Palazzo Leopoldo Dimora Storica & Spa

The room was beside reception, and that might have been fine if loud, disturbing noises hadn’t kept coming from one of the many doors. The bathroom doors were so loud opening and closing that I’m surprised other guests didn’t hear them, let alone your partner. Going to the toilet woke both of us, every time. Keep in mind this was their best room, a "junior suit" with spa access. We arrived late in the evening, but the night porter was nowhere to be seen at first. When he eventually appeared, he spoke no English at all and pulled horrible faces just because we wanted to check in. Sorry for being there and helping pay your salary, sir. After three days, I had to ask reception whether the towels would ever be changed or the bins emptied. The response was that towels have to be left on the floor to be replaced. Well, news for you KAREN, they don’t. Used towels should be replaced daily. We took two plates to the room after breakfast, then went out. When we came back late that evening, they were still on the table with toast, butter and cheese, despite the room having been cleaned. Reception also paid shockingly little attention to guests and never asked how our stay was. At checkout, after I handed in the key, the only thing I heard instead of the usual questions was, “you need to pay tax changes!” No problem KAREN! Four stars is a dream for this hotel, truly.

The view from room 43 felt like heaven meeting earth. We were so taken with the area that we’re already looking at dates to come back and even property to buy, with Bar Dante around the corner adding to the appeal. We loved the place and are grateful for the staff’s kindness and hospitality. I cried when we left after our April 8-11 stay. I can’t recommend Palazzo Leopoldo Dimora Storica & Spa enough for a trip to Tuscany. We had a regular room rather than a suite, with a king bed, and were very happy with it. It was extremely spacious, the bed seemed bigger than a king, and both it and the pillows were wonderfully comfortable. The view through the windows was mesmerizing. Alessio helped with our luggage, which meant a lot because Terry was still recovering from cancer and couldn’t have managed it alone. The shower had excellent pressure, and the heated towel bar was a lovely touch. Church bells from across the street were peaceful and mesmerizing too. Everyone on staff was lovely and kind. The wine dispenser was a unique touch, and we enjoyed it outside on our first night, sipping wine and taking in the views. Our tours started at 8:00 every morning, so we missed breakfast, though we heard it was quite wonderful. One evening I took a cooking class at the hotel with Chef Laura Franchini, and it was absolutely fabulous. Thank you for bringing her in and making our stay so special. I’ll never forget it.

The shower setup, with a cubicle in the room, wasn’t so great, and I’d suggest adding a coffee machine or kettle to the room. Apart from those two ideas, it was a clear two thumbs up. We stayed during the week-end of the UTMB race, and I couldn’t be happier with the choice. The room was spacious and comfortable. Breakfast was the best of our whole Tuscany tour, with loads of choice, from savoury croissants, eggs, different breads and hams to sweet things like jam tarts. The breakfast restaurant staff quickly picked up on our habits and served us accordingly. Reception was great too, coordinating restaurant bookings, and we could get an early coffee before the race.

The new room seemed like a lucky break until night came. It was beside a bar playing club music so loudly the room shook, and it stayed open until 2-3AM. We got no sleep. The first room had a broken air conditioner, and the front desk took nearly two hours to find a fan after saying they’d look for one. The next morning I noticed several fans in the lobby, apparently being used by reception. The morning reception staff were rude, and they left my wife’s folded towel unchanged from the day before. They moved us to another room as an “upgrade” because they couldn’t fix the air conditioning. It was a kind thought, but we had to repack and carry our bags down steep stairs and across the village ourselves. The hotel is split between three buildings and has no elevators, so luggage is a real problem. It also advertises amenities that aren’t on site, and there’s no shuttle to its sister hotels. The arrival staff were friendly, but that was the only good part of our stay. This was easily the least enjoyable place we stayed on our honeymoon. For 420€ a night, you’d be better off under a bridge. STAY AWAY.