Am I missing something with the bad reviews ?…read more What a gem in the mountains of Tuscany . We were woken every morning by a chorus of beautiful singing birds to views to die for . The breakfast of fresh fruit with fresh baked Italian breads and croissants and fresh honeycomb overlooking the valley was dreamlike . Barga , is about a 10 minute drive through fairytale landscapes to a multitude of restaurants and trattorias , charming is an understatement . I would highly recommend this fantastic hotel . Thank you to all the wonderful welcoming staff . Ciao!

I miss this hotel so much. We spent eight nights at Il Ciocco, and I honestly can't imagine…read morereturning to Tuscany and staying anywhere else. Where to begin... We visited in November and had no idea (1) how cold it would be (LOL), or (2) that it was the off-season which meant the hotel was basically empty. Don't mind if I do. As Titanium Bonvoy members, we were upgraded to the Penthouse and that alone made the stay unforgettable. There's nothing quite like waking up and stepping onto your own balcony to sweeping views of the Tuscan landscape. The penthouse itself was lovely and incredibly spacious. That said, the hotel is a bit dated. We didn't mind at all, but there are small things that could clearly be improved: the shower was tricky to turn on because a piece was out of place, the towels were on the smaller side and not the best quality, and the heat pumps could be questionably loud at times. And yet... we still loved the hotel. Even if you don't stay in the penthouse (that wasn't our plan either, just a very happy surprise), the views are dramatic from pretty much everywhere on the property. The hotel is expansive, remote (very much so, you'll definitely need a car), and the staff is truly incredible. Special shoutout to Alice, who was amazing, though honestly, everyone we interacted with was great. On one rainy day, a staff member literally gave me her personal umbrella (despite my insisting she didn't have to) so I wouldn't get soaked. Because we visited during the off-season, we didn't use many of the hotel's amenities, and breakfast was a bit underwhelming, though that may very well be seasonal. All in all, we loved our stay and would absolutely recommend Il Ciocco Renaissance!

Il mio soggiorno presso Villa Sermolli è stato niente meno che un incubo. Sin dal momento del…read morecheck-in, è stato chiaro che l'hotel aveva poca o nessuna preoccupazione per il comfort dei suoi ospiti. La receptionist, che ha mostrato una totale mancanza di empatia, ci ha assegnato una camera proprio sopra il loro rumoroso ristorante e accanto a un giardino dove era in corso una chiassosa festa di matrimonio. In quella cosiddetta camera "tranquilla", sembrava di avere un posto in prima fila per ogni pasto nel ristorante. Il tintinnio di posate, il chiacchiericcio dei commensali e il rumore dei piatti sembravano accadere proprio intorno al mio letto. E nemmeno cominciamo a parlare del giardino, che era una cacofonia di rumori che echeggiavano nella nostra camera, rendendo impossibile dormire. Ho cercato di affrontare il problema con la receptionist non una, ma due volte, e la sua risposta è stata completamente inutile. Ha semplicemente scrollato le spalle e ha sostenuto che non poteva fare nulla. Le ho ricordato che la ragione per cui avevo scelto questa fuga in campagna era per sfuggire al rumore e godermi una notte tranquilla. È stata una promessa che l'hotel non è riuscito a mantenere. Come se ciò non bastasse, la situazione del parcheggio dell'hotel è stata un disastro. Si vantavano di avere un parcheggio, ma in realtà non ce n'era uno da trovare. Ho dovuto parcheggiare la mia auto a un quarto di miglio di distanza, il che è stato estremamente frustrante e un notevole disagio. In sintesi, la mia esperienza presso Villa Sermolli è stata un completo disastro. Se esistesse una valutazione che andasse in territorio negativo, guadagnerebbero un sonoro meno 5. Consiglio vivamente a chiunque stia considerando di soggiornare qui di risparmiare i loro soldi e trovare sistemazioni che mettano effettivamente al primo posto il comfort e il benessere dei loro ospiti. Villa Sermolli è un posto da evitare a tutti i costi. My stay at Villa Sermolli was nothing short of a nightmare. From the moment I checked in, it was clear that the hotel had little to no concern for its guests' comfort. The receptionist, who exhibited a complete lack of empathy, assigned us a room right above their noisy restaurant and next to a garden where a raucous wedding party was in full swing. In that so-called "peaceful" room, it felt like I had a front-row seat to every meal in the restaurant. The clinking of cutlery, the chatter of diners, and the clatter of dishes were as if they were happening right around my bed. And don't even get me started on the garden, which was a cacophony of noise that echoed through our room, making it impossible to sleep. I tried to address this issue with the receptionist not once, but twice, and her response was utterly unhelpful. She simply shrugged and claimed there was nothing she could do. I reminded her that the very reason I chose this countryside retreat was to escape the noise and enjoy a peaceful night's sleep. It was a promise the hotel failed to deliver on. As if that weren't enough, the hotel's parking situation was a disaster. They boasted about having parking, but in reality, there was none to be found. I had to park my car a quarter of a mile away, which was beyond frustrating and a significant inconvenience. In sum, my experience at Villa Sermolli was a complete disaster. If there were a rating that went into negative territory, they would earn a resounding negative 5. I strongly advise anyone considering staying here to save their money and find accommodations that actually prioritize their guests' comfort and well-being. Villa Sermolli is a place to avoid at all costs.

Really enjoyed our stay here. It was peaceful with lovely surroundings. Best shower we had in…read moreItaly. Both the hotel and restaurant staff were lovely, accommodating and helpful without being stuffy. And the food was very tasty. Definitely recommend staying and dining here.

The hotel staff are amazing, from Mario the night clerk greeting us with a huge smile after a…read moreverrry long day of travel to arrive in Lucca and to top that smile he knew our name. I was impressed. Robert another front desk person was so helpful lining up a guide to explore outside the walls of Lucca and just an all around good guy to have as a resource for the six days we were in Lucca. The rate was reasonable, the location great with easy access to walk the wall and the breakfast buffet was delicious, Maria took very good care of us. If you are looking for a place to stay in Lucca, look no farther, stay here.

My family and I stayed at the San Luca Palace hotel for 5 nights. I can not recommend this hotel…read moreenough. The location is central to many beaches, Pisa, Florence etc to use as a home base. It is extremely reasonably priced and the rooms are clean and very spacious. The service is absolutely unbelievable and the staff goes over the top to accommodate. I highly recommend staying at this hotel if you find yourself in the area. You will not be disappointed.

We stayed 5 nights here on an independent Gate 1 tour, and I loved it! It's classic Europe with…read moresmall rooms, tiny elevator, and probably not great heat/ac. But it's the perfect middle of Tuscany spot for access to day trips. It's in the perfect location to walk anywhere worth seeing/doing/eating/drinking in Montecatini. Easy parking all around pretty close too. I highly recommend. And the temperature in the rooms was great in the fall weather. I never did eat breakfast, but it looked great!

Definitely would recommend. The hotel itself is conveniently located in the city and there are…read moreplenty of eating options in walking distance. The train station is two blocks away. The rooms are comfortable and the bathroom in our room was recently remodeled and upgraded. Breakfast was a very nice selection of typical European breads, cold cuts, fruit, yogurt and eggs. The staff is truly outstanding. They went out of their was to be accommodating and all were very friendly. Our original room was across from the plaza and there was a band playing for a party late, they immediately moved us to an inside room, no questions. Breakfast staff likewise was very helpful. Only reason the hotel didn't get 5 stars is you could feel the faded elegance, like it was once a destination for the upper crust that was now more middle class. Did nothing to detract from the comfort, value, or the staff, just something to be aware of if you are expecting a brand new hotel experience. If traveling to Tuscany and staying in Montecatini, I would stay again without hesitation. BTW, park in any of the blue street parking locations around the hotel and then get the parking pass from the hotel when you check in. The pass let's you park in those spots unlimited.

We were attending a villa wedding in Lucca, and my sister-in-law found Hotel Ilaria for us to stay…read more We arrived around 4pm for check-in. Greta, our front desk receptionist who helped us check in, was very friendly and welcoming. She was extremely thorough explaining their onsite amenities. I didn't realize they had a jacuzzi at the time of booking, so it was exciting that she mentioned there was one. In general, hospitality was top notch. All the front desk staff members were amazing. Always friendly and ready to help. They were also very supportive in grabbing taxis for us and even advocating for us when we ran into issues with the taxi company on late drivers. I had the chance to enjoy their onsite cafe for complimentary breakfast. The food was quite good! Loved their runny eggs and selection of cheeses. They had a barista, who made coffee drinks for you. I had a delightful cappuccino every time. I got a 3 person room that included a queen and twin size bed. I appreciated that she put us next to the elevator, because my father-in-law, who was staying in our room, had mobility challenges. The bed was firmer than I'm used to, but I was comfortable and slept well. The room did feel small though, but it also didn't help that we came with 3 large pieces of check-in luggage, 2 hand-carries, and 3 big backpacks. The room made up for lack of ground space with closet storage and hooks. The bathroom felt small as well, and toiletries were minimal. They had an all-purpose shower soap that functioned as body wash and shampoo. Interestingly, they gave us all travel size conditioner but no lotion so know to bring your own. The shower floor was slippery for my father-in-law, but he was able to get a rubber mat to help him with stability. Lastly, as everyone mentioned, location was everything. We were one minute away from one of the main entrances into the city center. The hotel also offered bikes for cruising around the city. My husband and I took advantage of the perk and explored the wall limits where there's a very easy, flat, scenic trail for walking and bike riding.

While the hotel is centrally located and convenient in the city, be advised it is bare basics,…read moreminimum conveniences. The rooms are extremely small and sterile in design. Bathrooms are very small and there is not room to even bend over in the shower it is so tight. No ledge to put shampoo etc so it's quite inconvenient. We arrived at the hotel on a group reservation and had added an extension on for a couple of days anticipating we would want to stay and relax at the end of our trip. Checked in on a weds, and when we saw the room, it was clear this was not going to be a "relaxing" place to end our trip and tried to cancel our reservation for Sat and Sunday night. We were told there was a three day cancelation policy and they would not honor our request, we would have had to requested the cancelation the day before. This seemed quite unreasonable to me since we were already staying their Weds - Friday. Good customer service would have canceled the Sat and Sun nights for us since we were not satisfied with the rooms or hotel overall. Feels very much like a business hotel, very disappointing way to end our trip.

I've been meaning to write this review for quiet a few months now. My friend and I were traveling…read morein the beautiful cinque terre area last June and we came to corniglia village, it is the one in the middle, up on the hill. Amazing views. Anyhow, seeing as we had nowhere booked to stay on this hot summer day, we decide to grab a coffee and we asked they guy behind the counter if there was any rooms going. Within minutes a lady appeared and took us to a room. We had to go across the little square up some steps. It was a very cute place. Breakfast was included, so the next day we went over to the cafe. These people were so nice, they gave us lots of there local pastries to try, great coffee, told us all about the village as they were both local. We didn't want to leave. They recommended some local wine too. The white wine in this region is to die for. It was a nice end to a spectator trip to Italy

I stayed here for two nights as part of a tour group while visiting Florence. This hotel is not…read moreconveniently located to Florence and the cost of a taxi, one way, is over 100 euro. This is however a very clean hotel, extremely comfortable beds, and a highly attentive and professional staff. Breakfast was typical fare and met our needs. Dinner was the same, nothing fancy but also nutritious and and better than you might expect from most hotels. I would definitely stay here again.

We stayed here This Summer and it was such a beautiful place. A great base for exploring Tuscany or…read morefor just walking amongst the Mountains near Pisa. Sleepy towns straight out of a romantic Italian Film. Fabiola and Stefano are a wonderful couple and made us feel totally welcome, it was such a nice change from the usual tourist trail to be staying with a genuine Tuscan family in a fantastic old Mill (Just check out the website to see the rooms), we picked figs, hazelnuts and grapes off trees in the gardens and Fabiola Baked a fresh Peach Pie every morning to go with breakfast, it was the best Continental Breakfast I've ever had. They offer a very reasonable pick up and drop off service from Pisa Airport which is only 15 minutes away. Calci also has some great resaurants and take away Pizza and a homemade Gelateria (Ice Cream Shop) which was fantastic. But hey, don't listen to me go there and check it out! Founded as a mill on the Zambra brook, the ancient Molendino is set very close to the Calci Charterhouse, dated 1366, that from then up until 1972 sheltered the Carthusian order. Molendino stands in the impressive natural theatre of Calci, and is bordered by the wonderful stone walls of Nicosia abbey; it is very close to the towns of Pisa and Lucca, as well as the Tirrenian sea. A place isolated and protected by the Pisan mountains, easy to reach with cars and bikes An ideal bridge from where to start the discovery of many particular areas of Tuscany ( Florence can be reached in half an hour by train, and in a very short time it is possible to get to the wonderful beach in Marina di Vecchiano). Molendino is the perfect place for exploring walks and rides in the territory around, through streams and paths, to villages, mills, fortresses, churches, castles, with trails engaging and others, simple and easier . The olive trees field, the shady green garden, the large park more than twenty thousand square m meters around the house surround this enchanted place that keeps a secret and together revealed charm, out of the passing of time. In the simple and easy accommodation you will find the most pleasant and relaxing stay, filled of only the flow of your thoughts, of your comfort, in the quiet and silence.

After our 5 week tour around Europe, we came to the conclusion that our three day stay at ll…read moreMolendino bed and breakfast was one of the highlights of our trip. The old mill which was built back in the 1300's has been renovated into a beautiful B&B and the breakfast served every morning was wonderful. Fabulous Fabiola and her husband Stephon were very gracious hosts whom would attend to your every need. As an example they would contact the owners of the local winery or operators of the local monastery and set up tours and private tastings. Don't miss the opportunity to stay in a historic building of the area while in Tuscany.

What a delightful hotel…read more Starting with the service, it could not have been better. All the staff was helpful, friendly and spoke great English. There was some confusion over my reservation (I did not receive and email they sent) and they fixed it right away when it really was not their fault. The rooms and breakfast area were just delightful. Mine had a lovely little patio (not sure if they all do). Note that the only thing I would have changed would be a softer bed (hard beds seem to be the norm in Italy) and the AC rattled a bit, but I just used ear plugs. I could not hear noise from the other rooms. The location is also good. Very close to the train station (3 blocks) and about a 20 minute walk to the leaning tower. Pisa was a nice break from the hustle of Rome!