Castello Banfi - Il Borgo — Hotel in Montalcino

As a longtime guest of Relais & Châteaux properties, I’ve come to trust the brand for consistently exceptional service in some of the world’s most inspiring locations. I specifically chose Castello di Banfi for its association with the Relais & Châteaux five-star promise, Banfi’s globally recognized brand, and a price point that signaled an unsurpassed experience not to be missed. Sadly, our recent stay fell far short of that standard—and we were deeply disappointed to be wrong.| |There is no denying the stunning beauty of the property or the charm of the Tuscan setting. The cooking class with Giacomo and wine tasting with Bernadette were highlights—authentic, personal, and truly memorable.| |Unfortunately, the service throughout our stay was inconsistent at best and at times nonexistent. Turn-down service was spotty, and breakfast and dinner at La Taverna were marred by slow, chaotic, and disorganized service. Evenings were especially poor, with no staff presence and only a non–English-speaking front desk clerk available. The winery tours arranged by the hotel were uninspired and did not showcase the richness of Tuscan wine culture.| |The hotel’s lack of casual evening dining options was particularly frustrating. With La Taverna closing one night per week and no alternative bar or terrace dining available, room service was our only option—and even that failed due to miscommunications with staff. We ultimately went without dinner that night, which is simply unacceptable for a high-end resort. There is a Michelin-rated restaurant that the hotel attempted to direct us to, but given the multitude of service issues we experienced throughout our stay, we had little confidence that this recommendation would deliver expected standards.| |Most troubling was the hotel’s response to our concerns. Staff appeared flustered and defensive, and no real effort was made to resolve the issues while we were there. This created stress during what should have been a relaxing and indulgent stay.| |I subsequently I raised these concerns directly with Relais & Châteaux, expecting at least an acknowledgment of the serious service gaps we experienced. Unfortunately, their response was equally disappointing and disheartening—lacking any meaningful recognition of the issues, accountability for the brand’s standards or indication they would take corrective steps.| |To be clear, this was a major trip for us—one that involved considerable planning and expense. We left feeling disappointed and shortchanged. These were precious days we won’t get back, and the service failures at Castello di Banfi are a lasting regret.| |In summary: Castello di Banfi is a visually stunning property, but beauty alone cannot make up for a lack of hospitality, service, and care—especially at this price point. It does not function as a full-service hotel, nor does it meet the expectations of a true five-star experience. Guests expecting attentive service, thoughtful dining options, and polished hospitality will likely be disappointed. Fortunately, Tuscany offers many other luxury properties that deliver on both charm and world-class service—many of which are far better...

From check in to check out our stay was spectacular. Silvia made our arrival very warm and effortless. She helped us out on any request with such ease as she was so wonderful to work with. Alda got us a reservation at a restaurant in the town of Montalcino after much persistence. She also was beyond nice to take an obscene number of photos on the grounds for our Christmas picture. She has a great eye, and we thank you so very much. Giorgi kept our room in such good shape every day and I never her saw her without a huge smile on her face. She was so so nice too! Giovanna and Marika started our day off at breakfast. They were both so very nice and always looking to assist us. We loved waking up every day with them! Lisa was so helpful when shipping wine and Olive Oil back to the States. She was so pleasant to talk to and really enjoyed having aperitivo with her one night before dinner. Niccolo took care of us at the Taverna with grace and elegance! He is a true professional with a great sense of humor. (Niccolo, I didn't forget the Polo Banfi shirt either) Last but certainly not least, Domenico Francone couldn't have been more gracious with his time discussing the dishes he is making and really giving us his little secrets on how things should be prepared. He also took the time to take photos with us before we had dinner with him and his team. We had a 5-star tasting menu that was not only delicious but could have been a piece of Art at the Uffizzi Gallery! Elegance personified Domenico! Well done my friend. Yes, he may be a top Michelin Star chef, but he is an even better human being! We took so many wonderful memories back to Florence that week! Castello Banfi Il Borgo is a spectacular property, but we would return because of the wonderful people we spent our time with this past August. They are the real reason we would return!! Grazie Mille...

We did the winery tour, lunch and wine tasting. The tour portion was okay. I think we had around 14 people or more which was too big of a group in my opinion. Most winery tours that I have done are smaller groups of 6 or less which make the experience more engaging as you can ask more questions.

The lunch is a fixed menu which I found to be very disappointing, because I didn't like the selected dishes. You don't know the menu when you book the experience in advance either. This was also the most expensive part of the experience, so I felt like we paid a premium for food that we didn't even like. They did offer to provide alternatives for people with allergies or dietary restrictions, but it was a bit of a mystery what you would get.

Lastly, there isn't a guided wine tasting experience. They do provide you with the option to get 3 or 4 wines to pair with your food, but all they tell you is the name of the wine and that was it. I would have preferred a more traditional wine tasting experience where the host goes over each wine in detail.

For two of us, it cost just over $300 USD. I do a lot of wine tasting and this was a big disappointment for us. It was especially disappointing that the huge price tag doesn't even include a glass of their most famous Brunello di Montalcino the Poggio All'oro 2016 which is currently priced at 190...