La grotta nel borgo

The owners were warm and professional, and the two-bedroom apartment was new, clean, comfortable, and kept sanitized. There are excellent restaurants and services close by, too. What makes the place stand out is the private underground cave with a sauna and jacuzzi in the one-bedroom apartment. I've traveled around three-quarters of the world, yet found something like this surprisingly close to home. A special stay, whether for two or with family. Highly recommend it!

The only real highlight was the cave with its hot tub and sauna. Otherwise, calling this a vacation rental feels out of step with what guests expect from one today. After we raised a long list of problems, the owners stayed convinced they were right, and we had a very bad experience with them. We left early and had no intention of spending another night. I'd be glad to share links with the owners showing what a vacation rental is like these days. The night was awful. A low window faced the bed, so tourists and passersby could see us lying there. We had to keep it shut. There was another window by the entrance, also looking onto the bed, where people passed on their way up the stairs to the Belvedere. A Vespa and a scooter with modified exhausts kept driving through the very narrow alley outside all night, making so much noise I couldn't sleep. We'd booked two days and planned to use the tub on the second day, but the door was locked. The owners asked us what time we'd bathe so one of them could come unlock it. I thought it should have been opened that morning, leaving us free to use it when we wanted. They also tried to push us toward using it after 4 PM, which I believe is when our second day began. When we later told the owner what time we wanted, he called out to us while my wife and I were resting in bed. He didn't wait for me to get up and open the gate. He unlocked it with his own keys and came into the house. Unacceptable. There wasn't even a closet for clothes. If there were four of us, with two sleeping on the sofa in the entrance hall, where would anyone put their clothes or suitcases? We were asked to sort our rubbish, yet there weren't bags in the bins. There were no paper towels either. When I mentioned this, I was told they weren't even obliged to provide toilet paper and guests should bring what they need from home. It felt like they were stuck in the days of cardboard suitcases. For the cave, I had to use the same towels as for the shower, which seemed absurd given the charges. Here's how it started: I contacted the owner by phone after seeing her reply on Booking. She was very kind, answered my questions, and suggested booking directly to save the money Booking would take. I agreed and wired the payment, plus €30 for sheets and towels and €70 to use the hot tub. Later they asked me to delay our arrival until after 6 PM. That meant paying for a full day and only being there for a few hours.

A thousand-year-old village, sleeping right under its clock tower, and a private luxury spa set in a natural cave. What a distinctive experience, and one we'll definitely repeat. We'll use this as our base for more mountain bike rides in the Maremma.

There's a coffee corner and all the comforts you'd want in this charming village in the heart of Maremma. The private spa is carved into the rock inside a cave, a real luxury for anyone who loves beautiful things. 😉