We spent our extended weekend in the end of April 2007 in Villa Tivoli in Merano. We found the villa by looking for small boutique/elegant/luxury hotels in the www. After reviewing what was available on the villa website and several hotel review websites, we decided to give it a try and booked our stay in the villa.

As the trip from Switzerland to Merano requires crossing the Alps two times, certain level of fun and good spirits is required to feel the trip enjoyable, despite countless curves on the way…. Ultimately, we reached Vinschgau Valley (Val Venosta in Italian) and felt as if Mediterranean Sea was inserted between the Alps. Brighter green colour of the (Mediterranean) flora, smiling relaxed people… and finally there was Villa Tivoli surrounded by beautiful and rich garden and several vineyards. We were wonderfully welcomed by lovely Natalie, offered Prosecco and shortly introduced into the hotel and the city of Merano. It was just like in heaven… The room (Camelia) was quite spacious as well as the bathroom (we would have been happy with less) and decorated with taste. The most stunning part was the view – the city of Merano, surrounding vineyards and high mountains in the background.

The food in the restaurant was great – not pretentious, home made, tastefully served and of supreme taste (as the south Tyrolean wines)!! Our favourite was the breakfast buffet – very rich, with a great choice of breads and cheeses, south Tyrolean ham (referred to as bacon), pickled vegetables, muesli, yogurth, cakes…. whatever you may want to have, which was followed by great Italian coffee. We looked forward to every new day in the villa Tivoli.

The family that runs the villa, Defranceschis, is just great. So far, we have not experienced such a warm welcome, kindness and thoughtfulness in a hotel of any kind. Unique and excellent!

What we experienced was beyond our expectation – it was just fantastic! Hard to believe, but it's true!!
We will definitively come back to villa Tivoli, a little jewel of South Tyrol.

We just came back from Italy and had a picture perfect 4-day stay at the Hotel Villa Tivoli in Merano. This hotel is top notch in every way. All rooms have a balcony and stunning view. The owners, Carl and Natalie DeFranceschi are consummate hosts and go out of their way to make their guests feel at home. The restaurant is the best in town, so we highly recommend splurging for the half pension. Every night was a 5-course gourmet dinner with the freshest local produce. Breakfast overflows with fresh baked breads, pastries, local fruit, cheeses and prosciutto. It's just a 15 minute walk to the center of town and just 10 minutes to the train station if you want to take a day trip. P.S. The beds are really comfortable with luxury linens and down comforters. We had a fabulous experience and highly recommend staying here.