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 The foothills of the Alps form the backdrop to Follina, a delightful little town nestling among the Prosecco vineyards in the heart of the Treviso area. In the old centre, a stone's throw from the medieval abbey, stands the Hotel dei Chiostri, an unexpected and unusual example of contemporary design that can hold its own with the famous "design hotels" in London and Amsterdam. |
 For those who love the latest style, this hotel is a feast for the eyes-architectural effects, unusual combinations of antique and modern, innovative lighting and contrasting shapes and colours. The building, which is one half of an eighteenth-century complex below the Cistercian Abbey of Santa Maria with its beautiful cloister, has been completely renovated, inside and out, in a modern key. If you stay in one of the rooms facing the palazzo Barberis you can tell the time by the clock on the abbey bell tower. |
 It is thanks to Signora Ivana Zanon's painstaking care that fortunate visitors to Follina can stay in a place that is so rich in history and art while enjoying every comfort in a contemporary décor cleverly combined with antiques and exotic touches such as the old Chinese trunks that conjure up images of travelling. |
 In addition to the wonderful view of the peaceful Veneto landscape with its green vineyards and hills, guests at the Hotel dei Chiostri have a choice of 15 rooms, each different from the other and featuring eclectic design elements. Daylight pours in through the large windows in every room, accentuating the shapes and colours. The seemingly casual decorative scheme is a clever mix of antique and minimalist, classical and ethnic, fine woods, techno materials, wickerwork and silk, marble and perspex that creates a most harmonious effect. Each room has its own personality and is decorated in different colours. |
 Particular attention has been paid to the bathrooms that match the style of the rooms and have very original fittings, such as those designed by Philippe Starck and on display at the Moma in New York. They contain courtesy kits with natural products, makeup mirrors that don't mist up, heated towel rails and maxi showerheads in the suites. |
 Follina is a good base for many different excursions. Venice, first and foremost, is less than an hour away by car or train. Treviso and Padua, two other art centres, can also be easily reached from here. Many people choose to go cycling, trekking in the mountains, or simply on long invigorating hikes, with guides for the more difficult trails. |
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