An Unforgettable Dolce Vita Adventure in Italy

Italy | Sep 29 - Oct 15, 2024

Incredible spa hotel in the lovely town of Castelrotto. Rooms were exquisite and spa well appointed. The extraordinary gourmet meals were really the highlight of the stay however. Would highly recommend taking advantage of the half board option which gave us access to a 5-course tasting menu each night for 25Euros each.

Terrific location close to il Duomo with a comfortable room with a lovely view of the Piazza San Lorenzo.

Having been dropped off at the gated entrance to the village of Montepulciano by our driver, our quest to reach the hotel walking up cobbled streets with luggage in tow made it a challenging location. That said the views from our room at sunrise of the Valdichiana and from the patio of the adjacent restaurant/wine bar of the Val d'Orcia at sunset were quite beautiful.

Location is great, with nice public space, lovely roof-top breakfast area and professional staff. The Classic room, though more economical, was really quite small.

Our guide, Emanuela, on the hikes to the Alpe di Suisi and Seceda Spires ensured we were able to take in the most stunning vistas as she shared historical and cultural information about this unique region. She checked in to make sure the pace aligned with needs. Felt like we were taking a hike with a good friend through breathtaking scenery.

See Alpe di Siuisi review

Cristiano was terrific! He provided great details on the history, culture, preparation for the 2026 Olympic games and insights into the industry of each community we passed as he carefully navigated the winding roads of the Dolomites as we made our way from Castelrotto to Cortina and ultimately to Venice. Cristiana made sure to stop and allow us to take photos at some of the most scenic locations and waited patiently as we strolled around Cortina and had lunch. He carefully coordinated our time of arrival in Venice with the water taxi and helped us carry our luggage from the car to the taxi.

We were delayed arriving at the meeting place given the rain, significant distance of our hotel from San Marco Square, and faulty GPS directions. Our guide was very accommodating however waiting for us. Though her narration of the buildings we were passing was good, the significant rainfall and our inability to see the sights through the condensation forming on the windows made it one of the least enjoyable of our activities.

Although our guide was very knowledgeable, given the poor quality of the headsets our small group was issued, it was very difficult to hear her.

Was changed to be Tour of the Uffizi Gallery followed by a private discovery walk of Florence at Night. Our guide, Paola, skillfully negotiated the crowds with our group of four to ensure we were able to see the Renaissance masterpieces of Botticelli, DaVinci, Raphael and Titan, offering expert insights into each. This was followed by a private walk from the Piazza della Signoria to the Ponte Vecchio.

Artisan tour of the mosaic laboratory and paper workshop were particularly interesting. Our guide from LivTours enabled us to see artisans working behind the scenes. Remarkable to see the processes still employed since the days of the Medici.

We were fortunate to have Marco Vangi drive us from Florence to Montepulciano with stops in Siena and San Gimignano with a winery lunch and tasting at Tenuta Tociano in between. Despite the occasional downpour, the drive through the Tuscan countryside was lovely. Wine tasting experience was also enjoyable.

Cooking class at the Podere Il Casale in Pienza was wonderful. Our delightful host showed us the farm and process for making cheese, and then put us to work chopping/preparing and then enjoying the most amazing Italian feast and wines with six new friends. What a unique, fun way to wrap up our Tuscan experience.

Enjoyed the ease of taking a golf cart to quickly take in vistas of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, Spanish Steps and some of the current excavations taking place. However felt a little exposed at times.