Castello di Spaltenna — Hotel in Gaiole in Chianti

Castello di Spaltenna was truly paradise! It is located in Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany. Originally, back in the 12th century, this was a monastery.

Our room was very spacious and impeccably clean. There was more than enough closet space, the bed was very comfortable and the bathroom was very big. The views from our room, as well as all the grounds, were absolutely breathtaking. The pictures do not do it justice. It is that beautiful!

The service and attention were excellent. Everyone was very welcoming, friendly, and very eager to help with questions or anything we needed. Ms Celeste and Jemma (my apologies if I misspelled) were so kind and gracious and made our stay extra special.

Breakfast was included, and it is located on the terrace, overlooking the gorgeous hills and vineyards that surround the hotel. Everything they served was excellent, and there was a variety of food. They also serve lunch in the same area, not included, and it is also delicious.

There is an awesome infinity pool with sun-beds, umbrellas, and some surrounding trees that provide plenty of shady areas to keep cool and enjoy the beauty of Tuscan nature. There is also an indoor heated pool, which is definitely nice if you are there when the weather is not quite warm enough for an outdoor pool. There is also a very nice spa where you can book all types of great, relaxing services. You get an hour of complimentary spa time, which you need to book with some time in advance.

For dinner, there are 2 on-site options. L'Osteria offers a casual dining experience, and they serve typical dishes from the region. The food was so delicious and the service was excellent. The second restaurant, Il Pievano, is a 5-star Michelin restaurant. We did not get the chance to dine there as we loved taking strolls into the town to dine where the locals go.

I did not include the kid friendly category in my review as we were there at the end of May, so there weren't any family with children at the time. But judging from the all around excellent experience, I am sure it is a great place for families with kids.

For transportation, you definitely need to either rent a car or book a car service. If you plan on staying in the area, the main town area is close in walking distance.

We look forward to going back. We highly recommend Castello...

We stayed at Castello di Spaltenna in Chianti during our honeymoon and, unfortunately, the experience was disappointing overall. I had reserved far in advance and noted it was a special trip, but upon arrival (later in the evening) we were taken to a very odd room located upstairs in what felt like an attic. While it did have a nice balcony, the rest of the space was dark and uninviting, with only a few small skylights providing light. The shower had no window or lighting, and there was an awkward sitting area with a long couch and table—no decor, pillows, or warmth. There was also a small second “bedroom” with a daybed that seemed unnecessary and unfinished.||The main bedroom itself was fine but did not resemble the photos on the website. I understand the property is a converted historic building, but the decor was subpar and lacked the charm and romance we expected. We had booked one of their mid-level rooms that advertised two sinks, yet ours had only one. It was late when we arrived, so the hotel could not move us until the following day, which we appreciated—but they initially seemed dismissive of our concerns, saying the room was “big,” as if that made up for the lack of ambiance.||We had dinner that night at the Osteria, which was mediocre, and the whole situation left a poor first impression. The staff did not offer any compensation for the inconvenience, and my husband had to ask for a small adjustment to our bill, which ended up being about €75 off—barely reflective of the frustration and lost night.||The room we moved to the next day, however, was beautiful. It had lovely views, double sinks, a shower with natural light and dual shower heads, and thoughtful amenities like a mini fridge that had been missing from the first room. The grounds of the hotel are stunning, with sweeping views of Chianti and a gorgeous pool area. The location is also excellent—very central and close to a charming town down the hill with great restaurants.||Overall, while the setting is undeniably beautiful, our experience did not match the high expectations we had based on the website and reviews. Better communication, consistency in room quality, and more genuine hospitality would have gone a long way toward...

A solid 4 stars earned. The staff is outstanding, the grounds are manicured, and the overall vibe is complete relaxation. And importantly, the ability to walk easily into Gaioli is a boon — there are good restaurants in town (Osteria al Ponte!) that are a nice break from the on-site restaurants.

Speaking of which, here are my tips, which I cannot impress strongly enough on you, the reader: SKIP THE MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANT. You can read my review of it on Google Maps. It was, in my view, a complete waste of €400. The food is surprisingly bad. Really bad. A frustrating experience, to say the least. DO eat at the other on-site restaurant (“L’Osteria”, I believe) for dinner, where we were served on the terrace. The food was excellent! Be prepared: all on-site food and drink is extraordinarily expensive. It’s a shame. Wine was €40-ish for the most basic bottle of red, a glass of rosé by the pool is €14 each. Those prices are not justified, in my opinion, but I understand why the hotel might make this choice. (And yes, we just ended up buying wine in town and bringing it back to the room to get around these prices, but again, that feels like a shame on a vineyard. I wanted to drink their wine — but not at those prices.)

The rooms are good. Not amazing, but good. A little dated, but hey, I don’t mind that at all. Our room had a little terrace area which we used repeatedly, with stunning views of the surrounding hills. The shower was lovely too, with great water pressure (a rarity!).

Overall, as a honeymoon destination, this was a lovely retreat for us. Was it perfect? No, not perfect — too expensive for what it delivers. But if you know what you’re getting into, I would absolutely recommend it. (Worth mentioning: we didn’t want to rent a car, so we took the train from Rome To Montevarchi-Terranuova and then hired a private taxi at €70 to take us to the property.)

And I’ll close by one more time thanking the staff, who really all were marvelous, especially our waitress from the Dominican Republic and the (sorry for this description) bald and...