La Torre alle Tolfe — Restaurant in Siena

We booked a Classic Room (more expensive than the Standard) expecting a higher level of comfort. Unfortunately, we were given a room right above the staff entrance, and since there was no air conditioning, we had to leave the windows open, resulting in extreme noise late into the night and very early in the morning (starting before 6am). Frankly, this room should not be rented out in its current state.

The room itself was very outdated: faded pink fabric bed, worn out mattresses, an old fan and furnishings that clearly haven’t been refreshed in years. After complaining, we were moved twice and eventually ended up in a Standard Room, as no other Classic Rooms were available. While the Standard Room was fine, it was not what we had paid or hoped for. There was no help with transferring luggage, and no proactive thinking in terms of helping us. It really felt like our problem, even though the noise and room condition are entirely within the property's control.

In general, the stay was okay, but certainly not as impressive as some online websites/ reviews might suggest. The property has a lot of potential, but it's missing a true hospitality mindset. The small details make the difference and those were often lacking here.

Positives:

The on-site restaurant was good, and it’s a big plus that you don’t need to drive anywhere for dinner. However, the menu doesn’t change, and the cold cuts from breakfast reappear on the Tuscan cured meats and cheeses board. Stunning views and a large swimming pool Good communication via WhatsApp They make their own wine and have a small shop.

Negatives: Many rooms are outdated, some without AC. Broken lights, moldy showers, dirty shower curtains Old, cheap-looking sunbeds and parasols – many of which are dirty or damaged. Pool edges and surrounding areas need maintenance. Overgrown grass and weeds in some parts of the property Paying extra for water, coffee, or tea feels unnecessary, just add a couple of euros to the room rate and include it. It creates a much more welcoming feeling. Same breakfast every day, no variation, which is disappointing if you're staying multiple days. Small changes could go a long way in surprising and delighting guests.

In summary, it was an okay stay, but there are several areas that need serious attention. The property has charm and potential, but without improvements in comfort, service, and attention to detail, it’s at risk of becoming a worn-out...

I feel disheartened to have to give a lower review, firstly, the staff are really wonderful from check-in and reception, the lovely Marel always eager to help and make my stay welcoming and enjoyable. Sydney, Emily and Virginia ran the historical, animal and olive oil tours which were super fun! I met the owner herself, thank you Mania for transforming a family home to a wonderful space. What makes me upset is the treatment I received at the ristorante. They treated me like a second class citizen just bc I was a solo traveler. God forbid im on a self-healing journey and dont drink wine, looking for some respite on the country side - they always seated me in the back corner and wouldnt let me just choose where I wanted to sit. One evening for dinner, which I made reservations for, they sat me inside, even though there were empty available tables outside. The waitor rolled his eyes at me and with a very exasperated expression acquiesced to give me a table outside after I insisted to sit outside bc its too hot inside. Way to make someone feel like such an inconvenience, unworthy and unloved. You’d think you work hard and want to treat yourself to a vacation but people can still be mean. I actually didnt even eat lunch or dinner on my last day here to avoid the same boring and rude treatment. Why would you pay over $1000 to stay here and receive this type of treatment. I dont think it’s excusable to say you had changes in staffing/issues, allowing me to sit at any empty table is pretty basic first come first serve hospitality. Also, its the same menu for lunch and dinner. (UPDATED*) This agriturismo has a lot of potential but there is much room for improvement like. My room was above the kitchen and there was clanking of dishware well after midnight, no wifi in room but no mesh on all windows in common area they open for breeze, I was attacked by mosquitos and so uncomfortable all over my face as they got into my room from the living room. They do some events - I was lucky to attend a cool oyster and wine event when I was there. I wish they had some activity every evening - whether is movie projection on the torre, live music or band, pizza night, dancing under the stars, they had globe lights strung but never turned on. They didnt offer cooking class while I was there an no subsitute or suggestion to go to Siena town to do something. They provided me with a yoga mat and the pool...

We traveled here end of October. The room we chose had a large balcony, however no view of the tuscan hills as trees blocked our view. You are told only Wifi outside , we did not have service on the patio. The room is next to the kitchen so evening noise is loud as is a bright security light on patio. We booked the room also for a fireplace, we were told it was not working, front desk contacted the owner who declined giving us firewood. Furniture & decor is mismatched and not close to a tuscany experienece and minimal with common tile and basic decor. For example it is a vineyard and there are no wine glasses in the room, no fridge and when we asked for ice in the kitchen we were told "no", simple answer. We ate dinner one night with a swarm of fruit flies at our table. The exterior is beautiful with many places to sit but only during high season, I assume, and an outdoor restaurant, however everything outside was "shutdown", stacked, stored and it's still October a beautiful outdoor season in Italy. The pool was closed!!! No lounge chairs, nothing. BTW this was our third Tuscan hotel and the only one with a closed pool and closed outdoor areas/ seating; makes no sense with temps in the high 60's. The website does state that it is a family resort, and yes it was a very family friendly hotel with children running around screaming outside and through breakfeast. Children running everywhere unsupervised in the evening, pool/game room,;they ran the hotel. This is also hunting season so be aware of gun fire throughout the day, very close to the hotel as we experienced on our morning walk when two men above the road started shooting and we dropped to the ground, not a tranquil environment. As travelers we just want to be told ahead of time of your policies and change of amenities or house rules for what we have reserved so we can make our decision on whether or not we change our plans to suit our Tuscany experience. We believe your property could be really special but with quite a bit of room renovation, service training, property landscape mangement in appropriate areas and accurate communication of room photos with ammenity changes prior to arrival or prior to...