Il Borgherino

The countryside views from the terrace at dinner were spectacular. We spent a weekend here in June and loved the traditional Tuscan feel, especially the hot days by the pool. Marco was kind and pleasant, and paid close attention to what we needed. A lovely stay.

The terrace looks out over a beautiful vineyard, and the apartments feel private, each with its own entrance. There are two clean pools, a paddling pool and a main one that’s a good size for relaxing after a day out in Tuscany. Parking is inside the enclosed property. The location is handy for Vinci, Florence, Pisa, Siena, and more.

The setting is a strong point: the property sits amid Tuscan hills, vineyards, and gardens, with reasonable travel times to Pisa, San Gimignano, Livorno, Florence, and other cities. The garden is very well kept, with a pool, barbecue area, tables, and free parking within the walled grounds. The bathrooms have good GROHE fittings. Marco is nice, though he understands English better than he speaks it, so Google Translate may help for longer conversations. The apartment’s cleanliness was disappointing. Floors and dust on picture frames and furniture tops looked as if they hadn’t been dealt with for months, which made the cleaning fee hard to understand. You’re expected to supply all cleaning products and equipment yourself, even napkins and toilet paper. That wasn’t stated in the booking, and it’s especially inconvenient because the nearby Coop closes during the day. It may help explain the lower price compared with other properties. There’s no tea or coffee maker or coffee machine in the kitchen, despite the booking listing one. No dishwasher is provided, which wasn’t promised, and there’s no washing machine either. With limited kitchenware, its cleanliness depends on previous guests. You’re asked to sort rubbish into four categories but there aren’t suitable bins. The advertised soundproofing is poor, and we could hear everything from upstairs and from neighbors. WiFi worked during the day, then regularly disappeared in the evening and returned in the morning. There’s a space ready for air conditioning, but no unit installed, so summer comfort is uncertain.

The house was dirty, yet we had to pay 50€ for cleaning. There wasn’t any toilet paper, hand soap, or other basic supplies. The host was rude and shouted at us for playing quiet music by the pool at 8 PM. He also doesn’t speak English. Avoid this place!