Ville Degli Ulivi

You stay in a private apartment in Laiatico, with the space to spread out rather than performing the usual suitcase gymnastics around a double bed. A garden and views add the outdoor element, while the property also has an outdoor swimming pool and WiFi throughout.

The feel is more self-contained than hotel-formal. You have your own entrance, a terrace, a balcony and a patio, so the evening can be as simple as sitting outside with a drink, or settling into the living area with its sofa, seating space and fireplace. English, French, German and Italian are spoken by the hotel team, so you can communicate comfortably in all four languages.

Ville degli Ulivi is in Laiatico, Italy. The Theatre of Silence is a 15-minute walk away, which gives you a clear local landmark and an easy reason to leave the apartment without turning the day into an expedition.

For food beyond the property, Ristorante da Nello is about 200 metres away, with Un Cricri nel Silenzio at roughly the same distance and Il Maramaldo around 300 metres away. Pisa International Airport is about 27 miles away by road, with a driving time of around 45 minutes; Florence Airport is roughly 50 miles away by road, taking about 1 hour 10 minutes.

The accommodation is a substantial three-bedroom apartment, suited to a group or family that wants separate sleeping spaces and a shared place to eat and sit. The dining area and table matter here: you can put food down properly, rather than balancing a takeaway on a suitcase. The living room adds a sofa, a seating area and a fireplace for the part of the evening when nobody has the energy for anything ambitious.

The kitchen is properly set up for self-catering, with a hob, fridge, dishwasher, kettle, kitchenware and a kitchenette. That gives you control over breakfast, a late snack or a full meal, which is useful when your timetable is dictated by the day rather than by a dining room. There is also an outdoor dining area, patio furniture, a terrace and a balcony for eating or simply sitting outside.

The practical details are straightforward. The apartment has a private bathroom with a shower, bath or shower, bidet, toilet, towels and hairdryer, together with linen and a wardrobe or cupboard. Heating is available for cooler nights, and a flat-screen TV with cable channels covers the quieter hours. Upper floors are reached by stairs only.

The on-site restaurant serves lunch and dinner, with Mediterranean cooking and typical Elba dishes. Lunch is self-service, designed to be quick and practical; dinner switches to table service, with fish appetisers, main courses and a children's menu. Lunch runs from 12:00 to 14:30, while dinner is served from 18:30 to 22:30.

Pizza has its own serious corner, baked in a wood-fired oven with more than 30 variations, including takeaway options. That is the sort of arrangement that works when a formal meal feels like an unnecessary decompression stop and pizza sounds exactly right.

There is one bar, open from 07:30 to 23:00. It covers coffee, breakfast, ice cream, aperitifs and evening cocktails, so you can move from morning caffeine to a drink without having to organise a second venue. Breakfast is à la carte, and the accommodation is offered on a room-only basis. A market, Gli Ulivi, sells local products, groceries and camping essentials.

Three outdoor pools give the afternoon a few different gears. The main pool has two levels, a slide and a waterfall, and is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00. A heated mini-pool is intended for children, while the relaxation area adds a hydromassage pool for a slower soak.

For adults, the Centro Benessere has a sauna, calidarium, emotional showers and a hot hydromassage pool. It is open daily from 16:00 to 19:00 except in July and August, with entry reserved for adult guests. There is also an outdoor fitness area, so you can choose between a little movement and the more sensible option of doing absolutely nothing.

If you are travelling with family, the grounds bring more into play: tennis, a five-a-side football pitch, beach volleyball, table tennis and organised tournaments or team games. A Mini Club and children's activities run from June to September, with a shaded playground and a heated children's pool supervised by a lifeguard. Canoes, windsurf boards, stand-up paddleboards and pedalos are available for hire, alongside sailing and windsurfing activities.

Check-in starts from 15:00 and you need to tell the property your arrival time in advance. Check-out is by 10:00. The minimum age for check-in is 21, and children of any age are welcome; cots and extra beds are not available.

The apartment has free WiFi, and the wider property offers car, scooter, bicycle, e-bike and mountain-bike hire, as well as laundry facilities and a safe at reception. One parking space is included with the accommodation information. The property is open from 23 April to 25 October.

Quiet hours run from 20:00 to 10:00. Smoking, parties and pets are not allowed in the apartment. If you are travelling with a dog, the wider Ville degli Ulivi site accepts pets in its pitches, mobile homes, lodges and apartments, with dogs kept on a lead in shared outdoor areas.