How it is staying in style at one of the best hotels in the Piedmont’s Langhe wine region:

For a second visit in the Piedmont’s Langhe wine region within three years, my husband and I again opted for a hotel near Alba. While we had chosen a historic accommodation east of this regional capital at the time (Relais San Maurizio, my post), we went for a newly built one on our recent trip. This time it was Casa di Langa Piedmont, 30 minutes by car south from Alba. From what we had seen and heard about it on our research, we considered it as one of the best hotels in the area – as the one I have just mentioned. The same for both is that they are high-end hotels. Find in the following everything to know when planning a stay at the luxury hotel Casa di Langa.

Before coming to how it is staying in style at Casa di Langa, find a few lines to our Piedmont/Swiss west itinerary.

Travel itinerary Piedmont/north Italy & west Switzerland

My husband’s and my plan was it to make two four-day stays in Italy’s Piedmont. The first one should be in the “typical” one with its rolling hills covered with vineyards. For the second one, we wanted it to be in the Piedmont’s north, in the Italian Lakes region close to Switzerland. So, we settled for Hotel Casa di Langa, south of Alba, and Boutique Hotel Stresa, in the town of the same name on Lake Maggiore.

On our way to Casa di Langa, we made a stopover in Caluso, north of Turin (Piedmont’s capital). When going back home – after staying in Stresa – , we made a side trip to the Swiss west. Here the Valleé de Joux, not far from Lake Geneva, was our destination.

As you might have found out meanwhile, my husband and I are luxury travelers. That means we look for best upscale hotels and (Michelin) fine dining restaurants wherever we go. At the same time, we only choose such ones that we believe are worth their (high) price tags. And we enjoy exploring places by walking.

Staying in style at Casa di Langa in Cerretto Langhe, near Alba, Piedmont

Location

I could not think of a much more beautiful location in the Piedmont than the one of Casa di Langa. The hotel is situated on a slope in the Langhe wine region, 30 minutes south of Alba.

And you have the most stunning view of rolling hills dotted with villages and vineyards from here. On a clear day, you even have this vista against the background of the Piedmont Alps. The nearest village you can view from here is Serralunga d’Alba, and behind it is La Morra. And more gorgeous towns just as Barolo or Monforte d’Alba are not far from here.

Ambiance/Staff

Casa Langa, designed by the Milanese firms GaS Studio with Parisotto+Formenton Architetti, was opened in June 2021. And this with the promise of becoming one of the Piedmont’s best hotels. The sustainable accommodation, part of a property that includes 42 hectares/104 acres of vineyards, hazelnut groves and forests, is owned by the U.S. Krause group. The building is set around an open piazza that cascades down the hillside in terraces towards the valley, which is quite a sight.

Materials are inspired by the surrounding landscape. While the exteriors are kept in all shades of deep red, the interiors come in neutral colors, with lots of wood and stone. For the furniture, a mix of Nordic and Italian craftsmanship is used. Everything is very nice to look at, however sometimes lacks practicability. For example, there is no elevator to the pool area or to the parking lot (you can access by buggy and they have valet parking).

Personally, I missed the Italianità at Casa di Langa, the typical pan-Italian identity. For me, the hotel felt quite a bit American, and on our stay there were also lots of guests coming from the U.S. I found the staff friendly yet somewhat distant, especially at the reception and the restaurant. The guys from the valet service however were very nice and helpful. One more remark to the Casa di Langa’s layout. The bar is an extension of the reception area, which feels a bit suboptimal. This is especially given the fact that there is so much space onsite. And it has no view, also on the outdoor lounge area. Bottom line: although the hotel is a true beauty and has the potential of being one of the Piedmont’s best, it lacks a soul in some way.

Rooms/Pricing at Casa di Langa Cerretto Langhe

There are 39 rooms at Casa di Langa, and this in six different categories (two rooms, four suites). All come with a spacious private terrace.

Even the least expensive one is quite sizable (Classic Room 33 – 36 sqm). The next higher category (Deluxe Room) is similar in size yet offers a better view (towards Serralunga d’Alba). Junior Suites vary in size (36 – 52 sqm) and do not have the benefit of a valley view (as Deluxe Rooms). As my husband and I wanted to have twin beds (available at Classic Room and Junior Suites), we opted for the Classic Room – we did not want to risk a small Junior Suite. Here is how it was.

Classic Room with twin beds

Visiting the Piedmont in early July, we considered the pricing for our Classic Room as reasonable (446€ with breakfast). As to its design, I liked the contemporary look. They used locally sourced materials just as oak, terracotta, stone and leather, which made it quite unique. It is certainly not your usual hotel room.

The feature I liked most with our room was the huge terrace, although we could not shade it.

As we had chosen the twin beds option, the room was equipped with a special device. Actually, the beds were on rollers, so you could them arrange in two positions – either close together or totally apart. As we favor neither nor – the latter takes up too much space – , we were a bit at a loss. What I also regretted was the lack of seating (apart from the office chair).

The bathroom was spacious enough with an oversized shower but only one sink.

Overall, I was in favor of our room’s look yet more could have been made of the space available to make you feel more comfortable.

Facilities/Activities

At Casa di Langa you find a really gorgeous pool. It is not only huge but also set in the most favorable position. Once when my husband spent there some time on a late afternoon, it was rather used as a pool bar rather than for swimming.

In terms of wellness there is also a gym and a small spa onsite. From what I learned – I have not been there – , it offers a whirlpool and a sauna. It is only available for private use against prior reservation, and this for 50 minutes per party.

As Casa Langa has its own wine denomination, there is also a wine academy offering two tastings each day. Cooking classes are also part of the activity offer. Furthermore, you can do hikes in the property’s woods, discover their vegetable garden and greenhouse self-guided or on a garden tour. Truffle hunting is possible as well as is renting a vespa or a bike. We did not make use of any offers as we had done a wine tasting and a truffle hunting on our last visit to the Piedmont (my post). Instead, we made (self-guided) hikes and did some sightseeing. I will cover some activities around Casa di Langa in a post to come.

Restaurants

You can either have lunch or dinner at the Fàula Ristorante (Michelin listed, casual fine dining)

or have drinks and small bites at the Sorī Cocktail Bar.

As to the latter, you get on arrival a voucher for a 15 % discount for a drink at the bar, which I found a bit strange. I think it would be better to get either a welcome drink or nothing at all. An in between solution does not work, in my opinion. Be it as it may, we had the one or other drink at the bar. It was nice enough, yet I found the location not that appealing, as I described above. We did not eat at the bar.

However, we had once a dinner at the restaurant. We were lucky and could have it outdoors,

which was a good experience (the indoors have a bit the appearance of a canteen), also food wise.

The chef knows what he does, and the staff did a good job too. More details to dining at Fàula Ristorante and other fine dining-spots nearby follow in a further post to appear on my blog.

Some more remarks to the above restaurant in terms of breakfast. We had it here on four mornings and found it solid but unexceptional. While you could order simple egg dishes without additional costs, this was not possible for eggs Benedict and similar fare. Smoothies were not free of charge either. And frankly, the orange juice they offered on our stay was no winner. Plus, my hot tea was only lukewarm on several occasions. Bottom line: such a breakfast performance does not look good for a property which strives to be one of the best Piedmont hotels.

Overall

Casa di Langa stands out from other hotels in the region thanks to its state-of-the-art architecture, its sustainable design and its breath taking setting. Seemingly, no costs were spared to make it a unique property. Even the entry-level guest rooms are quite large and nicely decorated, although a bit impractical in my opinion.

I also was in favor of the food quality when having dinner at the Fàula Ristorante. As to its design, I am bit less enthusiastic, I found it rather bland and uninviting. Also the breakfast service we experienced here was below my expectations.

As to the level of hospitality, I sometimes felt like being in a business hotel. This was especially so at the reception where the employees were rather reserved and impersonal.

All in all, my husband and I were happy enough with our stay at Casa di Langa yet far from being truly delighted. A beautiful appearance is not enough. It needs more commitment to guest excellence to ensure that (almost) everyone has a comfortable and memorable experience.

Looking back and forward

The start to my mini series about the Piedmont journey made a 11-day itinerary. This mainly included two four-day stays in this northern Italy region, one south of Alba in the typical wine growing area, the other near the Swiss border in Stresa on Lake Maggiore.

This very post went into Villa di Langa, our lodging in the Piedmont’s south. Next on my blog, I will report on (Michelin) fine dining around our hotel (south of Alba) and things do do here. The same thing will follow as to our second Piedmont stay further north.

Date of stay: July 2024

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