Tenuta Le Colonie

The owner’s family is absolutely lovely, and we fell for this old Tuscan farmhouse. Our holiday apartment was spacious and comfortable, with centuries-old ceiling beams. The hillside setting in Vinci is fantastic, with amazing views across vineyards and cypress trees. There’s a large, beautifully tended garden where you can relax by the pool or in a hammock, look over the countryside, or have a drink beneath the romantic arcades. We can warmly recommend Tenuta Le Colonie.

The peaceful, beautiful setting was the best part of our seven-night stay, and we had a pleasant time overall. That’s what earned it four stars, though some things need the owner’s attention. A number of outdoor items need repair, and the tables and chairs are old and dirty. The garden house and the bushes around it should be cleaned up so guests can use the area. The pool also needs better upkeep, including daily cleaning of the bottom and checking it over.

We spent two nights in the apartment we were offered. It was okay, but the apartment and grounds could use a makeover. The booking situation was stressful, especially with little children, and finding other accommodation in July was hard because the network was very poor and Wi-Fi didn’t work. When we arrived, nobody was there. Our booking had apparently been cancelled, but we hadn’t been told. The owner arrived at 7:30 pm and seemed unaware of it, while the agency said the owner had cancelled. At first he tried to help, though he didn’t handle things well, and offered a smaller apartment. When we didn’t want to rent it for as many days as he proposed, he got very angry, demanded we leave that night despite having already paid, and threatened to call the police. We tried to calm him down, but couldn’t. It’s a pity. The owner seemed to have inherited the business without the right spirit for tourism, and someone else might turn the place into something very nice.

So much greenery around the house, including grapes, olives and all kinds of herbs. The lady of the house is extremely welcoming to guests and always ready to help. Highly recommended!