Tenuta di Murlo

We stayed at San Savino last week with a combination of family and friends. We had a fabulous time. The house was perfect, three living rooms for those who had to work, four places to have meals, three of which are outside, offering sun and shade. The very private and manicured grounds are beautiful, olive trees, lavender, fig trees, rosemary, and sun nearly all day. The pool was beautiful too and looking over the most magnificent view. We visited the local farmers markets, (the most delectable porchetta) and shopped at an excellent grocery store close by (recommended by Murlo) with delicious fruit, vegetables, hams and salamis, bread and very reasonable wines. We visited many of the hilltop towns and rented a boat on Trasimeno. We hiked a few mornings to the top of Mount Tezio which has unparalleled views, even snow-capped mountains in the distance. The concierge and housekeeping teams oversaw our every need, suggesting and making lunch/dinner reservations, arranging vans to the Estate restaurants, Il Caldaro and Fattoria. Il Caldaro was delicious, especially the pizza! The estate wine is delicious too. Housekeeping was also very accommodating when we had a midweek change of guests… We have booked the same villa for the same week next year. Thank you Carlotta, Erika and Namal!

We booked a villa stay because of the amazing images on social media of the pools and external views of the property. Never did we stop to wonder why they don't show the internal spaces, and now we know it is because they are worn, old, dirty and FAR, FAR from a "luxury" stay. If the deteriorated state of the accomodation wasn't bad enough for the high prices they charge, couple that with atrocious customer service! No where near a high-end, International standard of hospitality. But then the icing on the cake is the aggressive, threatening nature of the management when you "dare" to complain about being misled and not getting what you paid for. They claim that no one has ever complained before (clearly not true based on the numerous negative reviews on google and Tripadvisor - their staff admitted they have issues all the time), and then they threaten to take legal action against you if you dare to share your honest experience and provide a bad review. Totally unprofessional. Management should spend less time threatening guests who have a bad experience and more time fixing the problems.

What a beautiful place, first and foremost. We stayed in the perfect, private villa Molinella. When I recall memories from this trip, I distinctly, almost viscerally, remember the feeling of tranquility and peace that embraced me here. Very, very few places in my life can I say (or even remember) have inspired similar feelings of harmony. Villa: Spacious, well-priced, and exceedingly private. It took a while to get there from the meeting point/entrance, but it did ensure that we would not be disturbed whatsoever while there. The rooms were absolutely dreamy, the furniture high quality and in excellent condition, and everything worked/ operated as it should. They also provided us with pots/pans/utensils for cooking, and there wasn't a single thing we needed that wasn't already provided. They delivered our morning breakfast each day, fresh from their farm, I wish I could stay there forever. It was our own little hamlet. Pool/ private underground grotto: The pool was quite cold, even in 95+ degree weather, but this was a very minor issue. It was very clean and beautiful to swim in. The underground grotto/jacuzzi was without a doubt the coolest thing we've seen in any sort of home/villa. It was such a memorable experience, taking our first steps down and into the water, and then turning on the built-in jets, we spent hours there! Restaurant: We ate there only twice, but it felt so intimate and lovely. Tables were set up outside on the grass ( I think you could also eat inside if you preferred). The food was excellent, and there was ample space between our table and the next for privacy. They set up all the tables in this manner.