Aura Relais

Aura Relais is at via Fontespino 11, in the locality of Montesoffio, a scattered hamlet of the municipality of Urbino, in the province of Pesaro and Urbino. The farmhouse stands alone on the ridge at 632 metres above sea level, in the upper part of the Montefeltro, on the crest that links Urbino to Urbania: around it there are no fences and the view runs over Monte Palmiere and the peaks of the Marche Apennines. The building has a long past, documented from 1299 under the name of Ca Palmiere in a deed of payment of the tithe to the parish of San Giovanni in Pozzuolo, and it has been brought back to life keeping the original perimeter, with stone, wood, biomass underfloor heating and furnishings made from the timber of the Vaia storm. It is run by Giorgia and Francesco, who opened it as a relais for adults only.

How it is made up

There are ten units. The two Deluxe Rooms, from 16 to 20 square metres, are on the ground floor near the pool, one with a furnished patio. The four Comfort Rooms range from 20 to 25 square metres, two on the first floor and two on the ground floor with a patio and a garden sofa. The Suites, from 34 to 43 square metres, are on the first floor on two levels, with a king size bed and a mezzanine with additional bed places. The Loft, 40 square metres under the pitched roof with exposed beams, is an open space with a king size bed in the middle and four panoramic windows. All have a bathroom with a rain shower, a bathrobe and slippers, an essence diffuser, a wardrobe, satellite TV, wifi, a minibar at extra cost, a safe and wooden floor and ceiling. An annexe of 50 square metres serves for small meetings, team building and private events, and the whole property can be rented exclusively. The Ponente restaurant, on the ground floor, serves the buffet breakfast from 7.30 to 10.00 and dinner by reservation from Tuesday to Sunday, from 19.30 to 21.00, in the dining room or on the panoramic terrace.

The wellness area and the pool, said for what they are

The spa is declared in full by the official website and it is not a simple relaxation corner: there are a Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath, a hydromassage tub, a multisensory sensory shower and a salt room with a backlit wall for halotherapy. The rooms are faced in Swiss stone pine wood and the opening hours run from 15.00 to 19.00. On request the spa can be booked for exclusive use, and people who are not staying can use it under the Day Spa arrangement. There is one pool only: a 16-metre infinity pool with an overflow edge, suspended over the slope, with an outer facing of wood and stone. The water is salt rather than chlorinated and it remains usable in winter too because it is heated to 33 degrees. Around it there are sun loungers, a relaxation area and open-air seating. There is no separate second indoor pool, and the website names no gym.

The access rules

The official website presents itself as an adults only resort and repeats the formula on every page, but never publishes a figure: it states no minimum age and does not explain from what year a young person is considered an adult. The booking portal, for its part, writes in so many words that children are not allowed. This page therefore records the blanket ban on access for under-age guests and, together with it, the fact that the property publishes no minimum age in figures: anyone travelling with a sixteen or seventeen year old finds no written threshold and does well to ask for confirmation in writing before booking. Pets are allowed: the property takes small dogs with a supplement. There are a transfer service on request, late check-out at extra cost depending on availability and charging points for electric cars. Cancellation is free up to seven days before arrival, with 30 per cent charged at the time of booking.

Who it suits

It suits a couple looking for altitude, silence and a warm pool usable even in January, with Urbino and Urbania within driving distance for mornings in town. It also suits anyone who moves about by bicycle or on foot on the paths of the Montefeltro, and anyone who wants to rent a whole house for a group of adults. It suits less anyone who wants the sea below the house, anyone looking for a spa open all day, given that the hours are only four in the afternoon, and anyone who needs a guaranteed dinner every evening, because the restaurant is closed on Mondays.