Best Hotels near BikeRidingTuscany, Rapolano Terme

Potentially amazing but very poorly managed! I stayed (I’m still here as I’m writing) for 3 days on a road trip in Italy with the family. The service before coming gave me very high expectations with pre-check-in and a nice brochure of activities to do while we are here. Unfortunately that’s not what happened, here are some of my experiences: 1. We booked 2 prestige rooms but nowhere it states that some rooms are inside the 13th century building and others are in an extension outside the main gate, the beautiful view from the pics you see in the photo gallery are obviously different. So make sure to ask when you book. 2. The day we arrived we went straight to the pools which are great for family with beautiful environment but we first ordered sparkling water and were given plastic bottles without glasses or ice. I ordered a burger which arrived without any topping like salad or sauce , we then realized that the burger was probably for another table. I didn’t care, just thought that waiter couldn’t speak English or was inexperienced but no problem we are on holidays after all. Bear in mind that the burger was something like 25 euro. 3. Breakfast- that was one of the most comical scene, the waiters looked confused, we asked for coffee multiple times after 20 min we get served a full coffee cup of espresso instead of coffee,after trying the fake orange juice from the “fresh orange juice” I asked are real fresh juice which arrived at the end where people asked us twice if we had finished, making us wanting to leave so they could clear the table. There is very little selection of fruits, very average selection of breads and the most crazy thing in a luxury hotel, if you don’t want the commercial scramble eggs you have to pay to get an omelette!!! The service was so poor I decided to cancel our dinner at the hotel not wanting to relive that same experience. 4. The jacuzzi area is closing at 7pm, so today we swam till 6:30pm but when we tried to reach the jacuzzi I was told by a lady that she closed it because she had no one to look after it. You can come back tomorrow. What kind of answer is that? 5. The mini bar & laundry service prices are just ridiculous, I ll upload it here later but from memory it’s like 12 euro to was one underwear. I went to complain to front office following another lady who was doing the same. The table next to us at breakfast were laughing about it as it was so bizarre. The facilities are amazing but at this level of pricing you expect a very different level of service.

Loved the idyllic landscape and old world architecture. The staff were friendly and helpful with information. The place seems remote surrounded by the Tuscan countryside, although the town of Sinalunga is just a few minutes drive away. A car is recommended. Towns of Pienza and Montepulciano are only 20-25 minutes drive. The place is in a different world, and that is part of its charm. The reception and rooms are quite spread out, so it will not be a typical hotel experience where you roll your luggage into the elevators or have ice machines down the hall. For me that, that made it even more special, but maybe not for those who prefer a little more western style convenience. That being said, the facilities are surprisingly modern.

We stayed at the Castello di Relais in early September. To start off, the Hotel itself is a very interesting old building (like a castle) and the view you have atop the hill is fantastic. Getting to the Hotel requires you to drive up a dirt/gravel road, which is doable though. We booked a deluxe room (it was called Drago) and the room was decent, however, be aware that due to the old building there isn‘t a lot of natural light coming into the room. The bathroom was equipped with a hairdryer and also a cosmetic mirror. But all the things seemed old and could use a reinvestment. Also the shower was quite small and had some whitewhash on it. The staff at check in was friendly but seemed a little bit confused with our booking, but this could also have been due to the language barrier. The English of the staff is okay but they do prefer to speak Italian. We booked a romantic holiday package which included a dinner, a massage and one hour exclusive access to the spa. The massage was good and enjoyable. However, the Spa hour was an overstatement. Even though there is a Sauna and a steam room as well as an „emotional rainbow shower“ it wasn‘t such a great experience. The steam room was out of service and the sauna quite small (we weren’t able to both lay down so one person had to sit and the other one could lay down). The shower was also a bit of a let down as we couldn‘t adjust either the lighting or the temperature of the water. Furthermore most of the shower had quite a lot of whitewash. Furthermore there is also a room to relax, however this is also a bit small and features just two „outdoor“ lounge chairs and some tea and water. While the Spa wasn’t such a great experience, the dinner was outstanding. The food was exceptional and the staff friendly. Breakfast was also fine and even though the selection isn‘t too big it features a lot of Italian pastries and good coffee. All in all, the hotel is good but we felt it did not always live up to the luxury impression it provides online. The only things that made it really stand out were the view (which can also be had on the surrounding hills also accessible with a car) and the food (dinner is also available for non-hotel guests if you reserve in the restaurant).

We stayed here for three nights whilst on a fly drive holiday to Tuscany. The hotel is very modern and for us was definitely not a traditional Tuscan place. The main problem is that the bedrooms are just too small, fine if you are staying one night on a business trip but hopeless if you are staying more nights. When we arrived there were two coat hangers in the wardrobe although this was quickly rectified. The cupboards consist of an IKEA hangar in the wardrobe. To be fair the hotel did offer an upgrade at a cost on check in but we declined as the small suite smelt of cigarette smoke. The air conditioning is bizarre as you have to request reception to activate it for you and adjust the temperature - the room controller doesn’t do anything, it took us 2 days to realise. The staff are all very good and friendly. The evening meals are very good, traditional Tuscan albeit in a modern room. Breakfast only average and served in the basement room with so many people and hard surfaces it was very noisy. Reasonably well located for Chianti, Sienna and the villages to the south. It is a bit isolated and if you want to eat out at a restaurant you will have to drive.