We may receive a commission when you use our links. Monkey Miles is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com and CardRatings. This relationship may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Monkey Miles is also a Senior Advisor to Bilt Rewards. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
The Nun Relais and Spa is a truly special place where history, spirituality, and luxury meet.
The 18 room Nun Relais and Spa is the splendid result of St Catherine’s Monastery, originally built in 1275, being restored and converted into what is now a 5 star relais and spa. It’s located in the Umbria region of northern Italy and the original monastery provided incredible bones for what now is the hotel. The lower level of the hotel features the spa: a truly unique oasis of Roman ruins and mineral therapy accented with Roman columns dating back to just a few hundred years A.D.
It’s roughly a two hour drive from Florence and was one of the most impressive highlights on our tour of Italy. The city of Assisi is one of the quaintest and most perfectly preserved medieval cities I’ve ever seen let alone have the privilege of experiencing. It’s main draw revolves around religious meaning as it was the birthplace of St Francis. He famously founded the Franciscan religious order and shed himself of material possessions. Franciscan monks still walk the streets and are seen on a regular basis if you wonder the twists and turns of the ancient streets. The hotel is simply magnificent and a gem of a find if you’re looking to enjoy fantastic food, be pampered, and check out of the real world and soak in the mineral baths of a spiritually charged building. Whether you are religious or not, the atmosphere of the hotel and city are harmoniously peaceful and very settling.
Getting there
After a very pleasant drive from Florence, on a perfect Italian day, we arrived to the Nun Relais and Spa around 6 pm with almost two hours to spare before sundown. The hotel blends perfectly into the town. It’s a serene village, nothing assuming, pretentious, and the Nun Relais and Spa seamlessly blends in with this aesthetic.
Check in:
It’s a passive luxury that the hotel specializes in providing. We were taken to a small lounge area and given some snacks and drinks. Miles obviously went with the champagne.
We settled in for 10 or 15 minutes, had a small snack, and finished our drinks. We were excited to get to our rooms as we had hand selected rooms 10 and 17. I’ll do a separate review of 10 because it was so special and this hotel really struck a chord with me.
Room 17
The room is on the 2nd story but you enter on the first from the courtyard
Looking back down to the entrance
Mini Bar
Bath and Products
Loved these products. Very luxurious
Eat Out Osteria has one of the best views in the city
Nun Relais and Spa is truly a 5 star hotel, yet the the food prices in their marquee restaurant are anything but 5 star, in fact, they’re very affordable. The food is delicious. I’ve included day and night photos of the view as it’s spectacular whenever you’re there.
In the morning breakfast is served just off the lobby
The service is outstanding, staff friendly, and food was great. I can’t say enough about this place. It’s truly special.
The Spa
The Nun Relais and Spa spa is magnificent. There are a couple of different packages that you can select when choosing rooms, and ours included the spa. I’d highly recommend this option as the mineral water really helps with aches and pains. Also, the facility is as impressive as any I’ve seen. It’s not overly large, fancy, or gilded, but it is seamless. The main bath, which you enter after having gone through 3 different temperature chambers and a series of rain baths, is outfitted with more jets, which are specifically placed and designed for various ailments and body parts, than I ever imagined possible. There are jet beds at one end, water spouts in the middle, foot plates with jets, it goes on and on. Spectacular.
Men’s locker room
The main facilities
There is also a quiet area for reflection, calm, and serenity. Snacks, water, and tea are available as well.
The spa is outstanding and we didn’t experience any services. It was just fantastic going in and soaking, lounging, and sweating.
More of the grounds
The Verdict:
The hotel alone is worth venturing to Assisi to experience. But, Assisi itself is worth carving out time to see once in your life. I’d highly recommend splurging to stay at Nun Relais and Spa as it will leave an impression on your mind, body and soul.
Italy/England 2016 Trip Report
- One World Business Class Lounge Los Angeles Review – Tom Bradley
- SkyTeam Korean Air Lounge Los Angeles Review
- LAX-LHR American Business Class 777-300ER
- London Terminal 4 SkyTeam Business Class Lounge Review
- LHR -FCO Alitalia Business Class A330
- Marriott Rome Park Hotel
- Viator private tour Vatican
- Boscolo Rome Exedra
- NUN Assisi Relais and Spa
- Le Anfore (business class) Lounge
- London Radisson Blu Edwardian New Providence Wharf Review:
- London Terminal 3 British Airways Galleries Lounge Review
- London Terminal 3 Admiral’s Club Review
- LHR-LAX American Business Class 777-300ER – mini cabin
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.