Sunny, spacious Umbria, with its rolling green hills and incredible views is the sort of place where you’ll definitely use a hotel pool. Not just for the kids to splash about in, Umbria’s best hotels pools offer not just an opportunity to cool down and relax after a day of hot, sunny sightseeing, they’re also some of the best lookout spots in Umbria: cool places to survey the beauty of this lush and sparsely populated part of central Italy, with its incredible architecture. Our recommendations for the best hotels in Umbria with a pool include some fantastic pools-with-a-view, attached to a pleasingly varied collection of buildings, ranging from converted monasteries, towers, castles and farmhouses, to purpose built resorts.
For a pool with a View
- Umbria’s hotel pools are an extremely scenic lot, with few exceptions, but La Palazette del Vescovo’s pool overlooks the Tiber Valley, which is particularly impressive. This secluded country villa, once the summer palace for Todi’s bishops, is small enough to feel intimate, with just nine rooms and suites, all carefully and individually decorated to make the most of their original features including frescoes, stone archways, exposed stone walls and wooden beamed ceilings. The other notable feature of this hotel is the food, first they serve pre-dinner wine and local delicacies on the pool terrace, followed by four memorable courses in the restaurant.
- Nikis Resort qualifies for this category because it has two pools, both with exceptional views! We also love the location, on a hilltop just above Gubbio. Converted from an old stone farmhouse, this is now an elegant hideaway resort with 20 rustic chic rooms and apartment suites. All the rooms have tiled floors and exposed beams, as do the public areas of the resort, including the elegant restaurant — which also has a window in the floor down to the wine cellar. They also offer an array of spa facilities.
- On a hilltop, overlooking a particularly picturesque valley, the Relais il Canalicchio looks like a medieval castle surveying all that it commands. This a pretty big hotel for its type, with 47 rooms, suites and two-room apartments, and facilities to match, including tennis courts, large gardens, a large spa and pool too, with fantastic views over the valley. The best rooms have private terraces and balconies, but there are plenty of public terraces too. And an excellent Umbrian restaurant.
For a luxury hotel
- The Villa della Genga is a gorgeous country estate with five guest villas, each with their own kitchens and living rooms. They’re surrounded by lush gardens that roll down a hillside, at the bottom of which there’s a stunning natural swimming pool an olive plantation and woodlands. The villa interiors are extremely elegant, like the comfortable house of a friend with excellent taste and a penchant for rustic details. The estate also has an excellent restaurant where they offer cooking classes — the cuisine is a real highlight. This is a great choice for families too.
- Also set on a picturesque country estate, Borgo Dei Conti, is a luxurious, 50 room hotel converted from a large stately villa and its outbuildings. Umbria has numerous gorgeous heritage buildings converted into hotels and accommodation, but the Borgo Dei Conti is one of the few that’s large enough to offer a range of interior decors, a state-of-the-art spa and a choice of two restaurants. If you’re in Umbria to see frescoes and beautifully carved open fireplaces then you should stay in one of the best heritage suites, which also come in family sizes, but if you prefer more contemporary decor there are rooms for you here too. There’s a huge pool with a view of the villa and beyond.
The Best Rural Hotels with a Pool
- The Relais dei Magi is another attractive country house turned hotel close to Lake Trasimeno and Perugia. Surrounded by woods, olive groves and grasslands, this hotel feels wonderfully secluded and rural. Inside are 14 cosy rooms, suites, and a few apartments, all traditionally decorated. There’s also an excellent Umbrian restaurant and an excellent wine cellar. There’s not just a large outdoor pool, there’s also a large indoor spa and a small gym.
- If you’re searching for a rural escape in Umbria because you want to relax then the Torre Palombara might be perfect for you: an exclusive feeling countryside resort converted from a former dove tower, complete with terracotta ledges and pigeon-hole windows. There are just seven rooms, and one large suite, which comes with living space and a private terrace, so there’s plenty of hidden corners of the house or garden to escape to. And a very large pool. It’s also only around an hour's drive from Rome and close to the medieval town of Narni.
The Best Foodie Hotels with a Pool
- Yet another elegant country villa in rural Umbria, the Relais Tenuta del Gallo is surrounded by olive and lemon groves, and vineyards. What makes this hotel special is its romantic decor — ornate, historic and luxurious — and its renowned Italian restaurant plus excellent wine cellar. The gardens and pool are more arranged and less rustic than those of its neighbours here, and it has a regal feel. They offer cooking classes, both for adults and children, and horse riding and flower arranging classes.
- In the hills above Orvieto, the Altarocca Wine Resort is a purpose built wine resort with a choice of indoor or outdoor pools, plus a spa with an impressive menu and an excellent restaurant specialising in local cuisine, and of course local wines. Rooms are classically styled and smart, with great views.
For a family friendly hotel
- Apologies if we sound like a broken record, but the Locanda Palazzone is another gorgeous, rustic country villa with a hilltop position and beautiful views. This is a smaller property than many of our other recommendations, with a choice of five rooms, and four suites and apartments. All have simple, minimalist decor and there are several choices for families. This is also a great spot for foodies, with a small restaurant offering five course meals, and cooking lessons. The pool has great views too.
- If your family likes a lot of space, the San Pietro sopra le Acque, a beautifully converted convent just outside Todi, might be perfect for you. The grounds are big, large enough to have a large pool on a very large lawn, tennis courts, a children’s playground and a football pitch. And still plenty of space for a quiet stroll in the grounds and gardens, enjoying the incredible views. Inside the decor is traditional and quite luxurious feeling, with 16 well arranged rooms and suites, several suitable for families, with extra beds on mezzanine levels, for example. There’s also a fitness and wellbeing centre, and they offer a babysitting service. And it’s great value too.
- Surrounded by small towns, and farming hamlets, Le Logge di Silvignano is a converted medieval tower and country house, converted into six charming self-catering apartments. Each apartment is slightly different but they all have kitchens, living areas, a balcony or terrace and cosy fireplaces. There’s also a pool and sprawling gardens with olive and cyprus trees, fifty different kinds of rosebush and a wonderful bouquet of herbs. This is a fantastic spot for anyone with an interest in food, with wineries and all sorts of markets and restaurants nearby.
- Just outside Gubbio, Borgo di Carpiano is a whole tiny hilltop hamlet, now converted into a collection of ten rooms and suites, all spacious, with wooden floors, beamed ceilings, and some lovely original features, as well as stylish furnishings. The infinity pool is just downhill from the hamlet, and offers wonderful country views. The restaurant serves food sourced as locally as possible. And the atmosphere is very relaxed.
- The Borgo della Marmotta is a long, low stone farmhouse and villa, beautifully converted into a collection of 11 bedrooms and seven suites and apartments, each sleeping four. Some of the apartments have their own kitchens as well as living areas. All the rooms are spacious, with plenty of original features, like exposed stone walls and beamed ceilings, finished with oversized Italian country furniture. Inside the main building the rustic Italian theme continues, there is a large sitting room with a huge open fireplace and a couple of vast sofas, an honesty bar and French doors which lead to a small paved terrace overlooking the gardens. Which are beautiful too, with a big pool and plenty of secluded spots. There’s also an excellent restaurant serving a simple, local menu. Spoleto is just ten minutes away, yet it still feels like a country escape.
For a romantic stay
- Just outside pretty Todi you’ll find the Castello di Montignano, an elegant rural villa turned 12 room spa hotel. Umbria doesn’t have a huge number of spa focussed hotels, and we like this one because it’s housed in such a picturesque, old villa, with wonderful views, and yet the spa is so well equipped. The pool has a view, as do the lovely bar and restaurant. And the rooms and suites are decorated in a contemporary fashion, but make the best of the original features.
- Torre di Moravola is a medieval watch tower converted into a minimalist, three suite hotel. Conveniently shaped and positioned for panoramic views, over the tower’s own extensive herb gardens and olive groves and the Umbrian hills beyond. There’s also a 25 metre infinity pool with those same views. This is an incredible building, with wonderful exposed stonework and huge, ancient fireplaces. The decor is minimalist to make the most of the original features. This is the sort of place you could easily book out for a house party or small wedding. There’s no restaurant, but breakfast is included and they can cater by prior arrangement.
- Our next recommendation is a converted monastery in the middle of nowhere to the east of Perugia. Beautifully converted, the Monastero San Biagio now has 16 rooms, with simple, classic furnishings in dark carved wood, against bare stone and original tiled floors. It also has an elegant spa, so large it covers three floors, and an excellent restaurant serving organic Umbrian cuisine. The pool and pool terrace have views of the empty valley.
- The Castello di Petroia is a medieval caste in a spectacular hilltop spot overlooking its own 900 acre estate. There are just 11 rooms and suites, all individually decorated and spread throughout the castle, from the towers to the old kitchens. Some have four-poster beds, some have private hot tubs. This is the perfect spot for a wedding, or just an opportunity to remember your wedding, with a candlelit supper. The pool is just below the castle.
Still not sure which to book?
