Casa Verdoliva - the Studio

The listing for Verdoliva Lo Studio, part of Residence Verdoliva, doesn’t make clear that the apartment is underground. Its only window faces a subterranean car park, and it’s so dark that the lights need to be on during the day. The “private access” mentioned on booking sites is through that car park. There’s no private patio, terrace, or balcony, despite what many holiday accommodation listings suggest, and there’s no view from the apartment. The supposed “private outdoor space” is actually inside the underground car park, where the owners placed a table. The photo is misleading and makes it look like a private dining area on a patio. The attached photo shows where the table really is. We lasted an hour before leaving, realizing we couldn’t spend our five-day Tuscan holiday in such a dive. The table had parked cars on one side and a motor bike on the other. After seeing the beautiful listing photos, it was truly horrible and shattering. The owners wouldn’t refund even a single euro when we pointed out how misleading the advertising was. Tuscany has beautiful rural places to stay, but this isn’t one of them. Best advice is to avoid it at all costs.

The room was terribly dark, basically a gloomy garage with no sunlight. Cars were parked right outside our door, nothing like we expected. There was no phone service, something the host had kept hidden, and the Wi-Fi barely managed a weak 20Mb during our painful seven-night stay. With service so poor, mobile data was impossible too. Neighbors were noisy around the clock. There was a kindergarten and a church nearby, so children’s screams and hourly bells came with the package. Ants were everywhere, including in the bed and on the pillows. Cleaning cost 10€ per hour, but fresh towels weren’t provided during the seven nights. We were told to wash them ourselves, and using the washing machine more than once would cost extra. The location description is a blatant lie. The property is in Stibbio, not San Miniato. The nearest Lidl is five kilometers away by car, and there are no shops, bars, or restaurants within walking distance, leaving you isolated. At first the host replied, then suddenly stopped answering our WhatsApp messages. He and his family also deliberately disturbed our peace at 7:30 AM on a Sunday, apparently to make us leave sooner. That was the last straw in an appalling stay.

Lovely place, and the hosts were super welcoming. We’ll definitely be back.

Everything was just as good as on our previous stay at Casa Verdoliva, and we’d gladly return. The hosts were very friendly, the place was modern, clean, and well maintained, and the holiday home had everything needed for day-to-day life. The pool is fantastic. We’ll certainly come back for another holiday. Many thanks to Giancarlo and Francesco.