Having been told just before our holiday that we were being re-located to this hotel because of sanitation problems at their sister hotel (Gemini Hotel) about 4 miles away we were pleased with the location and beautiful far-reaching views. The room was spacious and had a private patio on to the garden. Cleaning was thorough and linen and towels changed regularly during our 10 day stay. The reception staff - French, German and English were helpful and pleasant. I had lovely aromatherapy massages (by a Romanian girl) and the gym facilities looked good although the jacuzzi was grubby.
UNFORTUNATELY the food in the hotel was poor, breakfast was a buffet of indifferent ham, processed cheese, cold boiled egg, some cereals, long-life packet croissant, bread that appeared stale every day and awful coffee. There was also a choice of tinned pineapple or tinned fruit salad every day for 10 days!!! In a country where the markets were overflowing with gorgeous fresh fruit - we started bringing in our own!! We were told that Italians don't do breakfast just coffee and croissant - well one of the delicious fresh croissants from the village bakery would have been fine for us, or a choice of the fresh breads we saw everywhere.
As the nearest restaurant was 4 miles away ('The Colombaia') and another one was an Enoteca in the village serving the same meal to everyone with no choices and no menu, the hotel restaurant was more convenient but the only thing we enjoyed was fillet steak (we asked them to hold the gloopy sauce!) Unfortunately always served with frozen frittes! Our verdict on the food was agreed with by other residents we spoke to of various nationalities.
It was very warm during our stay (28c) and nights were hot and sticky but we were told by the staff that by Italian law the aircon had to be switched off by the 1st October - so we sweltered!
It was quiet at the hotel and we did wonder whether it had just been a cost cutting exercise to move us and others over from the sister hotel. The Spanish owners were apparently on holiday in Spain so we couldn't ask them!
This hotel is well situated for visiting the beautiful Tuscan towns and villages - close to San Gimignano, Sienna and Volterra but do your homework before you go as the hotel do not provide any tourist information whatsoever - not a single leaflet in the room or at reception!! You must have a car as public transport was non existent, it was too far to walk to the village comfortably and taxis difficult to track down!
The advertised 'satellite' TV ( for english speakers) means CNN and BBC World news only!