Thermae Wellness & Spa Resort. My suite was a ground floor room with a private terrace and breathtaking views of the rolling hills. The wood finishings and hardwood floors give the room a warm and cozy feeling.

Hotel Adler Guest Suite. Photo by Cori Solomon

Each room has a sitting area and marble bath. My room included a bathrobe and flip-flops so I was all set for a day at the spa. Even the bath incidentals like the shampoo, conditioner and lotion are special. This was my home for three days and I found it quite comfortable. For those with children, there are 12 family rooms at the Hotel Adler.

The Grounds of the Spa Hotel Adler

Picturesque is the best way to describe the grounds at Spa Hotel Adler as I watched the steam rise from the thermal pools. There are several walking paths around the hotel that lead to nearby villages, including Bagno Vignoni.

Hotel Adler Pools. Photo by Cori Solomon

Spa Area at Spa Hotel Adler

During my spa tour, a rainbow appeared on the horizon overlooking the lake with the olive wood sauna and the Watsu steam bath. Looking back this was a promising forecast of the relaxation my body and mind would encounter.

Hotel Adler – A rainbow to brighten the day. Photo by Cori Solomon

My visit included two massages that left me extremely relaxed and was just what I needed before returning to the United States.

Often when I travel my ankles swell. Swimming in the thermal springs and using the various jets located around the pool remedied the problem. I also had a session in the saline grotto pool.

Dining at Spa Hotel Adler

The main dining room at Spa Hotel Adler is built around an olive tree. The food is excellent and the kitchen staff goes out of their way to assist those with dietary needs.

Hotel Adler Dining Room. Photo by Cori Solomon

For me, the gluten free breads were the best—especially at breakfast. I could have had a plateful of breads and cookies each morning. Of course, the chef’s egg station was a must.

At breakfast recieve the Hotel Adler daily news with activities. Photo by Cori Solomon

For the chocolate lover, just eyeing the chocolate fountain at dinner was enough to salivate.

Hotel Adler Luscious Chocolate. Photo by Cori Solomon

Tenuta Sanoner Winery at Spa Hotel Adler

While the winery’s first harvest was in 2013, Tenuta Sanoner Winery facility opened in September of 2016. This is an innovative state of the art winery that is built into the hills with a magnificent view of the Tuscan countryside surrounding the winery.

Hotel Adler – Tenuta Sanoner -Winery View. Photo by Cori Solomon

The vineyards were planted in 2009. Today Tenuata Sanoner is made up of 30 hectares, consisting of 300 olive trees and vineyards.

I immediately picked up the passion and exuberance of winemaker Giuseppe Basta.

Tenuta Sanoner Winemaker Giuseppe Basta & Aetos Rosso Sangiovese. Photo by Cori Solomon

Tenuta Sanoner currently makes three wines: Aetos Rosé Sparkling, Aetos Rosé and Aetos Rosso.

The 2015 sparkling wine is made up of mostly Sangiovese, with a small bit of Chardonnay and Triebbbiano added. The wine is both sweet and savory with flavors of watermelon and strawberry. There also is salinity to the wine.

The 2015 Rosé is 100% Sangiovese. The wine displays strawberry flavors through and through.

The 2014 Rosso is 100% Sangiovese that is aged 12 months in both new French oak barrels and stainless steel barrels. Vinification is in stainless steel. This is a lighter Sangiovese. It is a clean wine with flavors of cherries.

I got a barrel sample of the 2015 Rosso and this wine is vinified in concrete.

Areas Surrounding Spa Hotel Adler

From the Spa Hotel Adler you can get to many local villages and towns. These include Bagno Vignoni, S. Quirico d’Orcia, Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano. The closest is Bagno Vignoni, a pleasant walk from the hotel. This ancient village is known for thermal springs. There are some cute shops to browse and cafés to sit outside and enjoy a drink while watching the beautiful sunset.

The Village of Bagno Vignoni. Photo by Cori Solomon

The beautiful abbeys of Monte Oliveto Maggiore and Sant’Antimo are also nearby.

Abbey of Sant’Antimo. Photo by Cori Solomon

What I enjoyed most was hiking down a trail that follows the thermal springs decent to the valley floor. I loved glimpsing upon the thermal spring waterfalls I discovered along the way. I am struck with awe when I view waterfalls.

The Thermal Springs near Hotel Adler and Bagno Vignoni. Photo by Cori Solomon

The hotel offers weekly excursions depending on the day of the week. There are hiking and biking excursions besides the tours in a mini van. Those who are Earth-conscious can rent an E-Car, BMW i3 to tour the countryside.

A Visit to Montalcino

During my visit, we went to the charming village of Montalcino. Strolling the hillside town is quite lovely.

The town of Montalcino. Photo by Cori Solomon

We stopped at a bakery and met up with the local mushroom merchant. From there we visited the Abbey of Sant’Antimo. I can only image a choir singing or the monks chanting in its halls.

Montalcino Mushrooms. Photo by Cori Solomon

When in Montalcino, stop at one of their wineries for some Brunello. We ended our tour with a visit to the Podere Le Ripi, Francesco Illy’s Winery. The winery’s most impressive wine is Bonsai. The grapes are from a densely-planted vineyard. This density creates a low fruit yield, creating more concentration and intense flavors.

The Amore & Follia is a blend of predominately Syrah with Sangiovese and Merlot. It was bright and peppery with the caption, “Love is essentially crazy but the outcome as foolish as it might be is always magical. Therefore, be crazy my friend.” It seemed appropriate as I sipped this wine in the Tuscan countryside.

Punch down at Podere Le Ripi & Bonsai Brunella. Photo by Cori Solomon

The second wine was the Amore & Magia where “Curiosity leads to culture leads to sensitivity leads to enthusiasm leads to love leads to magic lead to universal love. Because everyone feels the magic. Therefore, curiosity is a universal gift.” What better way to describe the magic of traveling through Italy and visiting the Hotel Adler while sipping great wine and discovering the magic of Tuscany.

The walking paths near the Spa Hotel Adler. Photo by Cori Solomon

I felt quite at home at Spa Hotel Adler. I wished I could have stayed longer to explore the walking paths to the various nearby villages. If you walk and stroll your way through Europe, the Spa Hotel Tuscany Adler Thermae Wellness & Spa Resort is the place to be. You can spend the day on an excursion to one of the many local villages and come back to pamper yourself with a massage, a swim in the thermal baths or a yoga workout in the gym. Any of these activities at Spa Hotel Adler will put you in the perfect frame of mind as it did me on my visit to this beautiful Tuscan paradise.

Note: As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with accommodations, meals and other compensation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.