Hotel Villa Belvedere

“Spectacular Surprise”

We booked what looked like a charming old hotel but were not prepared for how spectacular it is. We only booked for a couple of nights but extended for over a week. As we had only booked two nights and it is a very popular hotel we changed rooms quite a bit and each room was charming in its own rig… lisää

We booked what looked like a charming old hotel but were not prepared for how spectacular it is. We only booked for a couple of nights but extended for over a week. As we had only booked two nights and it is a very popular hotel we changed rooms quite a bit and each room was charming in its own right. The staff could not have been more accommodating, helpful, efficient and fun. We loved every minute of it. There were two restaurants to pick from and we tried and loved both. Perfect location to visit Tuscany and the Manageress was most helpful with tips of where to visit. Of course Pongo, a giant Bernaise with the temperament of a pussy cat was the star attraction and it was love at first sight. Pongo was wonderful with children and it was fun to watch him play with them. We will definitely return. The breakfast buffet was TDF and the coffee both excellent and copious.

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“Maybe old but we loved it”

Yes, the villa is old and the furniture matches it. On arrival Manuela informed us of these details. The service was excellent and the staff could not have been more helpful. The expresso machine is antique but makes great coffee. The in-house restaurant was good and economical and the Pizzeria … lisää

Yes, the villa is old and the furniture matches it. On arrival Manuela informed us of these details. The service was excellent and the staff could not have been more helpful. The expresso machine is antique but makes great coffee. The in-house restaurant was good and economical and the Pizzeria in the grounds basic but good. Breakfast was the usual Italian style with lots of cakes etc. The apple strudel was to die for! The pool is fine and there is also a tennis court. The location could not be better as all the major attractions are within a 1 hour drive; Siena, Florence, San Gimgnano, Pizza and many more beautiful Tuscan towns. It helps if you like dogs. Pongo is a star. Be it a very big one. All in all great value for money. Grazie mille

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“Authentic Italian style hotel”

Simple but friendly and a good location with restaurant and swimming pool nice people and the dog Poco. Very central place from where you can visit the region Toscane, Pisa etc. also visit the old city of valle cole D'elsa and its restaurants

“Don't expect the Ritz, just chill out!”

If you’re looking for a Marriott, Hilton, or Radisson type of hotel, forget it. This place is so laid back; it makes you smile. You get used to it after a while. If there isn’t anyone on the front desk, they’re probably serving dinner in the restaurant, housed in a separate building, or out the bac… lisää

If you’re looking for a Marriott, Hilton, or Radisson type of hotel, forget it. This place is so laid back; it makes you smile. You get used to it after a while. If there isn’t anyone on the front desk, they’re probably serving dinner in the restaurant, housed in a separate building, or out the back doing something else. The hotel is old, with no lifts. The rooms have high ceilings, antique furniture, and very hard beds. The only TV is Italian, and the Wi-Fi only gets to certain parts of the hotel. It was a struggle to communicate, as there were no English, and only the occasional American, passing through. We did talk via Google translate, but you have to be fairly patient, but its better than nothing. When we arrived late in the evening, the Madam was outside waiting to welcome us. As their restaurant was being used for a wedding with 160 guests, there was no food available to order. However, the Madam organised sandwiches followed by pizza, salad and some very nice chianti. The restaurant food is fairly expensive considering what you get, and the choice is pretty limited, but if you like steak and pizza you’ll be alright. We lived on their house red. Having breakfast was a complete eye opener. We always arrived 15 minutes or so before it finished. It was rare to see other guests, as they weren’t as lazy as us. A long table would be filled with different types of cakes and other sweet pastries, nothing savoury. We never saw or smelt eggs, sausage or bacon! We got into a pattern whereby we located the young man in the kitchen, ordered our coffee and croissant (plus a little chat via google translate) and ate cornflakes, drank some red juice, and packed up a few cakes to consume later in the day. It worked for us. Because its in the middle of nowhere, you definitely need a car. Over the 10 days we did over 800 miles, so it’s a good spot for getting around, but most places will take over an hour to get to, except for Siena and San Gimignano, and parts of the Chianti area. From what we could deduce, the Italians seem to close up shop between 12 and 4PM, so finding alternative restaurants can be challenging. The non-touristy towns seemed to be fairly empty most of the time, maybe because when we visited a sports shopping complex called Euronics / Decathlon, 1.6km south east of the hotel, everyone seemed to be there!! It struck us as quite odd.

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