Villa San Michele Offers a Chianti Vineyard Experience

September 2002--Guests at the luxury Villa San Michele now have the opportunity to swap the Renaissance splendor of Florence for a rustic experience in an ancient Tuscan farmhouse, albeit one with butler service.

The hotel has teamed up with the Capannelle wine estate, which has its headquarters in a farmhouse high above the village of Gaiole in Chianti, with spectacular views across the Tuscan countryside.

Villa San Michele is introducing a special "Chianti on your Doorstep" offer, giving guests an exclusive opportunity to stay on a complimentary basis at the hotel's new "Winery with a Butler." When guests book three nights in a deluxe double room at Villa San Michele, they will be upgraded to a junior suite, if available, at check-in. Also included is a full American buffet breakfast daily and one champagne breakfast served in the guest's room, sparkling Italian wine and flowers on arrival and complimentary tickets to the "Michelangelo's Legacy" exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi.

Guests will then have the option of a free limousine transfer to Capannelle to spend their fourth night in this typical Tuscan farmhouse, which has been beautifully restored and renovated in a traditional Chianti style. The four guestrooms of this exclusive retreat are serviced by a butler and have panoramic views stretching to the horizon. With easy access to the village, the winery offers large public areas and terraces as well as private sitting rooms and an outdoor swimming pool.

During their stay guests will be offered a tour of the Capannelle winery and the opportunity to taste wines produced on the estate. The rate for this offer is EUR 991.00 per room per night for the three nights at Villa San Michele with the final night at the winery on a complimentary bed and breakfast basis. This offer was valid for the summer period up to August 29th and will be available later in the year from October 15th to November 17th 2002.

Capannelle was established in 1975 and produces high quality wines and olive oil made from grapes and olive trees grown on the estate and cultivated without use of chemical fertilizers or insecticides.

Villa San Michele is classed among the finest Italian National Trust Monuments. It was expertly adapted from a 15th Century Franciscan monastery to a unique hotel of unsurpassed character and presence. The façade is reputed to have been designed by Michelangelo and the reception area was once a chapel. The bedrooms and suites are traditional, peaceful and elegant, while the Renaissance splendor of Florence is a mere fifteen minutes away by car. The hotel is set in the woodlands of the Fiesole hillside and has a beautiful terraced garden and Loggia with stunning views over the Arno Valley to the center of Florence.

For more information or reservations, call The Leading Hotels of the World at 800-223-6800. Additional information can also be found at Villa San Michele's website, located at www.villasanmichele.orient-express.com.