The Best Ever!!! My Dream Visit…read moreMy Cooking Inspiration My Dearest sister The Best Chef Ever--Laura Giusti

Staff = 5 Cooking classes = 4…read more Lodging / Accommodations = 1 We enjoyed the Tuscany cooking class. Chef Paola was a real professional -- articulate, interesting, fun, engaging and so knowledgeable. Everything we cooked was fresh, local, in season -- just perfect. We learned a lot and can't wait to share some of the recipes we learned with our friends back at home. In the one-week course, there are 4 afternoon classes. Everyone gets an opportunity to prepare an appetizer, first course, secondi (pasta) or entree and dessert. Note: I said prepare. The students did all the cleaning, cutting, chopping, rolling, mixing, filling, etc. The kitchen staff did all the cooking, plating and presentation. It was like going to a fancy restaurant every night, except we had done all the prep work and knew what went into the dishes. We sampled just about everything Tuscany has to offer in the Spring -- Beef Steaks, Pork Tenderloin, Guinea Fowl, Rabbitt, Quail, Branzino, Cod, Ground Beef, and pasta, stuffed pasta. Everything made from scratch. It took time, and the results were worth it in every bite. Wine was served with each meal and after there after dinner drinks. Overall, it was a lot of really great food and wine. We also met some nice like minded foodies who contributed to each of the meals during the week. The staff was fantastic. From the general manager, to the chef, to the kitchen staff, drivers, and the other workers, if you mentioned something, they were on it. Everyone had a can do attitude and made sure everything was dealt with efficiently and effectively. ...and they were all extremely nice. The lodging and accommodations were disappointing, however. I requested a room on the ground level with minimal steps before I made the reservation. The owner of Tuscookany promised a room with only two steps. Upon arrival, we were assigned a room with six steps, one up and five down. That made it tough for my spouse. The room was also dimly lit and spartan. The real challenge revealed itself the next morning when we discovered there was minimal hot water. The bathroom shower and faucets both started off warm and then went to cold. For three of the first four mornings, the staff tried to fix the plumbing with various maintenance efforts. On the fourth day, they moved us to another nearby villa where there was hot water. So that solved one issue but created another because we now had to negotiate a staircase to the second level and trudge over loose gravel even further each day to our cooking classes. I understand and appreciate the challenges of a historic 200-year-old villa like Casa Ombuto and I enjoyed its charming appearance. I don't understand how the management can promise one room and deliver something completely different and so under maintained.

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.

The best hotel I've ever stayed in. Period. My wife and I stayed here on our honeymoon and hardly a…read moreday goes by when I don't think about it. The grounds are beautiful, our room was enormous and the staff paid attention to every detail during our stay. My wife and I just renovated our house and we put in a pool and landscaping that borrows from the aesthetic of Castello del Nero's pool area. We are already planning to return for my 40th birthday...3 Years from now. We spent 3 weeks in Italy at 6 different hotels and this is the only one I think about and have to return to. The restaurants are both amazing and the breakfast is the best we had on our trip. If I could give 10 stars I would, so if you're even considering a stay at Castello del Nero I'd say look no further...it's time to book a reservation.

My husband and I stayed here 4 nights of a two-week trip to Italy to celebrate our 10 year wedding…read moreanniversary. This hotel is a really high-end boutique hotel that really goes above and beyond to deliver an outstanding experience for all guests. The hotel is conveniently located in a small town about 30-40 minutes by car from Florence (between Florence and Siena). It is in the Chianti wine region of Tuscany. We stayed in a basic room, which was very nice. It was very large (one of the largest hotel rooms I have ever stayed in that wasn't a suite). There was a welcome bottle of champagne (already chilled for us) as well as a bottle of red wine and a huge basket of fresh fruit ready for us on our coffee table. There was a hand-written note to us that was a nice personal touch. The room had a beautiful view of the Tuscan countryside. The things that really stood out to me were: 1. Complimentary welcome champagne and wine 2. Abundant fruit basket that got replenished daily. 3. Complimentary bottled still and sparkling water replenished daily. 4. A pillow menu for guests! 5. Full breakfast every morning included with the room - there were 10 different kinds of milk out to suit everyone's preference (almond, soy, rice, goat, etc.) 5. The very nice spa 6. The setting of course! You literally couldn't ask for a more picturesque place! 7. Complimentary up to date movies on your TV 8. Great hiking trails right on the property My only (very small) complaints are that there was no dresser or shelves in the room - I had nowhere to unpack any of my folded clothes (there is only hanging space in the closet), and the mattress is very firm (this is just a personal issue though!). This hotel is very special and truly understands how to deliver a higher than 5-star experience to guests. I would highly recommend it for honeymooners, or anyone wanting a relaxing getaway in a beautiful place!

Nice hotel . Great location. Needs a little better outside maintenance. Across from museum.read more

my rating is PURELY on customer service. my friends and I had a terrible and very unsafe situation…read morehappen and we needed somewhere safe to use WiFi and figure out what to do next. the front desk man, who spoke little English, did the absolute MOST to help us out. researched train schedules, offered the WiFi password, and even let us sit in the waiting room to calm down and figure out our next plan of action. we even heard him learning a few phrases in English to help better assist us. this man genuinely saved me and my friends lives that night for who knows what would've happened if he had turned us away. amazing service. If we had needed a place to stay for overnight, I would've picked this place in a heartbeat because of this fantastic gentleman.

We had a great time on our tour with Roberto from We Drive You Tuscany! We did the 8 hour San…read moreGimignano and Chianti Classico as well as the Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Montalcino wine and Pecorino cheese private tours with Roberto. This was my first trip to Italy, we enjoyed a comfortable ride throughout the countryside in the clean, air conditioned van! Roberto was so knowledgeable and made sure we knew all the best places to visit along with the history of the beautiful Tuscan countryside! He even gave us recommendations for our second leg of the trip to Rome. We will definitely use this service again!!

We had the pleasure of touring Tuscany with We Drive You Tuscany. Roberto was our driver and we…read morehad a beautiful Mercedes van that was new and comfortable. Bottled water was provided and he even stopped to get Fresh pizza for us. By the time we finished touring with Roberto for two days we felt that we knew so much about the area, history and culture of the region. Roberto's knowledge or art, history, food and culture was so impressive. The tour we did with Roberto was much more than him driving us from place to place. Each place we went was so carefully planned and curated. We visited wineries, vineyards and a sheep farm that makes cheese. With his help, we were able to visit every place we wanted to see as well as some smaller unknown, hidden gems. We saw so many beautiful landscapes and Roberto stopped frequently for us to take in the views! I cannot say enough wonderful things about Roberto. We hope to go back soon to tour Umbria and Florence with Roberto.

This hotel is great! The room was spacious and overlooked their beautiful garden. It was very clean…read moreand well kept. My wife and I stayed for three nights while in Siena. They had a lovely continental breakfast every morning, which we ate in the garden overlooking the incredible view and hillside of the Tuscan landscape. I highly recommend this hotel over something that lacks the views.

Just amazing! Our room looked out over the garden and the hills beyond Siena and it was as if we…read morewere looking out at a painting. The room itself was just beautiful with a lovely bathroom. The staff were super friendly and the whole experience just first rate. The hotel is convenient to all the attractions, great restaurants and also a nice little supermarket. They have an electric kettle and instant coffee in the room as well as a fridge. It was so nice to be able to enjoy a coffee before heading out for the day. They do offer parking for 10 Euros a day, and clear instructions on how to get in and out of the City without getting fined! Remember, the City center is a no drive area for non residents. Just do as the hotel indicates and you will be fine. The other recommendation is to book directly, they assured me they charge less than going through Booking or Expedia and will also discount if you pay in cash.

We stayed for 6 nights and will never stay there again. Here are the reasons…read more* Apartment photos on the website are very deceiving * Our room had 3 windows and 2 didn't have screens * Floor was filthy * No microwave or dishwasher * Gas burners had to be lit with a match and there were window curtains next to the stove creating a potential fire hazard * Skylight was covered in bird droppings * Bathroom had a step in front of the shower stall creating a dangerous fall situation * Toilet and bidet faced each other and were about 8" apart * Room lighting was horrible. There was no overhead kitchen light * Entrance into the building foyer had no motion detecting light and you had to feel your way around to find the light switch

Can't say enough good things! The ownership and staff were wonderful and accommodating. Beautiful…read moreviews, great food and pool area. Close to a big city but felt like the perfect amount of country style surroundings. It's apartment-like rooms so you have pretty much whatever you need right there. I will/do miss this place.

The location is great, it's less than a 5 minute walk to the main gate of San Gimignano! It is…read moreuphill, so it might take you longer, but a reasonably fit person can do it in less than 5 minutes. The property is in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood. It's safe and quiet. If you book this property, do so because of its stellar location! And if you have a car, it's easy to park here (though there's a hefty fee, I believe we paid 15 Euros per night) and not have to fuss with the ZTL zones inside San Gimignano's walls! The hotel has lots of extra "gotcha" charges -- extra for wi-fi, extra fee for parking in their lot out front, etc. The grounds were lovely and the views spectacular. If you book a cheap room, get ready to overlook houses. If you are staying more than a night, it's worth it to book a view room -- the views of the Tuscan hillside are breathtaking. The free breakfast was abysmal, I left without eating. Lots of dried out boxed pastries, sliced deli meat and yogurt. Not many options. Sleep in and don't waste your time on it, there's too much GOOD food to eat in Tuscany! The hotel itself is just okay. It's old and dated and our "Small Double" room was not as nice as the common areas suggest. It was dark and tiny. The bathroom was so cramped it was ridiculous. Yeah, I've stayed in lots of hotels all over the world and I know European rooms are always smaller than rooms in North America, but banging my shins on the bidet and squeezing into the shower is my idea of tiny living! The staff was friendly. I did enjoy the large balcony attached to our room although we had no view. It was nice to sleep with the doors open to let the fresh, cool air inside. Nice toiletries were provided as well. The pictures on their website are pretty accurate, they don't really try to "sugar coat" their representation of what you get.

From the owner: A pochi minuti dalle mura medievali di San Gimignano, incantevole borgo toscano dichiarato…read moredall'Unesco patrimonio dell'Umanità, si trova l'Hotel Relais Santa Chiara, un'elegante e discreta struttura circondata dai paesaggi più belli della campagna toscana, che vi darà il benvenuto con il suo staff sempre attento e ospitale. La posizione centrale, le eleganti camere, molte delle quali con vista sulle magnifiche distese di viti ed ulivi del Chianti, la piscina a conchiglia con idromassaggio incorniciata dal giardino privato, fanno del Relais Santa Chiara l'hotel ideale per trascorrere un soggiorno di totale riposo e tranquillità, alla scoperta degli affascinanti tesori culturali ed eno-gastronomici della Toscana.

3 star hotel. Great if you're looking for proximity to train station, but that is almost all that…read morecan be said positive. The day time hostess/ check-in woman / coffee maker is quite friendly and sweet. However the nighttime clerk, seemed reluctant to provide additional services or answer basic question. Asked for a small bag of ice for an injury the first evening. Though she eventually provided a little plastic bag with about a 20 ice cubes from the freezer in the kitchen, her first response was to go to the pharmacy. And when inquiring about a hairdryer the second night, she told us, she have it away to another room! What?! Only one hairdryer for all rooms? (Turns out there was a hairdryer attached to the wall in the bathroom.) The room is clearly of Swedish design. Unfortunately, by that I mean IKEA furniture with some stickers still on the product. Despite the double paned windows, the train was relatively muted, however the walls are quite thin and you can hear the rooms next door. Including the yelling at the tv on one side, and the sex sounds from the other room. Lol. The elevator was pretty janky. Old style elevator where you have to close the outer doors and inner doors by hand. Someone must not have closed it properly one night, and I had to walk up the extra 3 floors. (Probably 6 sets of floors as Europe has those double floors.) Basic breakfast was decent. Scrambled eggs not made to order, so depending when you get them, between hot and room temp. But the host/ checkin lady is very personable and will make you a fresh cup of coffee. Pastries and yogurt also available. All in, I'd give it 3.5 stars. But as I have to choose between 3 and 4. It's a 3 overall. As Florence is super small, next time, I'd go much closer to city center.

This was my favorite hotel! I stayed here with my husband for a couple of days during our…read morehoneymoon! The front desk staff spoke perfect English and were so friendly! They actually gave us a bottle of wine and a dessert to celebrate! The room was large and comfortable, and had a covered balcony right next to the train station. Do NOT worry about the train station. You can not hear anything, because they sound proofed the room. There was a fully functional kitchen, which was great because i got to cook and save money on dining. The breakfast is plentiful and the coffee was strong. I highly recommend this hotel and will definitely stay here the next time we visit. Well done!