Castello Vicchiomaggio

The setting feels magical, and the place was spotless. We loved the room and the delicious breakfast, but the bed was a real letdown. The mattress, sheets, and pillows all felt poor quality and were uncomfortably rough. There wasn't WiFi in our room either, so we connected to another room's network, where the signal was very weak.

We showed up a day before our booking by mistake, and they had a room ready right away. They even upgraded us for the dates we had reserved. Every staff member was helpful and knew their stuff, and the facilities were great. The dinner and wine cellar tour were the highlight, with the pool a lovely place to cool off on hot days. Castello Vicchiomaggio was a full 10/10 for us. Couldn't fault it, I'd give it 10 stars if I could!

The so-called valley view was from a closet-sized nook with just enough space for one chair. Its window was so small and high that from the chair all we could see was sky. The two small windows in the room itself looked straight at a wall. I booked that room for two days, and it was a big disappointment. Definitely don't book a valley view. We also got just two complimentary coffee pods, and more cost 1 Euro each at reception. It feels like they nickel and dime you.

We stayed four nights in the spacious apartment overlooking the Chianti valleys and vineyards. It had plenty of large windows and a handy kitchenette, though the WiFi was sometimes limited. The building and grounds are beautifully restored, spotless, and full of charm, with sweeping hilltop views. The family and staff made us feel very welcome, and we enjoyed both dinner and the wine tour. There are stairs up to the grounds and restaurant, then more to the apartment, so keep that in mind if mobility is an issue. The staff kindly helped with our luggage. For wine tasting, there's a building by the entrance at the bottom of the hill. For the restaurant, or possibly one of their wine tours, you drive up the hill for a few minutes to enjoy the grounds and the best view. Grazie miele for having us all the way from Australia.