Client - Barb Simasko
Nationality - US
We loved Montebuoni and the area. Everything
about our two weeks was perfect and our time there was the best part of
our month long trip. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. We then took a train to Rome where we spent five days. The weather was
fabulous and Rome had its usual buzz but there were very few tourists.
We were able to do the tourist things wherever we wanted without lines
and crowds. We then picked up a car, taking two days to get to Montebuoni, exploring
around Belsena and Montalcino. As we headed north from Siena, we could
not believe the beauty of the land.  After all the planning, looking at
web sites, travel books and maps, arriving in Radda and then Montebuoni
was like a dream. It was like we had imagine it, but more. Pictures do
not capture how it feels, smells, and looks when you are there. Our
accommodations were fabulous. Sean and Sabrina are delightful, although,
we did not see a great deal of them as they had family visiting. But, we
did get to see the beautiful babies. Having two weeks there gave us time to be and do. We had some city
excursions to Siena, San Gimignano, and Florence which were great
adventures, but, we loved being in the country. We had a great time at
the cooking school for two days and learned a lot about the culture.
Exploring the smaller towns was really a treat. We usually ate lunch
out, drank cappuccino and some very good wines. Neither of us much likes
driving at night, especially in unfamiliar places, so we would pick up
something easy to cook during our outings and be back to our terrace to
watch the sun set. We took asfew days to just hang out. We loved feeling
the season change each day. We could feel winter creep in as the mists
in the valleys increased just a tad bit  each morning. Each sunset was
spectacularly unique as the sun moved lightly to the left each day. We
loved watching the grape harvest and old people in Radda and Lecchi.
There are just so many moments that were special. We loved being in
those moments. Don and I are very grateful to you for introducing us to
this very special place. We drove back to Geneva via the Lake District, spent a few more days in
Geneva and returned home.   The trip was a perfect length of time. We
were ready to come home. We found that we missed our life...our dogs,
our friends, our family, our routines, water pressure, our house. I can
see that there is a real shift in energy between vacationing in a place
and living in a place. We were on vacation.  

Pam, just a note to say how much we enjoyed our stay at Due Leoni, who could fail not to??!! please pass our thanks again to Sabina & Sean, very professional & friendly.
Till the next time.
Cheers from
Sara & Peter

We had seen L'Oliveta before and we liked it a lot.... Therefore our overall
impression was great and we were not disappointed.
We liked that it was a separate house and the terrace. Especially since we
had 2 boys with us, they could play outside and not bother other people
staying at Montebuoni.
The location is ideal. Right in the middle of Chianti, close to some lovely
small towns. The view from L'Oliveta is also special especially the sun
sets.
Kind regards,
Rob.

Dear Michela,
Thanks for the email.
We were delighted by our stay. We found the accommodation first-class and
have nothing but compliments about the apartment. We would certainly return
- it was a very relaxing holiday. I cannot think of any negatives - so I'm
not going to try. So thanks again.
All the best, Colin Wilkinson
(Bella Vista)

Hi Michaela, Due Leoni was perfect, nice and peaceful  and perfect for our
honeymoon, the views were breathtaking as were the sunsets. We had our
wedding in Brolio, so not far for us to travell and we loved the whole area,
Lecchi, Rada etc
We had a fantastic time
Cheers
Iain

Excellent. Would go back today if i could.
Peace and quiet. Although there are many villas there you would never know
William Alexander (Due Leoni)

The accommodation was tastefully furnished and the buildings as a whole had been very well converted. It was great to have our own garden, as well as a terrace. The gardens were lovely and the pool was well sited.  We liked the views and appreciated the peace and quiet.
Alison Ledgerwood (il Giardino)

The house (La Scala) is lovely and ideal for our needs - clean, spacious and with all modern comforts and a lovely private garden. Montebuoni is wonderfully quiet and peaceful -  a real haven away from our usual noisy London existence! At the end of our journey it was heaven to arrive there. The facilities are great - the pool is lovely and the hamlet is safe for children. You can meet other guests but have privacy at the same time. The wine-tasting is a lovely experience and again children are welcome. Montebuoni is an ideal base from which to tour the Chianti region but there are plenty of good restaurants and local shops within a short drive if you don't feel like venturing far.
Dara Corless

The hamlet itself blends into the surrounding landscape beautifully, and the gardens were a delight.  I particularly enjoyed watching the bees, butterflies and all manner of other insects feeding off the lavendar. Having stayed at La Contessina before, I knew what to expect and booked it again because it suited my needs perfectly.  My two daughters, who hadn't been before, thought it was just perfect.  If the owner is ever thinking of selling, please let me know!
George Darby (Accommodation: La Contessina)

Thank you for your e-mail re out stay at La Stalla in Montebuoni.
We had a wonderful time. The accommodation was superb. The quality of the restoration and the standard of furnishing was beyond our expectations. Absolutely no down side and we will undoubtedly pay a return visit.
Regards.
Tom Paice (Accommodation: La Stalla)

Overall impression: Absolutely heavenly. Because it is a privately owned home, the furnishings surpassed our expectations and the house was extremely comfortable and well equipped with a beautiful garden - perfect for sitting out for breakfast and dinner.
Highlights: Waking up in the morning and looking out of the bedroom window at the beautiful view of the Tuscan hills and vineyards. Having the swimming pool and tennis court within easy readh - but not too close to the house. Enjoying the wonderful local restaurants and exploring the surrounding countryside.
Unpleasant surprises: Queueing at Rome Airport to collect a pre-booked hire car for three and a half hours was the most unpleasant part of the whole trip!
At the end of a very long journey, after turning off the main road from Lecchi, turning right instead of left and having to negotiate an extremely difficult hill, then discovering we were in the wrong place, having arrived at the vineyard next door. The signpost to Montebuoni on the main road is clear but the next one is overgrown and not visible. [our response - the management of Montebuoni is going to fix this]
Although not unpleasant but certainly a surprise - the couple sleeping in the downstairs bedroom woke at 4.00 a.m. to the sound of what they thought was rain - but it turned out to be the sprinkler coming on! Because the garden always looked as though it had been watered, we had thought there must be a little man coming round with a hose before we were awake!!
Felicity (Accommodation: La Scala)

Overall impression: Absolutely lovely! It was perfect for us :o)
Highlights: We really had such a wonderful break, it's hard to single out a 'favourite' highlight. When we arrived the scent of lavender and rosemary, coupled with the views blew us away and set us immediately into RELAX mode. We loved our visit to Casa Nuova di Ama. The walk through the vineyards was beautiful, the hospitality was superb and we loved the wines so much we went back to buy more. We enjoyed staying in eating excellent local produce and relaxing as much as we enjoyed going exploring the cities and towns around us (our favourites being San Gimgnano and Castellina - best icecream and pizza respectively!!!). I would recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful getaway. Thank you for a wonderful holiday!
Unpleasant surprises: No
Manda (Accommodation: Panorama)

Overall impression: We loved La Vigna, and Montebuoni in general. We felt that we
couldn't have found anywhere that we would have liked more for our holiday. The peace and quiet was fantastic! La Vigna was particularly nice in that being tucked away, there is not a lot of 'passing traffic' on the gravel. We're pretty sociable people, but it was nice to be tucked away. The views are stunning. It is simply idyllic.
It was really nice to have a washing machine in the villa. I heard a few mutterings about the on-site one having a 2 hour cycle!
The only issue that we had was with the shower curtain - it was only long enough to stretch across one side, whereas it needed to fit around two sides. We tried to be very careful because we were worried about water damage, so always put towels down around the edge, and tried to contain as much water within the shower. We did mention it twice, and someone did come to look at it whilst we were out one day (footprints in the shower!), but it didn't get
fixed. Even if a double one was not available, another single on would have done the trick. [our comment: the owner has been made aware of it and it is being fixed]
Highlights: Getting away from it all, yet being well situated to explore the Chianti area - all the places we wanted to see such as Siena, San Gimignano and Castellina are easily accessible. We went to the Wednesday wine tasting which was great fun. Daniela was great, and we met some really nice people. We got together again for a drink by the pool on the Friday evening!
We loved Malborghetto - the food was excellent and they were very friendly and welcoming.
It was great to have the tennis court.
Unpleasant surprises: No
Rosemary (Australia) - Accommodation: La Vigna

Overall impression: Well looked after and clean, lots of homely furniture, games, books, kitchen equipment, nice outside area, although not secluded it wasn't over looked and the bed was very comfortable!
Highlights: The wine testing evening, relaxing by the pool (once I got used to the
wasps), lots of restaurants nearby and being so close to Siena and Florence.
Unpleasant surprises: The accommodation.  I didn't expect it to be so well furnished and homely.
Rebecca (Accommodation: Il Forno)

Overall impression: Very good. Clean and had everything we possibly needed.
Highlights: The quiet afternoons sat reading in the garden and the trip to the vineyard was fantastic. We've certainly recommended it to all of our friends.
Unpleasant surprises: Nothing too bad, only that the lights in the bedroom were very dull making reading difficult and the ice cream we put in the freezer compartment melted every time we put the oven on!
Helena (Accommodation: L´Oliveta)

Overall impression: Very comfortable, and entirely in line with what the website information suggested.  Staff at Montebuoni were all most helpful.
Highlights: Visits from Montebuoni to Siena, S.Gimignano, and Cortona - mixed up with lazier days nearer to the burgo.  The winetasting expedition was (as guaranteed by one of our daughters, a previous visitor to the hilltop) a first-rate outing.  We also had the advantage of some very pleasant early-October weather.
Unpleasant surprises: Fortunately not!
Michael (Accommodation: La Contessina)

Overall impression: marvellous - very spacious and comfortable - the furnishings were
nice and the fully equipped kitchen was terrific for preparing the fresh pasta for meals as well as the verandah under the pergola was just great to eat breakfast, lunch and tea
Highlights: the Tuscan area overall and the relative ease to travel to the nearby villages - driving on the 'wrong side of the road' was more fun than I expected
Unpleasant surprises: none that I recall
John (Accommodation: Pergola)

Overall impression: It was well appointed and spacious.  The kitchen in particular was outstanding.  We made a few great meals there.  There are only two minor issues I should mention.  The tennis court needs a little work and the sole washing machine is innadequate for the number of people using it.  Other than those things the surroundings are breathtaking and we got a chance to see and participate in some grape harvesting.
Highlights: The wonderful hill towns of the area and the great food and provisions.  The weather was beautiful the whole two weeks except one day.  Can't complain about that.  We went to the wednesday wine and food tasting and it was very special.  The wines and olive oil and the food prepared were excellent.  We met some very nice people and stuck up friendships that, I am sure, will last a long time.
Unpleasant surprises: None
George (Accommodation: La Pergola)

We loved Panorama, it's a great location and has plenty of room with  a large bedroom and a large bathroom. Getting there the first time, was a bit of a challenge, but we made 
it...
It was a beautiful and peaceful setting.
Although I had done research before traveling and knew of some local  places in the area, the information provided was also helpful.  in the area, which we really enjoyed ..
there is a cooking school that does 1 day to 1 week classes; very  near at Podere Le Rose in Poggio San Polo, a few kilometers down the  road. their web site: http://www.welcometuscany.com
thanks
dorothy

Dear Dympna,
In response to your question as to what we did or did not like about your service, I will respond by telling you that not only have we decided to return to Montebuoni for a month next summer, but we are bringing as many as 6 couples with us.
I have referred them all to your web site.  I can't thank you enough for all of the suggestions offered through your web site and the info book in allowing us to put together our own itinerary.  In spite of your good directions, we have decided to purchase a GPS which I'm certain will add hours to our trip.  Unless you are able to speed read at the intersections, I would advise this purchase to anyone traveling in Italy.
The cooking class with Simone at Malborghetto was a delight.  I haven't done anything like that before but am reluctant to share my pleasure for fear that when I return, there won't be room for me.
The computers at the office were helpful in letting us stay in touch with family and friends and I can't speak highly enough about the office staff, especially when they helped us out with cell phone service.
The only change I would recommend is that we played tennis every day on that wonderful court, but kept losing balls that would escape in the opening at the bottom of the fence.  One other comment,  everything on the property was lovely with the exception of the covered area by the pool and tennis court.  Some minor painting would greatly improve the appearance of the lovely pool area.
All in all, it would be hard to improve on our trip and want to thank all involved to make Montebuoni such a special place.
Sincerely,
Marilyn
Il Forno

vSorry brief response...
• Service v.good with lots of info
• Accommodation - lovely, simple, but charming.
• Montebuoni - v. attractive, but BIG problem - v.v. cold pool, meaning that the kids were reluctant to spend long days by the pool. I think the problem lies in too enthusiastic filtering which means the water gets moved around so fast it never warms up. Also a problem for other people with small kids who feel cold - we noted.
• You might want to warn people with kids that Chianti is a bit dull. Great if you are an adult ready for fab views, driving and long lunches. Also a bit too tidy and full of Brits and Germans - have all the locals been priced out or just tidied away?
Good travel company, and I speak as the daughter of a travel agent and former producer on BBC's 'Holiday', but not the right destination for families, in my opinion.
Lou (Accommodation: La Contessina)

Overall impression: Very pleased with our accommodation, the bed was comfirtable. We had no toaster in our apartment which might be handy.
Highlights: The location, it's so beautiful and relaxing. I love the Tuscan buildings. Unfortunately the weather was bad for our stay but there's nothing you can do about that!
Unpleasant surprises: The views from some of the other apartments, the setting really is beautiful and allows for a very relaxing stay.
Karen (Accommodation: Bell’Aria)

Overall impression: Accomodation was great,Lavanda afforded great views possibly the best in montebouni.It was easy to see that the accomodation is "owned" by someone and isn't just some vacant investment property with an absentee landlord.This I think has to be one of the strong points that To Tuscany brings to the market.Although I'd have liked a couple of english speaking TV stations on the Sat Channels!
Highlights: Bowl of pasta,glass of Chianti & my book on the patio in Lavanda....Playing with the Kids in the pool!
Unpleasant surprises: the roads were a wee bit tight..I hired a 7 seater for comfort for the Kids,bigger than what I'd ordinarily drive & that coupled with the winding roads & driving on the 'other' side of the road had me under pressure.....first time hiring a car abroad.Got used to it as i was driving for the Airport on the homeward journey!
John (Accommodation: Lavanda)

Overall impression: Excellent, the web site photos don't do it justice. The setting was magnificent, the decor and facilities within the villa were superb and we couldn't have wanted for better.
Highlights: Sitting on the rear terrace each evening with some nice local produce,
watching the sun set, admiring the Chianti scenery and enjoying a bottle (or two) of Chianti!. Belissimo. Also enjoying the Chianti restaurants for lunch especially in Lamole and Il Borgetta in Volpaia.
Unpleasant surprises: The only surprise was the dirt road into the property, a bit rough and very dusty, but no complaints as this took us further away from any roads.
James (Accommodation: Due Leoni)

We loved La Stalla. There was plenty of room for four of us and it was very well equipped the terrace was really nice with plenty of room.
The highlights of our holiday were the beautiful views and scenery.We also loved the small villages of Lecchi and San Seno. Another highlight was the wine tasting triporganised by Montebuoni, in spite of the quite difficult walk there! Another highlight was meeting our lovely Italian neighbors.
The only slightly unpleasant surprise (completely beyond your control!) was the weather.We did not expect to get so much rain!! I know it was unusual for the time of year. We still however really enjoyed our holiday. It was all perfect (apart from the rain!) Very many thanks to your excellent company. When we return to Tuscany we will definately use your company again.
Christine (Accommodation: La Stalla)

Overall impression: Very good, better even than photos on internet! 
Highlights: Close to florence for day trip, fireflies in back garden
Unpleasant surprises: No
Aileen (Accommodation: Casa Vecchia)