Hotel Villa Cheli

A very peaceful base for day trips to Luca, Pisa, and other towns nearby. Our quad room was really spacious, and the kids loved the pool. The woman at the front desk was helpful and accommodating. We had a very good dinner on arrival, and breakfast was great too.

From the rooms to the shared spaces and garden, the place feels magical. Such a relaxing, authentic experience. I'll definitely come back!

The room had almost no light. There was a small window high above head height, looking out at the bottom of a street overhead, plus another equally tiny, unacceptable window in the space in front of the room. It felt like a newly remodelled basement or a stall. If you're at all claustrophobic, stay away. After we'd paid and been there just a few minutes, I was close to having a panic attack. The receptionist was extremely uncooperative and wouldn't refund any of the money, not even part of it, because we'd managed to use the bathroom. The breakfast was good, and the garden outside is outstanding, the main selling point. The terrace and pool are beautiful too. If you get a nice room, it's a lovely place to spend time by the pool and around the castle, especially with kids or if being in Toscana makes you happy. But our experience was terrible.

We booked this hotel for its restaurant's great reviews and looked forward to eating there on our first night. On arrival, we were told the restaurant was closed that evening. No reason was given, and the receptionist said she didn't know why. The receptionist was the bigger letdown. She was cold, dismissive, and frankly arrogant as soon as we arrived, and did nothing to make us feel welcome. When we asked about other restaurants nearby, her answer was vague and unhelpful. She'd already walked away before we could ask if she could help book somewhere else. We've travelled a lot and stayed in hotels around the world, but have never had such a cold welcome. It left a very bad first impression.