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Customer Reviews
Overall:
Except for a cooking class at the estate, we spent our time traveling to Siena, Florence, Cinque Terre, and the Chianti region during our 5 night stay. I'd rate the Borgo 15 as very good overall and the overall view and helpfulness of the owners as excellent. There was no real view from Borgo 15.
Enjoyed Most:
When I think about Tuscany this place is it: on a hill with views of vineyards and other estates. And again Riccardo, Nicola, Simona, and Sandra were most helpful with the luggage, advice, and directions. The cooking class was a wonderful experience.
Enjoyed Least:
A couple of minor things about Borgo 15 prevent me from giving it an excellent rating. We had trouble using some of the outlets, the gas stove had a burner out and on one of the other burners we could not adjust the flame. We were not provided with bar soap and had to purchase. All minor things, though.
Surrounding Area:
San Gimignano, Florence (the Uffizzi), Sienna (the Palio), exploring Chianti, and Cinque Terre.
Nearby Events or Locales:
San Gimignano. No.
Tips or Restaurants:
Bar soap. Staples like coffee, salt, pepper and any essential groceries. But that was the case with each of our three rentals in Italy. Different country, different culture.
Directions:
Il Borgetto did not appear on the GPS in our rental car. We had to use our phones.
Check In Out:
The owners were very helpful with the luggage both on arrival and departure. Check in and check out went smoothly.
Bob, October
Overall:
Our overall experience was fantastic. We were a group of 6 adults, retirement-aged, and were overwhelmed by the property. It fitted our needs beautifully. It was great sitting on our private patio for breakfast and late day wine drinking. The morning walks down the road were also fabulous. To see the towers of San Gimignano with the sun shining on them was simply beautiful! The 2 dinners we had at the Villa were wonderful. Well worth the 28 Euros/person. A great selection of wines also at reasonable costs. The staff were very accommodating and very helpful.
Enjoyed Most:
The ability to walk around the property and see Tuscan hillsides from different angles. The ability to just relax if you wished by the pool.
Enjoyed Least:
The rough, narrow, unpaved road leading to and from the property, yet the scenery was great. This road is necessary since you are in the Tuscan hills.
Surrounding Area:
Very close to San Gimignano (a must see town), Poggibonsi (for highway access and grocery shopping), Volterra (another must see town; the Alabaster was beautiful). All of the other towns we visited were within 1-2 hours drive such as Florence, Siena, Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano. If you enjoy good red wine, Montalcino is must see town. It is home of the Brunello wine and almost every shop has free wine tasting. Your favourite Brunello can be shipped back home. A little pricey but well worth it.
Nearby Events or Locales:
The nearest small town was San Gimignano. I don't believe it was within walking distance. The town was approximately 14 km. away.
Tips or Restaurants:
I would recommend future renters bring with them a salt and pepper shaker and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar or your favourite salad dressing. Since this is a self catering accommodation, no necessities are provided. Make sure to shop in Poggibonsi before arriving at the villa. The coffee maker available is an espresso type. Things to buy would be coffee, juice, milk, bread, eggs, butter, sugar, fruit, vegetables, snack foods, wine liquor, soft drinks, yogurt, toilet paper, paper towels. There was no oven in the villa, so if you plan to do some cooking make sure it can be done all on a stovetop. A microwave is available. The toaster took too long so we just fried up the bread in the pan with some butter.
Directions:
We did use a GPS (a must) but still sometimes it had to re-calculate. At times it was a little frustrating. Would recommend gettingg alternate directions for arrivals from the other side of San Gimignano. Entering the property from that side was a bit easier and less hilly.
Check In Out:
Very accommodating. It was great to have the staff take your luggage directly to your chosen bedroom on arrival and on departure to take it to your car.
Nanci, September
Overall:
It was a fantastic vacation!
Enjoyed Most:
The family, the pool, the views, the food...
Enjoyed Least:
The view from the villa was obstructed due to the large trees growing right in front of a gorgeous vineyard view.
Surrounding Area:
Close to town, grocery, highway, etc...
Nearby Events or Locales:
San Gimignano is nearby, but is not within walking distance. You need a car to get to most places in Tuscany.
Directions:
We used a GPS, which worked well. Also, this property is off of a long, dirt road. The cars will not stay clean here.
Elena, July
Overall:
The property is lovely. Everyone is very warm, accommodating, and friendly.
Enjoyed Most:
The setting and all of the buildings are beautiful. The swimming pool is fabulous. Our villa was private, clean, and had a perfect layout for 2 families or 4 people.
Enjoyed Least:
Washing and drying our clothes was inconvenient. Our shower was quite small, but the bathroom was a nice size.
Surrounding Area:
Every direction that you drive from the villa there is something amazing to experience within a reasonable distance.
Nearby Events or Locales:
The nearest small town was not a comfortable walk.
Tips or Restaurants:
All of the restaurants are wonderful, if you see something you like just give it a try. We had so many wonderful meals including, the one prepared by the villa owners!
Directions:
A GPS is a must and so is a rental car. The coordinates did not calculate for the villa.
Jeri, October
Overall:
Our overall experience was wonderful in large part due to our hosts at the villa. They took great care of us.
Enjoyed Most:
The view and the atmosphere.
Enjoyed Least:
No screens on the windows of the cottage so mosquitos came in at night.
Surrounding Area:
Orchards and rural atmosphere.
Nearby Events or Locales:
San Gimignano. Yes, you could walk, but it was a little challenging because of the hills and 3 km distance.
Tips or Restaurants:
Bring a mosquito net. Otherwise, it was great.
Directions:
We had GPS but did not need it. In fact, the road signs are so good in Tuscany, we did not need the GPS at all.
cliff, October
Overall:
Overall, the week at the villa was the highlight of our 3 week vacation in Italy and Spain. The location is better than the pictures. Our 1st 2 hours were spent exploring the property and marveling at our good fortune and choice of property.
Enjoyed Most:
The views, serene atmosphere, and attention to detail in everything from the arrival and check-in procedures to the meals served on site 3 times a week, to the accommodations, to the pool/grounds, etc. It really is a "picture-perfect postcard" location.
Enjoyed Least:
I'll echo others...if you're a big evening reader, the light in most of the rooms is not that bright. Laundry facilities on site are small and expensive; note, however, that we took our laundry into town and the laundromat was almost as expensive.
Surrounding Area:
Proximity to San Gimignano which enabled you to enjoy a real "hill town" in the evening, without the crowds. Very accessible, easy, and enjoyable. We also enjoyed Volterra. Not hard to get to, but takes awhile due to the windy but paved road.
Nearby Events or Locales:
San Gimignano. Some can/will walk to the town, however, 90% of guests will not. It's a 2 mile walk along a dirt road with the last section uphill. Not a problem for some, but not a likely scenario for most. You really need a car if you want to enjoy the hill towns in the area.
Tips or Restaurants:
If you arrive on Saturday, shop around 15:30 that day at the PAM or COOP in Poggibonsi on your way into the property. That way you'll arrive right around the 17:00 check-in time and give yourself a couple hours to play with if you have any issues. Buy salt/pepper/herbs/spices, coffee/sugar/creamer, toilet paper, paper towels, shower soap, small liquid detergent for laundry, and the bulk of the food/beverages you think you'll consume during the week. You don't want to make unnecessary trips into town. The road up to the villa is dusty and in "ok" shape, but not something you want to go up and down unnecessarily because you forgot the milk. If you do forget an item, get it on the way back to the villa after a day of sightseeing.
Directions:
The exit and the following exit off the main highway to get to the property were blocked by road construction. Thankfully, we did bring and used extensively our GPS with Italy maps loaded before we left the States. Like another guest at the property, the actual address given does not take you to the exact property location. However, it did take us past the property and we spotted it on the right. We then marked that position and used the "mark" as the property location which worked well for the remainder of the trip. Highly recommend a GPS if you'll be doing any driving to other hill towns or cities. Things are not always marked well and it saved us a number of times when struggling to find parking, locations, etc.
Check In Out:
The staff carried all our bags to the room which was a nice added touch.
Matt, June
Overall:
Very good. Staff responded well to any problem we had and the property was well kept and organised.
Enjoyed Most:
The view and location, cleanliness and condition of property.
Enjoyed Least:
Beds, lack of oven, bbq, trees-shrubs needed cutting back to enjoy the wonderful view from our garden.
Surrounding Area:
Proximity to San Gimignano for evening outings, ease of access to other hill-top towns.
Nearby Events or Locales:
Nothing in walking distance, 2km gravel road.
Tips or Restaurants:
Use Coop store just off Poggibonsi south exit, rather than the Pam. Use Coop in San Gimignano for small shopping needs.
David, August
Overall:
The trip to Tuscany was absolutely wonderful and our stay at Il Cortile del Borgo 15 was peaceful and relaxing. We enjoyed the closeness to San Gimignano, Siena, and Volterra, which made day trips easy to do even with our 18 month old twins.
Enjoyed Most:
The views were stunning and we had dinner at the onsite restaurant on Friday night, which was one of the most memorable nights of our trip. Also, the pool was beautifully situated, warm, and we enjoyed meeting other guests - a great place to socialize.
Enjoyed Least:
For a property that size, there was a shared laundry room with only one washer and dryer. It cost 5 euros each to run the machines and the dryer did not fully dry the clothes. Based on the size of this property, there should probably be more than one washer and dryer.
Surrounding Area:
The proximity to San Gimignano was terrific and the views from our property were awesome. We walked the gravel road from our property towards San Gimignano and we enjoyed the spectacular countryside.
Nearby Events or Locales:
San Gimignano was approximately 1/2 KM away, which is a short drive, but a longer walk from the property. Difficult to do with two 18-month old babies. Nonetheless, we enjoyed walking around the countryside and taking short trips by car to get to places that we wanted to see.
Tips or Restaurants:
Definitely shop at PAM in Poggibonsi for groceries on Saturday and cook a lot of your own meals at the villa. The meals that the villa provides are also wonderful, but it's great to be able to cook your own meals and eat outside since there are dinner tables and chairs for all the units.
Directions:
Very easy to follow.
Check In Out:
The process was easy. Check out was also easy and they returned our security deposit on the spot.
Michael, June
Overall:
Fantastic experience - we thoroughly enjoyed the property and the four owners are very personable, but not overbearing - they truly love their project and are committed to it.
Enjoyed Most:
We were in 15. This is a free-standing building that is very nice and private. The 3 dinners per week are quality and an excellent value which we recommend.
Surrounding Area:
Ability to visit the most important regional cities-towns if willing to drive.
Nearby Events or Locales:
San Gimignano is 6.0 km. Mostly walkable, though the last 2.0 km are on fairly busy roads without a shoulder.
Tips or Restaurants:
Chirbiri in San Gimignano is reasonable dinner restaurant. Best restaurant we went to was at the property.
Michael, May
Overall:
Despite the cold weather for May, the warmth of the hosts and the beauty of the countryside made for a wonderful week's vacation.
Enjoyed Most:
The view from in front of the house, the friendliness and helpfulness of the family that owns and runs the property, the dinners that were served on the two nights we ate there, the location of the property.
Enjoyed Least:
No hooks to hang up towels in the bathroom so that the towels stayed soggy for the whole week. Also there wasn't enough seating and lighting in the living room for reading.
Surrounding Area:
Walking to San Gimignano, driving to the other hill towns, seeing the olive groves and vineyards.
Nearby Events or Locales:
San Gimignano was about a one hour walk away. We walked it once and it was a very pleasant trip.
Tips or Restaurants:
Bring salt, pepper and sugar as there is none in the house.
Directions:
The property is hard to find the first time but a directions from a previous renter on the website were helpful.
George , May
Overall:
Would recommend it to anyone who appreciates the beauty of the Tuscan countryside.
Enjoyed Most:
This property far exceeded our expectations. The staff has worked so hard to restore this fantastic place. It is soooooo beautiful. While 15 itself is not fancy, it's more than adequate and really very charming. Bedrooms are all good sizes and the kitchen had everything we needed. Best of all, our outside area was big and has a great view of the countryside. The pictures do not do it justice. This was the perfect compromise for a solo villa which allowed privacy and a place to get travel assistance from the staff. Plus, a great pool for afternoon dips.
Enjoyed Least:
No negatives
Surrounding Area:
Easy access to the highway and all the surrounding towns, San Gimignano, Siena, Chianti region, great tiny hilltop towns.
Nearby Events or Locales:
San Gimignano was not within walking distance but was a short car ride over the hills.
Tips or Restaurants:
Eat the meals offered at the Villa. They are really nice and the view is spectacular and the wines offered are fantastic. The owners have poured their hearts and souls into this place. We felt privileged to have experienced it. Ask them for suggestions on sightseeing. They know the area sooo well.
Directions:
Make sure you exit at Poggibonsi Nord; Sud will only confuse you. Just keep following the signs to San Gimignano until you get to the Pam, the large grocery store on the left. It may seem like you are just going in circles but just keep following the signs to SG. Then, go right at the Pam, following the SG signs and go through 5 roundabouts, some just partial ones. Once passed all the roundabouts, go about 1/2 mile on open road and look for the large terracotta colored arch for the road up the hill. The gravel road takes about 5 minutes to reach the property. It's clearly marked on the right so just keep going.
Allison, July