Hotel Relais Santa Chiara - San Gimignano

Average rating:  10.0

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in May 2008

We are returning visitors to San Gimignano area.Relais Santa Chiara has been our best hotel choice ever since! Walking distance to San Gimignano, fantastic tuscan view from the rooms, pool area in a wonderful garden inviting to relaxation.

Guest name: Krisztina Arato, Hungary

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Sep 2007

Beautiful hotel located 5 minutes (walking) outside of San Gimi. We enjoyed the pool, spa (although it could have been a lot warmer), & outdoor lounging areas. We stayed for 2 days, which was the perfect amount of time, since San Gimi can be throughly explored (on foot) in about 2-3 hours. The breakfast was plentiful & good. For lunch we ordered: the lasagne, Parma ham & melon, & caprese salad. All of which was out-of-this world! I swear the lasagne noodles were handmade.

Guest name: Laura Kranzler, USA

Average rating:  8.5

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Sep 2007

Quiet and relaxing hotel overlooking the beautiful Tuscan countryside five minutes walk from San Gimignano. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The staff were welcoming and helpful, providing excellent information about onward transport and the local area. The room (a superior double) was spacious and very comfortable and included a whirlpool bath! The hotel has no dining but there are numerous places to eat in San Gimignano. We will definately be back.

Guest name: AG, United Kingdom

Average rating:  5.0

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Sep 2007

The room was TINY - not enough room to swing a cat! The balcony had no view at all. We requested secure parking, only to find that it was on a first come first served basis - not satisfatory at all - if we had known this we would have chosen another hotel. The photo of the swimming pool is very misleading - it makes it appear much larger than it really is - it is only a dipping pool. The instructions in the room ask you to secure the shutter when not in the room for security purposes - we did this, only to find on return to the room that the shutters were open, and the french windows had not been secured properly. We challengenged the staff about this and were told not to worry as ther had never been an incident at the hotel. We were so disappointed that we cut our stay short by 5 days.

Guest name: JF, United Kingdom

Average rating:  7.8

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Apr 2007

Very well located, with its own parking, so only a few minutes walk from the city's entrance : a real advantage in often crowdy San Gimignano. Very good service, superb terrace for a sunny breakfast before a nap in the garden. Prefer the "big" rooms to the "small" ones, that are mor like a double cabin in a cruiser.

Guest name: Nicolas RAFFIN, France

Average rating:  7.6

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Sep 2006

Well located a short walk downhill from the gates to the town. A modern hotel that lacks a bit of character but staff were helpful, views from the pool area across the countryside were fantastic and definitely a good place to stay slightly away from the bustle of the town during the day. They lock the doors at midnight which was a bit of a pain but otherwise a good base to explore this wonderful town and surrounding area.

Guest name: Neil Pengelly, United Kingdom

Average rating:  8.0

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Apr 2006

Very well located; a beautiful view from the room; the room, although small has a very nice terrace; nice staff. I would recommend

Guest name: Luiz Costa, Brazil

Average rating:  9.5

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jun 2006

Our room (small double) was very very small. But, the hotel, the pool area, and the surroundings are very beautiful. We liked the fact that it was outside of town, but an easy 10 minute walk to get there. The one problem we encountered is that the hotel did not have any email from venere.com regarding our reservation! Though they could not find our reservation, they did find a room for us.

Guest name: NW, USA

Average rating:  8.9

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Sep 2004

It is a wonderful place to stay in San Gimignano. It is a short walk to town. The rooms are really clean, safe area, parking avalaible. the breakfast is stupendous. Very curteous, helpful staff. Try to get a room on the side of the valley.

Guest name: JS, USA

Average rating:  9.6

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Aug 2004

This hotel is truely one of the best kept secrets in Italy. The quality of the environment is superb, the cleanliness and facilities are excellent and the staff are always, without fail, polite and courteous to a fault. The size of the rooms can be on the small side but overall, the quality of the hotel outweighs this small detail. We both think it is the best run hotel that we have ever stayed in.

Guest name: DS, United Kingdom

Average rating:  8.3

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jul 2004

Very clean hotel, with efficient staff. Felt a little impersonal. Still recommended.

Guest name: Richard Fantom, United Kingdom

Average rating:  7.3

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in May 2004

rooms, specificlly bath rooms need a facelift, bath room a bit small

Guest name: Eddy DERIJCKE, Belgium

Average rating:  7.5

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in May 2004

We booked a small room but at least the bed could have been regular size. The hotel structure is badly designed (too late to change). E.g. the surface area of our balcony was larger then our surface area of the room (room 212). All other things considered it was a worthwihle, stay.

Guest name: Roger Naze, Belgium

Average rating:  7.8

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in May 2004

a fantastic place to stay in San Gimignano- close to the old town, welcoming hosts and pleasant accommodation. Sometimes difficult to get parking at the hotel as limited places available, and to park overnight in the grounds (6 spaces) costs 13 euro a night. Easy to find parking very close around the hotel.

Guest name: CF, Australia

Average rating:  8.4

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Aug 2003

The pool area is delightful and the staff are welcoming and helpful at this comfortable hotel. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it or return for another visit.

Guest name: SU, United Kingdom

Average rating:  3.3

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Apr 2003

Being in a great location and having a wonderful does not make a "1st class" hotel. The room was smaller than a closet. We had nowhere to store our luggage so we had to climb over it to get into bed. We wanted to relax for a day at the hotel, having been travelling quite a bit. We tried to sit in the garden to take some sun, but there were no cushions for the hard plastic lounge chairs. There was no lunch, nor food of any type, available at the hotel so we had to go out to eat. The pool was unavailable. There was not enough parking, unless you you drove a Jag or Porsche and then they reserved parking in front - completely unfair treatment. All in all NOT a first class hotel by any stretch of the imagination (except for the unjustified high price) and I would not stay there again nor will I reccommend to anyone.

Guest name: Kevin Rucci, United Kingdom

Average rating:  8.1

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Mar 2003

Good location, just outside the walls of San Gimignano.(a 5 min walk) Our room was very spacious. But I have read elsewhere that some rooms can be a bit small. It is a relatively new hotel (15 years?) with a swimming pool. So if your looking for old and rustic, this is not for you. I would recommend this hotel. .....PW, Sydney , Australia

Guest name: PW, Australia

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Oct 2002

We had only booked a small double so we weren't expecting a view, but we had a breathtaking view. The hotel was beautiful, clean with big communal areas. We are glad we stayed here and not in the town of San Gim; it was close enough but had the advantage of being quiet with a great view and able to keep the car close by. Would definetly recommend staying here.

Guest name: AM, Australia

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Single leisure traveller

stayed in Jun 2002

This is a lovely hotel and my stay there was exceptionally peaceful. I would have liked a larger room, but none was available at the time. Best regards, A satisfied customer

Guest name: CF, USA

Average rating:  9.7

Guest type: Group of friends

stayed in Jun 2002

We could not get the room with the view that we requested when booked. We did not understand from your web page that it was better to book smaller room, which always has the view than bigger room with no view or balcony. We recomended your web site and hotel to a lor of our friends though.

Guest name: Liliya Yanovsky, USA