Il Chiostro del Carmine

Our group of 10 Australians and 5 Americans from Seattle felt right at home during our three nights here. The staff made that possible, with outstanding service throughout. At the front desk, Natalia, Cherif, Lucia, and Elena were friendly and helpful beyond what we expected. Frahi and Alejandra made breakfast a delight, with lots of options. The courtyard was lovely and had plenty of seating. Our room and bathroom were exceptionally clean and well maintained. IL Chiostro del Carmine is a historically significant hotel dating back to the 14th century. Although it's been renovated, the original bricks have been carefully preserved. Thank you again for such wonderful service. We highly recommend this hotel.

We only stayed one night while traveling through Tuscany, and we'd stay again. Our room was as expected, with a patio that was such a fun, beautiful extra. We had to carry our luggage up two flights of stairs, but that wasn't a problem for us. If you're arriving by car, call ahead so they can arrange access to the ZTL zone. The evening staff member at check-in wasn't very friendly, though the morning staff member was very nice.

The inner courtyard adds a lot, and the view is spectacular. The cloister has been restored and is just a quick walk from the city centre. Our room was comfortable, with a big bed and air conditioning that worked perfectly. Breakfast was buffet-style and, in our opinion, had everything we needed to start the day. There's no elevator, but the building is only two stories and has an assisted machine for guests with low mobility. The price felt very fair for such a beautiful place to stay.

The photos when I booked were completely misleading compared with the reality. The place is awful, old, and tired, and needs a different operator to give it some life. They use the fact that it was a former convent as an excuse for every problem. I've seen other convents turned into beautiful hotels, and this one hasn't been. If you're over 60, don't stay here. There's no lift, and the stairs slope downwards as you climb, making them extremely difficult to manage. They say there's a porter for bags, but we stayed two nights and never saw anyone. Reception never answers the phone, so I had to go up and down several times. Our room was very small, with drummy tiles, and the shower was so small it seemed built only for very skinny people. I'd never stay here again, even for free.