Situated in six hectares of grounds surrounded by olive trees, cypresses, pines and oak trees, the Relais Certosa is housed in a villa dating back to the 1400s and formed part of the neighbouring Certosa Monastery, one of the most important monasteries in Europe. The hotel is situated just six kilometres from the historical centre of Florence and 500 meters from the Firenze Certosa exit off the A1 motorway. The 69 air conditioned guestrooms are situated in either the main hotel or adjacent renovated farm buildings and have a light modern décor with rustic Tuscan touches and some original features, hard wood floors or Florentine carpeting and high ceilings. All include satellite television, minibars and free wireless Internet access.
A buffet breakfast is served each morning and the hotel offers two restaurants, La Terrazza and La Veranda which both offer traditional Tuscan cuisine; although the former is open during summer only. Guests can relax in the hotel's bar, found on the upper ground floor of the main building, and sample a glass of regional wine. There is a concierge on hand to provide assistance in finding the local hot spots, while for business travellers there are conference rooms, wi fi in public areas (surcharge) and audio visual equipment available, as well as a free Internet corner. There are four tennis courts set in the beautiful grounds for guests' use: two clay courts, one synthetic grass court, and one hard court. For those with cars, the hotel ha s ample parking and there is also complimentary shuttle service to the centr e of Florence. Visitors are within easy reach of the wealth of treasures Florence and its surrounding area has to offer. Just 500 metres from the hot el, the Certosa Monastery is still an important place of pilgrimage and the historic centre of Florence is just six kilometres away.Piazza Michelangelo is three kilometres away, or guests can visit the Chianti vineyards to sampl e some of the famous wines. Florence Airport is around 15 kilometres away. The hotel, with prior notice can arrange free shuttle transportation to and from the airport. Taxis are available at the airport and cost approximately €20. It is also possible to take the half hourly bus, which transports passe ngers to Santa Maria Novella Station, in the centre of Florence. From there, a taxi will cost around €10. [less]