Podere San Gregorio

Being only a three-minute walk from Pienza was the best part of this place, and the owner was very nice. The room was roomy, but the mattress and bedding were only adequate. I could hear the neighbors’ voices and TV from upstairs and next door, even in the middle of the night. There was no breakfast, the room felt chilly, and the English spoken was very limited. At 120 euros in the off season, it didn’t feel like good value compared with the other places I stayed.

The apartment was well maintained and the kitchen had all the essentials. Its location was almost perfect, too. There was a noticeable sewage-like, unpleasant smell in one side of our apartment, the bedroom, and some visible damp damage on a wall, though we could tolerate it. We also found plenty of insects and a few small lizards inside. Despite those issues, we were having a very nice stay until an unpleasant surprise at checkout. The night before, the owner's father insisted we try their products. We had been told beforehand that we would only be charged if we chose dinner, not for a tasting. We repeatedly said we only wanted to taste the olive oil, but Luciano gave us samples of both wines they make, along with very small portions of cheese and ham. We ate some because we didn't want to seem rude while an elderly man was urging us to try them. Before leaving, I bought five liters of olive oil because I liked it. Later, I weighed the container, and even with the container's weight it came to around 4.9 kg, so I believe we were shorted on the very expensive oil. A friend also bought a bottle of wine out of respect for the forced hospitality the previous night, even though we didn't like its taste. When we went to pay, Luciano unexpectedly charged us for the items he had offered the night before. We had other plans and got stuck with him instead of celebrating our friend's birthday. The only reason we stayed was out of respect for the old man. We also had to deal with very rude, racist, and sexist comments while talking with him. We let them go because of his age. The amount he asked for wasn't much, but the way he took it from us ruined what had been an interesting evening and left us all feeling scammed. We had left our own plans, spent time with an old man, and eaten and drunk things we didn't enjoy after we'd already had dinner, then ended up paying for all of it.

We loved the property and stayed for two nights. Our clean, comfortable room had plenty of amenities, including a small fridge, hot plate, and kettle. They also provided water, milk, and a bottle of the farm's wine. Each apartment has a little outdoor table, and chairs are set out in the front garden, where different nuts and fruits grow. Pienza is very close, and the guest book has lots of recommendations. There's also a tasting room for their oils, meats, and cheeses, but unfortunately we were too busy to try it.

The rooms were very clean, and the host family were so friendly. We enjoyed a tasting and got some insight into the producer and farmer's work. I'd recommend staying here. Thanks!