Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort Tuscany, Autograph Collection — Hotel in Monsummano Terme

We had a lovely stay at Grotto Giusti, not least of which was because we were able to use Bonvoy points as payment! This is a very lovely property, with gorgeous grounds including thermal pools, tennis court, and a spa, and a renovated charming mansion. We went in April which is not high season and the weather was in the 60sF so some of the facilities like the outdoor pool were not open. Although this hotel is rated 5 stars on most apps, I would not classify it as such, as much of the experience is not to that level of luxury & comfort, not close to W, Ritz Carlton, or St.Regis, and privacy is lacking given the spa is open for daily entry to the public. But the hotel is an extremely good value for the room price! Some of the best things about our stay included a nicely renovated room with all the amenities including a balcony with views of the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, room service, tv, mini-fridge, comfortable bed, and a small loveseat to throw our clothing on. My husband found this hotel because I love natural thermal springs, & this resort delivered on this promise! One can reach the huge spa/thermal facility through indoor pathways, although it seems like a hike at times from the room. There are nice lockers and changing rooms, and tons of lounge chairs with canopies & umbrellas, as well as a casual restaurant with snacks, light lunch, or a fresh coffee. The spa & gym were well equipped with multiple steam rooms, multiple saunas, and an abundance of indoor lounges, some in a hotel guest only area, many in an enclosed glass structure. We enjoyed buffet breakfast each morning in the lovely hotel restaurant Il Poeta which was included with our Platinum Bonvoy status, but was well beyond our expectations in choice & quality, with waiter service for coffees.

On the negative side, the room was tiny, with only 1 small closet for clothing, and no desk or sitting area. With so little space in the room, we might have spent some time in the Lobby, but felt it was stiff and unwelcoming lacking comfortable sofas or a fireplace to make it cozy. During our 5 night stay, we never ever once saw any other guest sitting here. Certain parts of the spa facility also felt cold in decor and more like a hospital. Despite website pictures showing the thermal pools illuminated at night, nothing was open after 6PM. All the thermal pools including the one in the gorgeous and newly renovated indoor circuit were lukewarm for our American taste, where we are used to hot tubs 100degreesF. Yah I get that the thermal springs are the temperature they are naturally and perhaps I sound like a stupid American, but I am just saying that there should also be a hot tub and cold plunge in the spa, rather then so many pools of same temp.

The hotel restaurant has a gorgeous old bar, and nice outdoor seating, but the hotel could do a better job of making this outdoor area more inviting with heat lamps or tables and sofa seating. During our stay, drinks, snacks, or meals were not offered in the unutilized seating area in front of the hotel.

The town Monsummano Terme, is 10 minutes down the road, but it lacked vibrance or charm, and we only had one meal there, choosing instead to drive to nearby Lucca (LOVE!) Montacatini Terme & Monsummano Alto, all a further drive which was sometimes a bummer. Some guests did arrive without a car, but we were very happy to have one so as not be trapped in the hotel which was boring at night. In sum, the property is very nice, but it has much more untapped potential to be more comfortable modern vibrant fun & luxurious. And slow broken elevators need to be fixed, so very annoying but at least the hotel only has...

I was really eager to try Grotta Giusti as I have heard many positive things about this "exclusive" spa in one of the areas of Tuscany that is best known for its thermal prowess. I've called Firenze home for 15+ years and I actually consult for travel so this was also a research visit for me.

For my 40th some friends purchased me the full journey experience so my husband and I took a day to go and experience this together and thus purchased the same package for him (145€ which is probably the most we've ever spent for a spa and that includes when we were living near Zurich in Switzerland).

Upon entering the reception area, the service was a bit scattered and not the friendliest which is surprising considering the luxury vibes this place would like to give off. A lot of minute attention to things like "did you bring a swim cap" (no) and what was included and not included. TBH for the price point, this shouldn't even really be a question. Also everything was written on a piece of paper which was required for us to take with us around different areas of the spa which is really strange. Most spas of this level have an electronic bracelet but no here you are meant to carry a piece of paper and hope it doesn't get wet to prove you paid for the grotto, and other areas of the spa that are not just the big outside pool.

The pool outside is quite large and there are plenty of umbrellas and chairs which was quite nice, the building looks like it could use a little extra love and the restaurant is very pricey and underwhelming. Cold panini and really uncomfortable aluminum chairs and just a setting that doesn't scream luxury spa experience. Perhaps the hotel itself is different?

We had access to the inside areas of the spa with a small internal pool, two saunas, two turkish baths and a relax area. To get there you needed a member of the staff to help you find it and was like going through a series of very random ASL type hospital corridors. When we got there we had the place to ourselves which was nice and the sauna was great but very small and the water that was available to drink in the area was warm (why?).

We tried to use the turkish bath/steam bath but both appeared not to be working and did not smell great. The internal pool was very warm but if I am totally honest, it did not appear clean, there was foam and sediment floating around with us like a third wheel.

We were excited to see the grotto and made an appointment in advance, to enter you are required to put on a special tunic (felt like I was getting baptized lol) and there is a path to visit different areas of the Grotto and simply just chill in silence. The grotto itself was beautiful and I was genuinely delighted to see it, but I didn't really "get" the experience. You just sort of wander around and snooze in your tunic and have a glance at the little lake and leave again. Anyway, we did and happy we did but it isn't something I would recommend.

The shower/changing area is quite old and not super well maintained and there is not a drop of soap or lotion to be found there except to wash your hands.

Honestly we had a full day pass but stayed until just after lunch. I was grateful that I went there with a voucher but the 145 we paid for my husband seemed wildly overpriced. I honestly don't get the value here knowing that there are so many incredible spas in Tuscany that offer so much more for a better price.

Sadly I would definitely not recommend this if you're looking for a top notch thermal spa experience in Tuscany and I hope they adjust their price points or improve services all around for day...

Gorgeous property with huge potential!! (Part one of two)

Let’s start off with the positives:

-absolutely stunning location- this boutique hotel sits in a quiet sleepy little Tuscan town, in the remote hills of Tuscany, but only 45mins-1hour away from Florence. -Very clean rooms, well taken care of property. The property had upscale vibes and matching interiors to the stunning exteriors. -Spa circuit is included: variety of saunas, indoor pool, outdoor thermal pools (although they were very crowded and open to the public!)

Negatives/ things that can be improved:

-Resort Activities- There is NOTHING to do at the resort. Yes, there is the spa, but how long can one sit in saunas and warm pools that are in full sun? Every other spa resort I have stayed at has a large variety of activities for the guests to participate in if they wish throughout the day/amenities. Things like lawn games, guided hikes, relaxing crafts, board games to use in the room, meditation/yoga/fitness classes, new hobbies to learn (stargazing, bird watching, photography, nature, etc), sunset hikes/view points, picnic baskets, to use to picnic out in the olive groves, etc. Literally nothing to do at the resort after you spent a couple hours at the spa. We booked three nights here, and we were ready to leave after 2nights & we checked in at 5pm the first day! Honestly one full night is more than enough, unless you have a car and are using this as a base to explore Tuscany!

-Resort Food- The resort food is of course way overpriced for sub-par food. The breakfast buffet did not look as nice as every other typical European buffet throughout the 5star properties in Italy & Europe- It seemed like something at a 3star hotel. There was not food available at all times either- we checked in at 5pm after a very long day of traveling, so of course we were hungry. We were told the pool bar serves food until 6pm, but they only had hamburgers and club sandwiches available, and the restaurant on property didn’t open until 7pm. The restaurant was not a super authentic Tuscan restaurant either. The food is very affordable and absolutely delicious out in town!!!

-Spa Showers- No private showers in the spa- not to sound high maintenance, but after a day at the spa, it’s nice to take a full shower, but they only had tiny tiny stall showers. There were not any amenities at the spa either like razors, qtips, cotton balls, shampoo, etc. They did provide slippers, robe, and pool cap (which must be worn while in spa pools- kind of a bummer since it gives you quite a headache- would be nice to have that info ahead of time so you can purchase one that fits better). -The Grotto- This was not included as part of the spa that’s included, which was very surprising considering the resort is completely based on the grotto. What makes this fall in the negative column is the fact that the spa would not show you what the grotto was like before you pay. Every other spa I have been to will show you their grotto before you purchase the admission. This was very frustrating and felt very deceiving. It would be nice to have little amenities here like scrub making, more water therapy circuits, hot stone chairs, a mud pool, etc. The spa was literally only a couple of pools & some saunas (some of which were out of order!) -Kids at the spa- as much as I love kids, I did not love them being at the spa. It made for a louder experience. I feel as though they should not be able to be in the spa area, or have certain kid-friendly hours if...