Il Pellicano meets all those requirements. The hotel, which was built in 1964, is open 10 months a year, from March to January, with the high season running June 15 to Sept. 15. The whole ambience is Tuscan, thanks to the hotel's location in the southernmost part of Tuscany. The white stucco walls set off the exposed wood beams in the room, and contrast subtly with the muted terra-cotta tile floors. Outside on the terrace, hiding you from any intrusion, a series of ocher-red walls curve in pleasing ways.
Soft sea breezes waft over the walls, cooling the intense morning sun.
The pool rests on a terrace with a sweeping view of the Mediterranean. It's the perfect place to pass the morning. Blue umbrellas almost fade into the blue of the nearby ocean, and the breezes always are present to keep you cool. Off in the distance, islands shimmer in the haze. From nearby Porto Ercole, you can take a ferry to some of the islands, all of them a bit more primitive and remote than the small towns back on the coast.