Open since April 2004, this converted castle and former Papal residence is beeeeeautiful. Situated on the top of a rise in the hills outside of Siena, it is a landscape photographer's dream--stunning views everywhere you look. The building itself is newly renovated and the rooms (we had a bedroom, a bathroom, and a "wellness room" (a nook at the bottom of a short staircase)) are very comfortable, deocrated in a strange mix of sumptuous and low-key. Exposed beam ceilings meet mostly bare walls, but richly patterned drapes and bedding break the calming mood. The staff is friendly if inexperienced (we had to explain a "wake up call"), and the breakfast is better than your average Italian hotel. But the hotel lacks some serious basics, and their literature boasts some perks they just don't have. We found the pool...behind an empty building up the road, with no amenities or staff. The spa, though, remains a mystery...there simply isn't one. Nor could we find the advertised "American Bar", and the "restaurant" looked more like a conference room in which they placed a breakfast buffet. Some day, this will be a top-notch luxury hotel, but it isn't now. A great idea that needs a little more effort.

My husband and I narrowed our choices down and decided to stay at Castello di Leonina Relais based on the web sites information that it listed. After hours on the road we were hungry and needed to unwind. What we found was that they hadn't a restaurant and bar as listed on a couple of the sites. The front desk man was very nice and found us two bottles of beer, but now we had to go out again to find someplace that was opened for a bite to eat. Our room was gorgeous and the whole place is clean and lovely. The drive up their hill taking in the view is beautiful. The staff is friendly and the breakfast is good. The problem is that you couldn't just hang out and relax at the hotel. They listed a spa, a pool, a restaurant, and a bar, which they didn't have. There was also construction going on. Basically you had to spend the whole day away from the hotel because there was nothing there to do.