The biodynamic winery and boutique hotel based in Piedmont, Italy, is now officially welcoming back guests.
Based in the rolling hills of Gavi, in Lower Piedmont and just over an hour’s drive from Milan and under an hour from Genoa, Locanda La Raia is officially welcoming back guests.
Set within the biodynamic 200-hectare estate of La Raia, where vineyards, woods, lakes, gardens and farmland form the ecosystem and marks a new chapter for the hotel with the expansion of Borgo de La Raia: an ancient rural hamlet carefully restored in 2024 into a space for hospitality, and now further developed with the addition of two new apartments, Ape Regina and La Villa, introducing a more residential style of stay.
Positioned at the northern edge of the estate in one of Gavi’s most evocative settings, Borgo de La Raia is surrounded by woods, vineyards and a small hidden lake reached on foot. The original farmhouse, barn and patio are arranged around a large circular courtyard, bordered by the rows of the Cortese vineyard, from which the estate’s cru, Gavi Pisé, is produced.
For this year, Borgo de La Raia expands with the addition of Ape Regina and La Villa, two restored apartments accommodating up to nine guests in total.
The apartments, including Ape Regina and La Villa feature antique Piedmontese pieces with contemporary design objects and artworks and have been designed for guests seeking space, privacy and a slower rhythm of stay immersed in nature.
Ape Regina, located on the first floor of the Borgo’s main farmhouse, is a 115 sqm apartment designed for up to four guests, with the possibility of an additional child’s bed. It features two bedrooms, a spacious open-plan living area with dining room and fully equipped kitchen, and a balcony overlooking the inner courtyard and surrounding valley.
La Villa, a detached house arranged over two floors, offers a more expansive layout of approximately 150 sqm, accommodating up to five guests. Its bright living spaces open onto a terrace with sweeping views across the Borgo and surrounding hills.
At the heart of the experience remains La Raia’s gastronomic offering. The estate’s restaurant, awarded a Michelin Green Star, continues under the culinary direction of Tommaso Arrigoni, alongside resident chef Mirko Natali, whose menus interpret the traditions of Gavi cuisine through a contemporary lens shaped by seasonality and sustainability.
Among the dishes available on the menu include: traditional Easter savoury pie with wild herbs, soft cheese and quail eggs, poached egg from the estate’s hens with spinach foam, charred ricotta and toasted almonds, and strawberries with Barbera Bruente wine, white chocolate cream and cocoa crumble.
Wine remains central to any stay at La Raia. Guests can explore the estate’s biodynamic philosophy through cellar visits and tastings, discovering wines produced from the surrounding vineyards, including its Gavi DOCG expressions from Cortese grapes, Piemonte Barbera and limited Pinot Noir and Passito di Cortese.
Beyond the table, the hotel invites guests to discover the estate through its three itineraries: the wine itinerary, leading through the vineyards to the cellar; the art itinerary, which runs across the estate and connects the permanent site-specific works commissioned by Fondazione La Raia; and the biodiversity itinerary, a three-kilometre route through cultivated land, woods, lakes and streams, revealing the rich environmental mosaic that defines the estate.
Meanwhile, the hotel also features a wellness area which includes a sauna, Turkish bath, Himalayan salt wall, indoor and outdoor temperature-controlled pool, and a Technogym-equipped gym overlooking the garden. At Borgo de La Raia, yoga and Pilates sessions, as well as ceramics workshops, offer slower and more meditative ways to engage with the landscape. Guests can also make use of the estate’s tennis court, explore cycling routes through the surrounding hills, or join guided trekking excursions in the nearby Val Borbera and Val di Lemme.
Piero Rossi Cairo, second-generation custodian of the family project, comments, “With the reopening of the new season, we are pleased to further expand La Raia’s hospitality offering through the addition of new apartments at Borgo de La Raia. This allows us to welcome guests in different ways, while remaining true to the spirit of the estate: a place where wine, landscape, food, art and a sense of quiet coexist in balance.”
To find out more visit: https://la-raia.it/en/locanda/