Hotel Villa Scacciapensieri - Siena

9.1

Excellent cuisine and excellent surroundings. Beautiful hotel and generally excellent service spoiled only by the receptionist trying to upgrade us on arrival (at a cost!)

8.0

Good location outside of Siena, just a 10 minute bus ride from right outside the hotel into the city. Loved the period feel to the rooms, very clean and great restaurant with very helpful maitre d'.

9.8

The photographs of this villa do not do it justice! It is more beautiful than shown. The villa is nestled on top of a hill overlooking Tuscany. They have beautiful gardens with fresh herbs, roses, and fruit (lemons and lime trees). Peacocks are also on the grounds and were outside of my villa building. If you are looking for a quiet, relaxed get-away from the cities (my wife and I traveled via car from Florence) then this is the place! There was only one issue with the hairdyer in the room (the standard European tube attached to a wall unit). The thing quit after maybe a minute of operation. We were given a portable hairdryer within minutes of notifying the front desk. The villa is minutes from Siena and the local bus picks up at the end of the villa's driveway. Parking is a nightmare in Siena so definetely take the bus. The villa has ample FREE parking. I wish I had a week at this place! I would definetely stay here again.

9.3

We were a month in Europe and the Villa was a stop between Florence and Rome. It was a beautiful, calm place with splendid views! Bath extremely small....Bus stop right down the road from Villa into Sienna town. We ate at the restaurant at night which was a highlight of our trip. The service was elegant but expect to pay well for this five course meal.....

5.9

Splendid Villa, however the improvements are "trapped in the 60's",with limited soundproofing between rooms. Service from staff was professional and outgoing. Location is ideal for accessing Chianti region, and a short 8 Euro cab ride to the "Campo". Breakfast is served from a cart by a very professional waiter, however, the ingrediants are very basic. Additional breakfast offerings are available from the breakfast menu. Rooms were clean, however, "just O.K.". Three star in category and not up to the standard of the balance of the facility. Note: we were located in the "out building", perhaps the main building is of higher quality? Landmarks: We love Italy and all of it's amazing landmarks and vistas, but if you care to see the most ugly building in Italy, it is a hospital located 1 KM from the hotel, don't worry, you can't miss it!

9.9

Superb accommodations and service. The well healed crowd figured out as we just did, that this is an elegant retreat for travelers going to see Siena for a day or just enjoying the beautiful Italian countryside. Dinner and breakfast were delicious with tremendous attention to details and quality of food. Front desk staff were helpful and gracious making us feel welcome in this special villa. We had a lovely room overlooking formal gardens and could sit on a sofa and soak up the afternoon sun. Many shady and sunny outside rooms allow for quiet enjoyment. Perfect all around and we would come back in a minute.

10

The hotel exceeded our expectations, especially with regard to the quality of service and the friendly and accomplished staff. Our traveling companions are in the catering business, and they had nothing but praise for the restaurant staff and quality of food. We loved being able to take the bus into Siena, right from the hotel to the city center.

10

It was the first time. We were realy delighted! Rooms, surroundings, staff, restaurant (and especially the "chef"). The bus service to the town center was well organized, but unfortunately that day there was an unknown problem for the return fare and no information was available at the bus station. But this has nothing to do with the hotel.

9.8

It is definately great! if I come to Siena again I will stay in particularly this place!

9.8

Stayed in the Villa. Beautiful gardens, sound of peacocks in am, close to old Siena. First class breakfast served at the table.

8.7

The hotel is a couple of miles out of town and not that easy to find - but worth the effort! The location is beautiful and the restaurant superb (if a little pricy). Service is excellent. The hotel is just the sort of place to go for that special night away.

9.4

We would definitely stay here again, the atmosphere was so relaxing and the dining room staff for dinner was so gracious and accomodating. Get a balcony if possible.

9.8

The staff at Villa Scacciapensieri made my entire stay extremely pleasant. They are more than willing to help and provide personal, friendly and gracious assistance -- from checking bus or train schedules to providing a pot of hot water for tea for my room. The breakfast is large and extravagant and all meals are elegantly served in a bright, airy dining room filled with antique sideboards and flowers. The grounds of the hotel are beautifully landscaped with lovely views over the surrounding hills. Siena is a lovely city and I took day trips to Assisi, San Dimignano and Florence via public transport. I would highly recommend the Villa; it is far enough away from the center of the town to have the feel of being quiet and removed; yet you can hop on the city bus (at the bottom of their driveway) and be in the center within 30 minutes. I hope to return to the Villa again when I next visit Tuscany.

8.1

It's a little difficult to find. The hotel is very nice, old, but nice. The view from the patio is fabulous! They have a very nice resturant and the staff, (waiters) were very plesant.

9.9

It was a perfect hotel for our romantic 30th anniversary trip.

9.7

This villa/hotel is exceptional. The setting, outside of Siena proper is quiet and has marvelous views. They have an outstanding dining room (which is not cheap, but is a fine dining experience). The staff is exceptional in their friendliness and care. The local bus stops at the end of the driveway. The room, in a separate building from the main villa was a little crowded, but very clean and had a wonderful view. The room was actually on two levels, with the sitting area and bathroom downstairs and the bedroom in a loft. It could be a problem for some that the bath was on the lower level. The rooms in the villa (more expensive) were more traditional hotel rooms with the bath off of the bedroom. We would recommend this hotel to anyone and in fact it would make an outstanding destination wedding spot.

9.9

This is a beautiful place, perfect for couples of any age. The service is outstanding. The personnel is very knowledgeable about Siena and thye surrounding areas.

9.4

Our 5 nights at Villa Scacciapensieri could not have been better. The hotel and grounds are wonderful, and the location just outside of town allowed for a quiet retreat. The onsite dining room is a real treat. Managed by Andre, the staff is first rate and the food uncomparable.

9.9

Fabulous place -- from the accomodations, to the wonderful staff, to the absolutely incredible food -- our entire stay was awesome!

7.8

loved the guy with the starey eyes, great ambience, bit hard to get around without a car

9.2

Lovely place, nice friendly staff made for a wonderful but short stay. We will be going back!

9.2

Be sure to get a detailed map to this Villa before leaving the US, or your home country. It is very difficult to find, located in the burbs of Sienna. Once you get there, the hotel is a villa with gardens, courtyards, and large domestic yards overlooking olive groves. Staff are just so competent and caring. Food was good.

8.3

Dining room service superb. Bus transportation information provided was excellent. Old world quality. Smoke did not draw well in the bar area fireplace due to too small of a fire.

9.8

absolutely lives up to its name

9.0

This was a wonderful place to stay. The restaurant was great. The grounds were magnificent and overlooked the Tuscan countryside. However, thank goodness we had a GPS with us because I don't think we ever would have found this beautiful villa without it. If I ever return to Seina, I would certainly stay here.

9.6

Just got back last week (10-26-2007). Let me start by saying that this place is beautiful. The staff is excellent. Prices to dine and drink are high, but in line. The only drawback is that it is to far from town. The bus runs on a regular schedule. It gets crowded and you wind up standing most of the time. If you only have a few days in Sienna, and really want to enjoy the town, stay in town. We took a cab several times and spent around 10 Euros each time. If you like to ride the bus, or have a car, this place is for you. There is nothing to speak of within walking distance on the villa.

8.9

We had a wonderful stay at this Villa for a getaway for my wife and I. We were a little disappointed with the lack of a welcoming feel from the front desk but overall the experience was outstanding. The price is rather high if your on a budget, but otherwise I thought it was well worth it. We had dinner at the Villa two nights and it was absolutely amazing food and Andre, the main host, is a joy to have and very professional. Also, the lounge area was way better than expected, with a fire and bar there as well! Awesome time!

5.5

Very overpriced hotel and they live on their good reputation they had in the 70-ties...old furnitures and actually we stayed in two-star hotels that had better interior. The restaurant have very high prices too. Eat in a restaurant in town instead. But the staff was very nice and helpful.

10

If I could, I would fly back tomorrow and spend a full week here! Our room overlooked the hills of Chianti. Beautifully decorated with period pieces, soft linens, and a spacious bathroom. Normally, we shy away from "hotel dining" but we had the most wonderful dinner in the dining room......the highlight of our entire 4 city, 14 day Italian vacation! We have dined in many of the finest restaurants internationally and can truly put this on our top ten list for both food and service. A very helpful and patient front desk staff guided us thru the bus to town schedule, internet access, directions to the old city's sites, etc...even when I blew a fuse in our room. I would highly recommend a stay here to all my friends travelling to Italy.

9.2

We were upgraded into room 47!! What a view!! Those oversized windows are amazing. Great view of Siena from them. We slept with the windows open and were awakened by the sounds of bells in the early morning. Front counter staff were wonderfull. Knowledgeable, helpfull, funny, discrete and professional. Our chemistry with that group was amazing. The very taciturn Bruce was even able to to satisfy quirky early morning "residual vino remidies" for the folks from Texas. It is not cheap but it is well worth every euro.

8.8

Was truly amazed when we arrived, expected it to be nice but not as opulent or as stunning. The staff are impeccable, the service superb and the views are to die for. A special mention needs to be made about the maitre de, Andreu, who is world class and possibly the nicest guy I've met!!! Can't recommend it highly enough. Will definitely go back.

10

The hotel and surroundings were beautiful. The staff were very professional and attentive without being intrusive. Breakfast which was included was plentiful, varied and delicious, served on the terrace overlooking the wonderful views. I would highly recommend this hotel and my only regret was that we had to leave.

8.5

Great place, great food. We will be back.

10

A brillant 2 days

9.9

What a jewel Villa Scacciapensieri proved to be. Close enough to the center of town and yet felt like we were way out in the tuscan countryside. We ate both our dinners there becuase of the superb 4 course meal presentations. Staff was friendly and professional. We could have lingered there indefinately.

9.9

I spent a month traveling in Italy, and Hotel Villa Scacciapensieri was one of two memorable places of this trip. The reception staff (Barbara and Carolina) made a special effort to ensure that we had an incredible experience at the hotel. The restaurant manager Andrea was so talented and worked so hard to ensure that every dining experience was special: and it was!!!! I found the dining atmosphere so relaxing that my wife and I with my brother and sister-in-law were closing the restaurant every night that we were there. I will recommend this hotel and restaurant to all of my family and friends as a special find.

9.4

The location was superb - breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Tuscan countryside was out of this world. The service was perfect, all the employees were in uniform and were so helpful. One comment I do have is that there was quite a difference between rooms in the main building and ours in the villino building. Although it suited our requirements the air conditioning unit broke down and although fixed very quickly it was quite noisy during the night. The grounds and the pool were perfect and I would thoroughly recommend the hotel to anyone. The bus service was excellent - you could manage without getting the rather scary taxis at all if you planned it carefully!

10

This hotel could not be faulted and was excellent in every way; I would have no hesitation about returning

9.5

I was traveling with my sister. We enjoyed to stay this hotel. We were satisfied.

9.5

We decided to stay at the Villa Scacciapensieri for its situation just outside Sienna and its garden with swimming pool. The beauty of the garden and the view we had from our lovely pavillion room (though an economy room) went well over our expectations. This place is absolutely beautiful, and with a bus stop right in front of the gate, the short trip to Sienna could not be made easier (tickets can be bought at reception). We read some comments from previous visitors saying that dinner was expensive. We do not agree and were fully satisfied: service is of the highest standard, very formal and attentive. Some might call it slightly old fashioned, we would describe it as tradition at its best. Everything we had was delicious, and the olive oil (which is produced on site) is a must! All together, we thing that the 4-course set menu was excellent value for money. One suggestion for improvement, though: the swimming pool is in a lovely but relatively shady area and should really be heated! In spite of cold water, we had a wonderful stay at the very traditional and charming Villa Scacciapensieri.

9.7

Exceptional Hotel!

9.6

This villa has exceptional views and much to offer such as a pool, dining room and bar. The rooms were average but clean. The bed was on a loft so this would be a problem for those who have difficulty with stairs. Sienna is beautiful! You do need to catch a bus to go to Sienna but after the first trip, this was very easy to do. The staff was very friendly and helpful and even assisted us with a wine tour to Montalcino which we would highly recommend.

9.9

The grounds and views were stunning! We loved our meal in the hotel dining room too. Everything here was perfect.

9.9

Quiet restful location just outside of town. Grounds are very pretty. Staff very friendly and excellant with info. Restaurant was one of the best of our trip.

9.0

We had a most enjoyable visit. The Villa is located within easy distance by taxi to the railroad station and is on a large wooded property, Gardens are elegant, food is superb (we had roast kid), rooms very attractive, service very attentive. Highly recommended

9.2

Me and my wife, plus three other couples stayed in Villa Scacciapensieri for 4 nights and we enjoyed every moment of it. I especially recommend the nice and quiet fireplace lobby for all future guests. The employees are excellent and all restaurants that were recommended by the hotel, turned out to be excellent. Next time I hope to stay in the main building, where the rooms seem to be nicer, but I can easily recommend the rooms in the supplemental building which is across from the building where the reception is located. Breakfast is served very professionally and the whole stay was perfect for us. I strongly recommend this place.

9.9

My girlfriend and I spent a wonderful three nights at Scacciapensieri. Although originally only two nights were available, and I had booked our third night in another hotel, the very helpful staff made it possible for us to continue our stay for the third night and engineered our move to another room so smoothly it was barely noticeable. Correspondence was friendly and extremely helpful, and staff were very courteous and helpful throughout. The rooms in the new extension were very comfortable and well-appointed, the grounds beautiful, and the lounge area very comfortable. The swimming pool was also a delight. We dined in the restaurant one night as a treat and, though not cheap, the meal was exceptionally well-prepared and presented. The clientelle was mostly older couples (we were the only young couple present as far as I could establish!) but this suited the old-world patrician charm of the location.

10

Views from the grounds and our room were classic, timeless Italian landscapes. Local bus service to Siena was very convenient. Driving to other local siteas was easy.

10

The Villa was all we expected from the rave reviews we read. It's a great facility in a lovely setting, but the best part is the service. The concierge and manager could not be stumped by unusual requests. The dining room staff displayed the highest standard of etiquette. Their pride in their meticulous style of serving added to our enjoyment of the delicious breakfasts and dinners. The location afforded easy access to Chianti Classico explorations as well as Siena. Views of the surrounding countryside, especially in the morning mist, were magical.

9.1

Great place. If you are driving get good directions because, if you do not know the area, the hotel is hard to find. Although convenient, don't take the bus into Siena, a cab from / to the hotel is easy and reasonable.