Relais Le Ginestre

The views in every direction are breathtaking, and you can spend time by the pool or head out to nearby attractions. We only stayed three days, but I’m sure I’ll return. The staff were kind without intruding, and our room was spacious and clean. We had an amazing experience.

The pool is lovely and clean, though it gets busy at weekends, so weekdays may be a better time to visit. We still enjoyed it a lot. The grounds are gorgeous, with the buildings, garden, terrace, and flowers all beautifully kept. The setting is a classic Tuscan place on a hill, reached by a cypress-lined lane. The final 3 km of road are dusty. There was a problem with our room at first. We were given a different one from what we had booked through Booking, and after I complained in Italian, the owner came and told us we could have the room we had reserved. Until then, we’d resigned ourselves to spending three days on the couch. From that point, the holiday was what it should have been. The interior could use a few small improvements, but it was fine for a short stay. Breakfast was decent, with enough choice. Dinner was a set menu and was more or less the same both nights. I think you have to reserve in the morning, but nobody told us or asked us. There weren’t any vegetarian options, which seemed odd given how many vegetables are around in summer. There’s no lunch offered, which would have been really handy. If you’re not visiting nearby towns, finding lunch is difficult. The nearest open restaurant we found was in Saturnia, a 20-minute drive away. Although the internet said it served pizza, that was only in the evening, and the lunch menu was limited. It could make financial sense for Relais to offer something like panini or risotto, and guests would appreciate it. With small children, bring food supplies, though there’s only a mini fridge in the room. The staff were friendlier with us because I speak Italian. It would be good if someone who speaks English could look after foreign guests.

The view from our room was incredible, and the location is scenic, with an easy trip to the Saturnia thermal baths. But the service was very poor. We asked for two small glasses of ice from the big ice maker and got a very abrupt “no!” They lent us an electric kettle for early morning coffee, then said there was no coffee. When we asked for tea, she seemed put out, but eventually showed me where it was. Why provide a kettle without coffee or tea?

This is a pleasant spot for a night or two if you’re spending your days visiting sights or going to the terme in Toskana. There’s no special comfort, it’s what locals call agriturismo. Some older guests do stay in all day, but it suited us as a place to sleep between outings.