I recently visited Palazzo di Varignana near Bologna on a familiarization trip, it did not disappoint!
Arrival
After being met by my driver just outside arrivals, we drove for roughly 25 minutes and were already at the entrance to Palazzo di Varignana. I arrived very late, so I understand at rush hour this journey can take a little longer. Either way, I was very happy with the short journey time and was very ready for bed.
I had heard before visiting Varignana that it was a bit of a maze, so I tried to pay attention as I was led down various tunnels and down a few flights of stairs. It did me little good when the morning came..!
The Room
My room was a deluxe prestige overlooking a lake and the driving range, it had fancy touch screen aircon and lights. The shower was great, rain style and very spacious with a variety of Palazzo di Varignana brand toiletries. This was all a bit of a daze as it was the wee hours of the morning, so I hit the sack and slept like a log.
The Grounds
When I awoke, I was met by the peaceful sound of silence from the valley below. I took my map and went for a wander. Once I had decided which way up the map should be, I immediately got lost, found myself and got lost again. I soon realized that to take the tunnels was folly, best to do all navigation above ground… The tunnels do have their merit though, especially if you want to wander round in your robe, as most do! Also, in the winter months I am sure they are absolutely essential!
The grounds are extensive, you can rent bikes and go for walks in the vineyards and herb gardens. There is even a real garden maze if you manage to conquer the hotel’s tunnel system and want a fresh challenge. In all seriousness though, I did get my bearings pretty quickly and had adapted to tunnel life by day 2!
The Food
The breakfast buffet was extremely varied, you have your usual cooked fayre and a great selection of pastries, but the best part was Annamaria Acquaviva’s section, with an array of fruits, seeds, grains, yoghurt and kefir. I filled up on the healthy stuff and ordered a macchiato from the waiter. The main restaurant Aurevo, overlooks the valley below and backs out onto the larger outdoor heated pools. On separate occasions.. I had a pasta from the main menu and a salad from the Acquaviva menu, both were excellent.
This brings me on to Annamaria Acquaviva, a 3rd generation pharmacist turned nutritionist and lifestyle guru. She runs the wellness side at Varignana and is a real asset to the establishment. She has curated a longevity menu that takes nutrients from a wide selection of ingredients and provides explanations on the contents. If you book a wellness package, she will be there to guide you throughout the process. She is very knowledgeable and has a thirst for knowledge, constantly educating herself in her field.
I also ate at the two restaurants outside the main building, Il Grifone and La Marzoline. The former is the flagship fine dining restaurant and I had an excellent meal there with superb service. The maitre d’, Elio, an Italian born in Birmingham, is very passionate and knowledgeable about Varignana and the history of the area. This restaurant is only open for dinner and is not open Sundays and Monday. Il Marzoline is a more rustic option with heavier more traditional meals from Bologna, the food was still excellent though. Palazzo di Varignana make their own olive oil and wine, both have a few varieties and all were very interesting. They even have 100ml bottles of olive oil for you to take back in your hand luggage, I overheard a few people saying they were going to upgrade their luggage so they could take more home!
The SPA
The spa at Varignana is one of the best I have seen, it is vast and suits the size of the hotel perfectly, it never felt busy even though the hotel was full. There are 3 saunas/steam rooms, 2 hammams, a relax room and a large indoor/outdoor heated pool. My favourite part though, was the music pool.. you can submerge yourself and listen to classical music typical of the Emilia-Romagna region. It was pure heaven and the vibrations of some instruments could be felt all the way through my chest. There is also a Japanese onsen where you can book tea ceremonies. As well as this they have a salt room and a cave room, in which you can purchase mud and salt to give yourself a self-administered scrub. Furthermore, there are multiple outdoor heated pools so you never feel like there are a lot of people around. Some of these pools are closed in the winter, so be sure to check your dates!
I had a relaxing massage at the spa and I am pretty sure I fell asleep a couple of time, safe to say, I was relaxed. I heard a lot of positive feedback from other guests about facials and reflexology. I have to say that the treatments lean towards more relaxing and beauty rather than therapeutic and deep.
In Summary
The staff in every department were excellent, they are all clearly trained very well and were extremely welcoming. The whole experience was on of Italian opulence and I would most certainly return in a heartbeat.
I would recommend Palazzo di Varignana to travellers who are looking to change their lifestyle, get fit and learn from an experienced nutritionist, but also to anyone who is looking for an amazing spa with top notch Italian food.
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