Villa Arnilù

I rarely write negative reviews, and this is my first, but I think it’s fair to explain what happened. We mentioned the problems the next morning, but the establishment denied each one, didn’t apologize, and offered no discount. It gave us the impression that customer loyalty mattered very little. A small booking mixup led to us being put in a different room. They called it an upgrade, but hadn’t told us beforehand or given us a choice. The plumbing was awkward and badly done, the air conditioning was hard to adjust, and there were no mosquito nets. Following the hotel’s advice, we had dinner at their winery for typical products. It was our only restaurant meal that weekend in Tuscany. The summer parmigiana wasn’t bad, but the pasta with zucchini and onion had only a few grams of chopped sausage and barely any noticeable saffron. The citrus chicken was dry and very salty, and the vegetable caponata was burnt and full of midges. The dinner felt unprofessional and below par.

The house is excellent and the location is fantastic. But the room I slept in on the ground floor had no soundproofing at all. I didn’t try the other rooms, but even two people whispering six meters from the door made it impossible to sleep. Truly absurd.

We took a three-night package for New Year’s Eve and stayed in this beautiful villa in the hills, a short distance from the center of San Gimignano. Our room was comfortable, warm, and had a lovely view over the town and hills. Deanna deserves a special mention for welcoming and looking after us like family. Giulia’s service was impeccable, and thanks to Chef Luis, the two dinners at the villa were excellent. The estate wines paired beautifully with the food. We also had our New Year’s Eve dinner in the wine cellar, an original idea that suited the occasion perfectly. Everything felt just right. A little late, but thank you for such a wonderful experience. See you soon.

A lovely spot to unwind.