We rented the villa for a reunion of European friends and it was plenty large enough for our group of 18. The house is huge, even bigger than it appears in the pictures and there are numerous outdoor common spaces to spread out on the patios and yard. The pool is cold (maybe it's spring-fed) which was fine for us because it was over 90 degrees (33C) each day. On a regular summer day, it would be too cold to use for many of us.

However, the common space inside isn't going to be very comfortable for a large group on a rainy or cold day. The dining table seats 20, but the kitchen is so small it resembles a college-student apartment kitchen. Bare bones with small appliances, bad knives, cheap pots/pans and almost no counter space for food prep. There is literally not one place to put the pantry items - nowhere! Thankfully, the grocery store is only 3 miles away and we could shop each day. There is not enough space to store more than a day's worth of food.

The living room is also too small to seat the group and it is weirdly decorated with cremation urns of people whose names are inscribed on them. These urns are also dispersed in various places throughout the house - maybe the owners could find another resting place for their ancestors when guests are renting the property?

The surrounding vineyards and orchards are a gorgeous backdrop to the property. From the hilltop location, we could see miles of beautiful countryside. The nearby town isn't much to see, but the grocery store (the Coop) is wonderful. It was one of the highlights of the trip to go in each day for fresh fruits, breads, cheeses and wine.

Lastly, the manager informed us that the air conditioning was an extra charge - even though the contract said electricity is included! Of the 12-15 house rentals we've done in the past, this was the first time I ever encountered something so ridiculous. We lost half our security deposit for the air conditioning bill - which I never even saw. Why wouldn't they raise the price by 50 euro/day and avoid this? It is a reason that I would not recommend the rental agency (Luxury Retreats) to any of my friends. Trying to nickle and dime people who are paying for a luxury vacation is not a good strategy for building customer loyalty.