We first stayed here in the summer of 2000, before the attic was converted into guest rooms. We were not seeking luxury and, indeed, our room, once a monastic cell, was plain and simply furnished; I recall no TV or minibar, certainly no aircon. But it was spacious enough, with painted frescos, and - because the Castello sits on the peak of a high hill - a stunning panorama of the plain and foothills below. The ancient building was a bit run down, the gardens and terraces unkempt, and the service (shall we say?) unhurried. In short, an atmosphere of sleepy, hazy isolation, which we hugely enjoyed.
We returned eleven years later as part of a conference. We stayed in one of the new attic rooms at a discounted price: it was slightly dark and cramped but offered the same stunning panorama - a view now shared with the new jacuzzi and pool on the lower terrace. Despite TV (Italian channels only), minibar and aircon in our room, the recent make-overs have not, thankfully, subjected the Castello to homogenised, high-gloss good taste. Something has been lost, inevitably, but the hazy, rather run-down charm remains.
The hotel lent us a large tall room, perhaps the old refectory, for our short conference. There were no projection facilities, but coffee and lunch were good, and service was friendly and efficient. A good place for a simple business meeting, in other words, but not if you don't need swank and high-tech. The Castello deserves its four stars, but for its comfortable charm, not for stylishness.