Villa Curina Resort

After our daily drives in a convertible that was over 50 years old, the pool was a refreshing way to unwind before dinner. We spent four nights at the Villa as part of a group driving vintage Alfa Romeos around Tuscany. The Villa is beautiful, and the rooms were quite nice. We had two enjoyable dinners at the restaurant, one with the group and one on our own. Service was very good, despite what others have experienced. One night we arrived too early, though, since they don't open until 19:30. The Villa is remote, as many places in this part of Italy are, so you'll need a car. There's nowhere nearby to walk to.

The pool lounge and restaurant both deserve five stars, and the views are amazing. The rooms are quite basic, though, and the hallway walls and doors weren't especially clean, so I'd give the hotel itself three stars for the accommodation.

The remote location is a problem if you're traveling with children, especially without a car. Our kids, ages 9-13, wanted to leave early because the place felt so unfriendly. We were a family of six visiting last summer, and we travel often. This was easily the least kid-friendly property we've stayed at. When our daughter became very ill with a high fever, we asked if the hotel could provide tea or make soup. They refused, saying the restaurant was under separate ownership, and offered no help. The nearest village is 20 minutes away, and we had no car. Staff were generally unhelpful, particularly at the front desk, and we found the restaurant manager difficult too. The food was good, though not great. We saw him yell at several guests, including us. He pushed very expensive wine, then disappeared after we chose something delicious and reasonably priced. When the bill was wrong, he took issue with my husband. On our final night, we were supposed to eat there, but the hotel told us the restaurant was closed, even though it accepted other hotel guests. I wouldn't recommend this property for a family, with or without a car.

The rooms were fine, though a little rustic, and the location worked well for us, about a 25-minute drive to Siena and roughly an hour to other places of interest. We spent five nights here and found the stay relaxing and comfortable. The staff were wonderful and helpful. I highly recommend the resort and hope we can visit again soon.