nordelaia, piedmont

in their words: Nordelaia, set within five hectares of arable land, is a destination where heritage, design, comfort and nature blend into an experience to enrich the soul and ease the mind.The 800-year-old farmhouse has been restored with respect for tradition and territory, incorporating modern touches into the architecture. The connection with nature is evident in the spaces and experiences offered. 

location: italy, piedmont region, cremolino
number of rooms: 12
guides on staff: no
spa: yes
children allowed: yes [no age restriction]
apartment rooms: yes
price point: $300-600/night
rate includes: made to order breakfast, morning yoga and sound bath
minimum stay: no

in my words: My initial impression of this place left me wondering if it was only superficially gorgeous, and might be lacking the pervasive expertise of a luxury lodge. It was intangible, but I’ll attempt to describe it as 2 dimensional, a lack of character likely due to the property being only three years old. (Opened July 2021.) After this initial impression, our experience could’ve gone one of two ways: validate my concerns, or prove me wrong. 

What completely turned Nordelaia around for us was the incredible staff. This is the hardest to curate and most important part of any property, so I felt a bit chagrined at my initial impression! Francesca created a zen oasis at her daily pranayama, yoga and sound bath sessions, helping me with my poses on the two days I happened to be the only guest. Luisa doted on our daughter Stevie at breakfast. Giovanni manned the off-hours Lounge Bar and always discussed with the chef what we could special order for her young palate. The pool staff were attentive and sweet. Doha at the front desk always greeted us with smiles and was able to arrange a last minute wine tasting (where we could taste Barolo without the 90 minute drive, since we’d learned Stevie was not a fan of the car!) Piero made my husband Joe’s night on the first day we checked in; Stevie was unusually fussy and we decided to take shifts with her, so Joe head down to the Bistro to (attempt) to relax. On the next evening, Piero discussed grapes with me over our wine choices, as we were unfamiliar with some of the local varietals. We bonded with Alberto at breakfast over his baby who is the same age as Stevie! The staff at Lorto made our early 5 year anniversary celebration special, and provided attentive service, as there were only two tables given our mid-week visit. I even got a nice vibe from the reliable bellman despite never having the chance to speak to him, he was always bustling around the property, taping over a guest’s car who had broken a window, and retrieving our daughter’s frozen milk when we checked out. 

The second shining star was the food. Unless a hotel is a culinary destination, I usually shy away from being a captive audience with no other restaurants within walking distance.  I was unaware when we initially booked, but both on-site restaurants draw deserved crowds from the surrounding areas. The bistro is gorgeous, with ample al fresco seating and adjustable sun umbrellas, and vibrant interior decor. I love that the menu is small, as they prepare each dish excellently, our favorites were always the handmade pasta dishes, made in-house with 40 egg yolks! The bistro is where your included breakfast is served, lunch from 12:30 -2:30, and dinner from 7:30 pm. They unfortunately prefer you to reserve in advance, but I can’t see them not being able to accommodate you.  L’orto on the other hand, is a fine dining, Michelin-style coursed meal (our impression was that they must have star aspirations!) Read more on L'orto in the "evening" section of my suggested day itinerary. 

Other highlights included sweeping views of hill towns, a massive infinity pool, only 12 rooms, adequate facilities ratios so you never felt crowded.) The spa area was excellent with a dry sauna, steam sauna, heated pool, and unique private relax areas divided by curtains. While we would’ve preferred a location further west and near the wine town of Barolo, this had the advantage of being a 90 minute drive from MXP (with the key direct United flight to Chicago) and closer to most other destinations in Italy. 

There are areas to improve, every property has them: check-in and parking could’ve been clearer, no one helped us with our bags, the head front desk employee had an abrasive demeanor, and it still felt like they were working out little kinks such as three lamps in our room not having cords (and they didn’t understand my request when I asked for them.) We paid more for a suite with a separate door for our daughter’s naps, then we realized we couldn’t close the door because the AC was only in the living room. Know the large infinity pool is unheated; it was refreshing on the peak summer days we were there, but likely unusable in shoulder season (at least there’s a heated one in the spa.) They weren’t able to arrange an on-site tasting of Nordelaia’s wines (yes they are a winery too! Guess I’d recommend booking that in advance) and it would’ve been fun if they offered wine pairings at one or both of the restaurants. Given the limited number of tables, they could offer a kitchen visit or course at L’orto (though granted I did not ask.) All that said, overall, the staff and food outshined these misses. 

While parts of my initial impression were right, and this wasn’t exactly like the properties I normally gravitate towards with longstanding history, where they’ve learned what works and doesn’t year over year, overall I was too quick to judge. My husband pointed out: what can you expect with it only being a few years old, and with a much lower price point than many other properties on Lily's Lodges. I’m sure many of my favorite properties were similar a few years in, and took time to develop into what they are now.