Grand Hotel Sitea ★★★★★

“The city with the most beautiful natural location in the world” - Le Corbusier

We could only agree. The Po River flows through the city, surrounded by gentle hills and the Italian Alps in the distance. This is the European capital of Baroque, with ornate palaces and churches, and wide boulevards and white buildings make the centre more reminiscent of Paris than a typical Italian city.

Grand Hotel Sitea has been a luxury hotel in Turin for over 90 years, moving with the times but always a landmark address. In the heart of Turin, it is right behind Piazza San Carlo, a 10-minute walk from Piazza Castello and nearby the Egyptian Museum, Royal Palace and a plethora of shops and restaurants. As for the hotel’s service, these are utter professionals; we were gently reminded when we arrived of all the services we could call on to make our city stay trouble free, including theatre reservations and use of the gym.

Our room was as pretty as a summer’s day. Soft russet blinds and cerise curtains gave it a sunshine feel, whilst sparkling clean and polished wooden panelling and patterned parquet floors looked lovely in the warm light.

Soon, we were sitting in the inner garden courtyard in the evening, on a decking terrace surrounded by lawns and roses, admiring the trompe l’oeil around the garden walls, suggestive of garden paths leading into distant vistas but also reflecting the gentle arches of the real hotel windows. As you enter the dining room, which overlooks this picture-pretty garden, you’re greeted by a fireplace surrounded by a marble mantle and a light and airy atmosphere. The service is impeccable and the dedication to Piedmont cuisine is manifest in the menu. We really enjoyed the steamed crab and mixed wild salad starters, and my creamed risotto with nettles and local goat cheese was fabulous. We took our nightcap into the lounge, where black leather chesterfields brightened with a zing of scarlet cushions invite you to sit quietly contemplating the garden.

A slow breakfast the following morning set us up for the day; we took our time savouring the spread of artisan breads and Italian pastries, fresh fruit and organic yoghourt with, of course, lashings of Italian coffee. Thus fortified, we set out to explore the delights of Turin. But we had already experienced a significant one of them: the Grand Hotel Sitea will certainly take pride of place in our memories of the city.