I can't say enough about the beauty of this home, inside and out...other than it radiants from the…read moreowners. I felt so wonderful staying here with my family and knew I made a perfect choice in seeing the happiness they showed. It is taken care of quite well and the owners are very concerned that you are happy. I recommend beyond words that you stay here on your Tuscany visit...you won't regret it. Ps...great restaurants, bakery n grocery store....adorable town.

We arrived as strangers and left as family. The Bianchi…read morefamily welcomes you and helps make your stay in this area of Italy perfecto! Gianni's enthusiasm for life and Italy is truly contagious and is a good complement to Marusca's calm warmth. Some of the sights nearby (within 1 1/2 hours or less) are Sienna, Cortona, Arezzo, Badia a Coltibuono, and an unexpected spot Rondine Cittadella della Pace. We walked through the fields up to the Peace InstituteRondine) and met 2 women from Croatia and Syria who were studying there. We had an interesting discussion. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, very comfortable with a complete kitchen and living room. Looking out the windows to the countryside is wonderful We were truly transported to another world! I highly recommend this Bianchi property and they are opening another soon which, I am confident, wil be just as perfecto!

This is getting only 3 stars for a few reasons. 1) tonight the waiter bumped us to a side table on…read morethe balcony with the excuse that they had reservations from 7:15pm. I'm staying in the hotel and they're lucky if they had 3 tables filled ALL NIGHT. The terrace was empty! 2) the waiter said "cazzo" when I approached him to order a drink, and then faked a smile right in my face. 3) I took the children down to swim in the pool at 6:30pm and this same waiter blew us off and said it's all closed, marching us to the gate and yanking on the padlock to demonstrate how closed it was. The sign right next to him said the pool closes at 7pm. 4) a friend of mine had a booking for 5 rooms cancelled with 24 hours notice because they'd got a "big group" coming in. Not acceptable. However, the rooms are comfy, the setting is very special and the views are world class. Best they replace the staff soon I hope.

After spending 20 years coming to Pienza on daytrips and gazing longingly over the "balcony" of the…read moresteep bluff into the Val D'Orcia, we decided to treat ourselves to a night here so we could even longer gazing over the incredible view. Relais Il Chiostro was indeed a treat: A beautiful hotel right in the center of the old renaissance town with great amenities and a killer view. Although the hotel may be prominent on the Pienza skyline when viewed from the valley below, the entrance within the city gates is pretty demur, tucked obliquely between the Duomo and a gelato store. As the name implies, the hotel occupies the (renovated) space of the old convent and cloisters. Rooms each have a bed space, a small sitting suite and a bath. They're well-appointed with modern amenities. Given the building's original purpose, each room is slightly different in configuration, and long-time returning guests apparently have their favorites and request those well in advance. Be sure to use the website to request a room that overlooks their outside yard and the stunning view of the Val D'Orcia below. (if ever there was a hotel that proved E.M. Forster's premise of asking for a "room with a view", this is it....the Mother of all Views.) The hotel boasts an upscale restaurant, a pool overlooking the valley, and a wonderful yard which can be used for drinks, breakfasting or just mere awe-struck gazing. Staff are polite, and moderately helpful; some are even cordial. This town was explicitly rebuilt by a renaissance pope to be an artistic tourist attraction, and this remains true today. The old part of town can get mobbed during the day, so the somewhat jaded attitudes of the locals are understandable. I booked well in advance, and actually found the price for a very nice room to be completely reasonable. I've paid more at Marriott Suites in the deep Midwest. I'm sure there are even more upscale rooms to be had here, but for what we got I couldn't be more pleased. I'd eagerly stay there again if I wanted to linger in Pienza overnight. Two other quick notes: --The old city is small, and is an "area pedonale" (pedestrians only.) This means you'll need to park your car elsewhere around Pienza. We dropped off luggage at one of the city gates about 200 yards from the hotel, and then went to find parking. Not always easy in such a crowded town. I'd suggest the large lot about 400 yards further down SS 146, across from the COOP. I also understand the hotel can issue you permit parking for an additional fee...might make some sense. --Given the relative compactness of the old town, the number of restaurants is limited. They appear to try to stagger their "nights off". If you want to dine "in town", best to check with the hotel to find out what's open on any given night, and get a reservation, since space gets limited. (You'll also get better restaurant service, I've found.) Outside the old city walls, there also are some serviceable tourist-level restaurants, if you don't want the hassle of playing "hit or miss" in the old town.

First off, wow with the complaints from the other people…read more What a bunch of pansies. This was hands down my favorite spot during my whole stay in Tuscany. Firstly, it is perfectly located. After spending 2 nights in Florence with all its city noise, hopping to Siena was just what I needed. This hotel is located up in the hill so you have a great view of the city. The sunrise from the bar was something else. With that said, if you plan to walk to the city center, good luck to you. You can do it, but not during the summer. I drove to the city on our first day and was able to find parking fairly quickly. Checkin was easy. The lady who helped us (I regrettably didn't get her name but she had short hair and worked during the morning shift) was so helpful. I made a little bit of a booboo and booked a tour leaving from Florence the next day and so I had to cancel it. She found us another company doing the same tour for the next day and took care of everything. She took care of it like a boss. She also took care of another tour we ended up booking (and got us a discount) for the next day. She definitely made the whole experience stress free. Thank you so much again. Grazie. Grazie. Grazie. The free breakfast provided was something else. They legitimately have everything. The spread was quite impressive. You also get to eat outdoors with a view of the city so that was definitely a plus. We ended up eating dinner there on our first night and had a great time. The staff were extra awesome. A complete 180 from the city folk. If you need a cab, the staff will get one for you within minutes. Our room was super spacious. The bathroom was so enormous I couldn't get over it. The outdoor seating area was a nice touch. I did spend a bit of a time walking the grounds on my own and couldn't help but oooh and ahhhh. It is seriously picturesque and makes me want to get married there. I don't even believe in marriage. Special shoutout to Atla for making us awesome drinks. Negroni is now my go to. Thanks for the smokes too. You'll definitely find me here the next time I'm in Tuscany. That's for sure.

Nice, clean rooms. BIG bathrooms!…read more There are more rooms on the property than it seems, so when you make a reservation try to request a room in the main building if you want a room with a scenic view. Otherwise, your room might not have a view of Siena. Should also mention that it is a cab ride (9-12 euro depending on time) away from the center of Siena... or you can hike/walk there although I didn't attempt it. They say it is 2km but over half up that is winding up roads to the top. They have decent lunch on the grounds as well as a restaurant for dinner (I didn't eat dinner though), large pool and "gardens" you can walk through. The staff is more than accommodating and very nice! WiFi available for a hourly or daily fee. All-in-all I would stay here again if I went to Siena. Being away from the city center was a nice change!

Incredible food, unbeatable setting. Ask for a table outside on the patio which looks out over a…read moregorgeous pool band watch the sunset over the Tuscan hills as you look towards san gimignano's towers in the distance. This hidden gem is worth the drive up the long gravel road. The girella- a ham, cheese and truffle pasta was delicious and a crowd pleaser!

Just like "Under the Tuscan Sun". We stayed a couple of nights there and explored Tuscany…read morerestaurants and wineries. Elena was a great host that was some years back and I understand they have expanded their facilities since that time.

This is a gem of a location to tour tuscany, Siena, and their lovely wine regions. The owner,…read moreElena, is warm and welcoming offering many great suggestions, booking reservations for us and offering a delightful evening making a homemade dinner in her kitchen cooking class--the wine flowed and we had so much wonderful food and had a chance to meet other visiting guests who were equally enchanted being here. The grounds and amenities are lovely--Elena found this estate more than 18 years ago in terrible shape but used her fashion design background wisely! We cannot recommend this place enough, everyone is raving about how lucky we are to be here.

This was our 11th time to stay in Il Borghetto in the past 12 years. Why do we return so often?…read moreFirst, of course, is the hospitality of the owners, Sandra, her brother Riccardo and spouses Nicola and Simona, who are the perfect hosts. Their committment to making each guest's stay memorable is exceptional. From suggesting sites to visit, giving directions, advising about restaurants, and making reservations to being helpful in dozens of ways, they are truly outstanding. Second is the location; located midway between Florence and Siena, it is the perfect home base to explore the Tuscan region. The villa itself rests on a hill surrounded by vineyards and amid olive and cypress trees, with a spectacular view of the adjacent valley. It is a short drive to the lovely town of San Gimignano, and the amazingly scenic Chanti Road is not far away. There are dozens of small towns that are worthwhile to visit within easy driving distance. Next is the food! Three nights a week Mamma Silvana prepares a gourmet Tuscan feast at the villa. These meals are not to be missed. The villa has a selection of the finest wines of the Tuscan region selected by Sandra and Nicola who are sommeliers. Cooking classes at the villa are another experience that you do not want to miss. It is an ideal spot to tour as much as you like or to relax and enjoy the swimming pool. the quiet, and the magnificent scenery. We have returned so often because it is indeed Paradise!

Loved the atmosphere of this old medieval village turned hotel. Very relaxing place to stay…read moreamongst the hustle and bustle of Italy. The staff was great. Breakfast was very good, easily the best we had on this trip. The swimming pool was nice addition but freezing. There is a restaraunt/wine store a short walk down the hill that was great as well. Will definitely stay here again. While we had nicer rooms elsewhere, everything else there made up for it. The price was also fantastic.