Castellare de Noveschi Resort

(@mitchelltravels) - I was looking for the full Tuscan experience: wine, villas, people who didn't speak English - the whole nine yards. This is how Castellare de' Noveschi became one of my favorite hotels ever. It's everything you ever asked for if you're asking for pure Tuscany. It's nestled in the tiny village of San Sano that is in the southern part of the Chianti wine region. It's basically the heart of the Italian wine organism. It's authentic Tuscan charm is seen spewed everywhere from the warm receptionist to the stone-laden villas and the even the complimentary wine + wine key that is in your room. Book the Superior Double Room which features a bed that'll make an insomniac sleep, a beautiful rainfall shower in a bathroom that has a skylight and enough room to make you wish you actually lived there. The hotel even has a very nice pool that's shared with the neighboring villa that overlooks a beautiful vineyard, and top to it off, even has a hammock or two to sit back and contemplate how you even got this lucky to begin with. There's an amazing restaurant (Trattoria Grotta de la Rana) that'll blow your tastes buds away just a few yards from the villa as well as free parking on the beautiful premises. All the "in Chianti" towns are relatively short drives away, interlaced with stunning vineyards and winding roads in between. Don't forget to view the amazing sunsets just about anywhere in the region - my favorite being in Radda in Chianti. You can even go to Siena if you're bored off your mind at night because it's only 40 minutes away roughly. This place submerges you in Tuscan life; charming you at every turn and making you realize that that Diane Lane movie made about the region is a watered-down insult to how nice the raw beauty of this region really is. To be fair, Under the Tuscan Sun doesn't take place at Castellare de' Noveschi or it probably would've been a lot better. I want my $10 back, Diane... Anywho, stay here if you want to live, breathe and drink pure Tuscany.

If you like hotels, this is not for you BUT if you're in for a homely boutique style 4 bedroom villa that's small and cosy and oh so cute and pretty? This is it! In the middle of a quiet and scenic village where birds are chapping and the sound of water streaming from the cute little froggy fountain lies this gem. The welcoming was warm and friendly. The little wellness spa... No words to describe it beauty. All in all with all my "small"... This place is cute and heavenly!

This place was one huge disappointment to us. We paid a 5 star hotel and we got a B&B. Be aware that the pictures here on Tripadvisor are profoundly outdated. What we missed there: No garden. No terrace. No patio. No swimming pool. No hotel service. No sitting outside (apart from one single table in the shadows with few chairs). No deck-chairs. No restaurant, no spa, no services. Just nothing. The place is a pure B&B, with historic rooms, which are however far too dark to spend time in. The problem is: in earlier days, this must have been a small house with suites (the current B&B) plus adjacent a 4 star hotel. Photos here refer to this situation. When we arrived however, the hotel was closed. The pool area blocked. The pool was empty. The garden overgrown and neglected. The restaurant closed, no reception or service available anymore. What hadn't changed was the very hefty price of the accomodation. The rooms are quite nice, and so is the separate sitting room. But that's it. We were hoping (and according to reviews, expecting) for a quiet corner outside at the pool, where we could enjoy a drink, a cocktail, a glass of wine in the evening, overlooking the Tuscan landscape. We thought we might relax in a garden with a good book: nothing. Don't be fooled by older pictures showing a situation long gone. Note: WIFI was offered for free, but de-facto not working. This was one big overpriced disappointment. No recommendation at all, sorry.