Villa Campestri — Hotel in Vicchio

Still figuring things out...

We stayed at the newly renovated Podere di Moiata two weeks ago and it was a bit of a disaster. When we arrived, they couldn't seem to figure out which room we were in. We had to wait 30-45 minutes before we could get into our room. Fortunately, our friends had checked in a few days earlier and we could use their toilet and escape the heat in their room.

Our room was one of two off of a common area with "kitchen" and dining room which we were told we were not supposed to use even though our room (unlike our friend's room) did not have a fridge, wine opener or coffee machine. The air conditioning in our room or didn't really work. Granted, it was very hot during the day (mid to high 30's C) but the room temperature never got below 27 C despite running the AC at full blast through the night. After barely sleeping the first night, we complained to the front desk. They apparently checked it, said it was working just fine, and said that we shouldn't expect much from AC in this kind of heat. Offering a fan would have been nice. We would have been happy to open the windows at bedtime since the outside air cooled to ~20 C overnight but there are no screens on the windows and no shades or curtains - just shutters that must open when the windows open. So had we left the windows open we would have been devoured by mosquitoes and woken at 6am by the sunrise.

The restaurant...We ate there the first night - the only night we would eat there. The food was good, albeit overpriced but we were seated at ~20:15 and didn't even get table service (i.e. bread or drinks order) for at least an hour. Our food arrived around 22:15-22:30. Thank goodness we had brought our own bottle of wine which we opened by hunting for a wine opener and opening ourselves. They were seriously understaffed. I understand that service industry staffing is a problem for almost everyone but if you know you're only going to have one waiter + one runner, don't seat all the tables in the restaurant.

Our friends accidentally left their key card in their room one day - something quite likely to happen since they only give you one and you have to insert the key card in a wall receptacle to turn on the lights, charge your phone, etc. It was quite an adventure for them to get back into their room. The receptionist apparently couldn't make them a new key card. After asking around and getting no help, she offered to loan them her master key card which we swore to return immediately. It was funny how high-tech they've tried to make this place, which is great except when the technology doesn't really work (see electric gate comment below).

Oh, and our friends had the audacity to park their car one night in the upper parking area closer to the rooms. They were welcomed the next day by a curt note (all caps, lots of exclamation points) on their windshield instructing them not to park there. There are no signs whatsoever about no parking areas and its the same surface as the connected lower area. One would naturally assume that parking there was ok and others had parked there too. This was kind of a recurring theme of our stay - service with an attitude. You sensed that the staff were not treated well, knew that site operations was a mess, and didn't like working there.

I suspect it may have been different had we stayed in the main accommodation at Villa Campestri. Communication and access to amenities is complicated by Podere being a 15 minute walk or 5 minute drive from reception, which is complicated by a pointless electric gate that requires you to get out of your car and reach around a column to push a red button to open it whether entering or exiting.

In short,...

UPDATE - Tried charging us 100 Euro - a week after we left, and after this review - accusing our dog of "staining" a blanket. Did not provide any evidence. Save your money and don't stay here if you have a dog. While the villas are beautiful they aren’t necessarily the most practical. As mentioned in other reviews there is no air conditioning so while we are used to this it did have an impact on the quality of sleep - just something for future guests to keep in mind if this is something that’s important.

The classic furniture adds a nice touch to the atmosphere but the bed was very uncomfortable. We couldn’t move or even sit on the bed without it squeaking and knocking against the wall. Since the mattress was sitting on top of a wooden board (rather than a box spring or slats) it just wasn’t as comfortable as maybe it could have been. In this way I would say referring to the villa as a “resort” is a bit of stretch.

No complimentary water or coffee or other beverages in the room.

While it’s a great place for a dog - it comes at a cost. At other places throughout Italy we would pay 5-10 euros per night for a fee so we are definitely used to this. Here it’s 20 euros a night - however unlike the other hotels they do not equip the dog with bowls or a bed which was a shame and a missed opportunity to make guests feel special. So in the end it’s more with less dog-friendly amenities.

Since the villa is situated on an olive oil farm we decided to sign up for the olive oil tasting “experience”. It’s 50 euros per person - which was not what I would say the experience is worth. During the “tasting” we only had two olive oils to smell and sip - one from their farm and the other from Spain. The lecture seemed to lack structure and often we were the ones asked what we wanted to know more about, guiding the discussion - which was hard for us to navigate considering we were coming in with 0 knowledge. It was just my husband and I participating so maybe it could have been a different experience had other guests joined. The owner was obviously very kind and knowledgeable about olive oil and we did have a good a conversation around the topic. You can tell it’s a subject he’s truly passionate about which is a pleasure to see.

However we left with a bit of a sour taste due to the expectations we had of the tasting. Before booking we watched the video on the website. So we were expecting something similar (which in our minds would also justify the cost) - In our version we were just told what kind of food some oil should go with but it would have made the experience much more memorable to be able to have samples of food to taste the oil with )as featured in the video on their website), along with more than just two...

Severely disappointed in the customer service.

We booked the private villa via Airbnb.

Pros: • Serene villa and beautiful, peaceful setting • Stunning views of Vicchio • Gorgeous interior design of the rooms • Some bathrooms include hammams and saunas

Cons: Unfair charges: At checkout, one of our guests was forced to pay €145 for a massage that was clearly listed and confirmed in writing at €80. When we raised this, the staff repeatedly said, “I don’t care.” This made our guest cry and was extremely unfair. Aggressive behavior: Staff slammed the reception door in our faces during checkout. No hot water: We had no hot water for a full day. Messages to the owner were ignored until I personally went to the concierge. Towel charges: Fresh towels cost €20 for just 2 small and 2 large towels. On top of that, the Airbnb listing confirmed there was a washer and dryer—which was false. When I brought this up, the owner dismissed it, blaming the “management company.” Catering confusion: Before booking, I asked for catering recommendations and was referred to a chef. Upon arrival, the owners said, “You needed our permission!” even though we used the chef they themselves recommended. AC issues: The AC did not function properly in the main dining/kitchen area if the outside temperature was cooler. This was never communicated and made mealtimes very uncomfortable. Room key problems: Two room key cards repeatedly failed to work. In addition, there was only one card provided per room instead of one per guest. This caused major inconveniences, as some guests couldn’t access their rooms during workshops. Missing basics: The kitchen had no bowls and no vase. Restricted access: We were told we would have full access to the villa, but the meditation hallway was locked. To make matters worse, strangers were brought into the property for massages, despite us being told the estate was fully private. Misleading photos: The Airbnb listing showed a large outdoor dining table. On arrival, tables were scattered around the property. The owner told us to move them ourselves, and staff refused to help. We eventually managed it ourselves and had to tip a cleaner who assisted.

Overall, the villa itself is stunning, but the owners’ hostility and unprofessionalism ruined what should have been a peaceful retreat. It’s truly unfortunate — this property has incredible potential, but until the ownership changes, I would not recommend...