Relais la Pieve Vecchia

The staff go out of their way to make the stay pleasant, and the grounds and apartments are kept nice and clean. There are two pool areas, including small pools for younger guests, so it works well for children and adults. Cecina is a 10-minute drive for shopping and ice. The restaurant serves great food, and you can get coffee or ice cream to go during the day. We love it.

We were 30 people and had a fantastic long weekend, with our own wing of the park and loads of privacy. Alessandra and her team supported us brilliantly with the programme they organised. Everything was arranged perfectly, and they answered even our last-minute questions. The hospitality deserves lots of compliments. Highly recommended if you’re planning a family weekend, wedding, or big party weekend. It’s a lasting memory for all of us, our family, and our friends.

There was no air conditioning, and we only got one roll of toilet paper for the stay, with no litter bags. Ants were everywhere when my husband and I entered the apartment, and we had to fight them every day. The floor and table were disgustingly sticky, as the impolite staff put it, and the kitchen smelled unpleasant. Cleaning was the first thing we did on our holiday. After the night, I woke up badly bitten by bugs all over my body, including my back, hands, and legs.

The gardens are quite beautiful, but there are no benches or chairs where you can sit and enjoy the fresh air. The room itself is tiny. The pictures on Booking seem to be taken from the bathroom, making it look much bigger. The amenities also don’t match the Booking description: they say there’s a washing machine, coffee or tea maker, and desk, but none of those are there. This was by far the worst room I’ve ever stayed in. There isn’t even a chair or wardrobe. They say they provide a flat-screen TV, and there is one, but my laptop screen is bigger. There’s only one free socket in the whole room, so we had to choose whether to charge one phone or one laptop unless we unplugged the “huge” TV or the fridge. Instead of nightstands, there are two shabby stools. We tried to explain at reception that the room didn’t have the amenities listed on Booking. They replied that their system showed no such amenities, as if we’d booked through their system rather than a reservation site. Mind boggling.