Villa Sassolini

Our stay at Villa Sassolini was very relaxing and the scenery is pretty much unrivalled, absolutely gorgeous. But as for getting out and about for the exploratory aspect of your holidays, I would definitely advise a car. We took a daytrip to Siena (only about an hour away) and there was so much to see and do there, well worth a visit. We never quite made it as far as the Prada outlet village, however, judging by reviews and a few whisperings around the hotel pool I don't think it's all its cracked up to be! One evening, we treated ourselves to a trip to Villa San Michele at 4 Via Doccia (+39 055 567 8200), near Florence. Whilst this meant saving up a few extra pennies (watch out, the food is VERY pricey) the view over the whole of Florence, not to mention the service, was absolutely stunning. We drove there ourselves and thus didn't top up the bill with alcohol, then drove back to the beautiful Villa Sassolini to finish the evening round the pool with a bottle of wine! Perfect!

If you are driving from Florence, take the scenic route via SR 222, it will take you three times as long as taking the motorway, but it's well worth it. Andrea the manager of Villa Sassolini really looked after us. We found it quite hard to leave the hotel on a few days, purely because of the stunning views, service, weather and pool. Our bedroom was tasteful, with ample wardrobe space for all my dresses and shoes! The breakfast, lunch and dinners were superb. So good we ate the same dish for two consecutive dinners and we didn't mind at all. With a short 45-minute drive to Siena, a day trip to the mediaeval town is well worth it. Avoid Montevarchi like the plague, it's just a industrial town with a train station, nothing more. But do drive the 30-minutes to Radda in Chianti, here we recommend Al Chiasso dei Portici Restaurant at 10 Chiasso dei Portici (+39 05 7773 8774) which serves tasty Tuscan cuisine and fantastic wine. The hotel can also arrange for wine-tasting in the neighbouring town of Gaiole in Chianti.

As a surprise my boyfriend, and now fiancé, took me to Villa Sassolini for a romantic weekend away. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend, from the VIP lounge at the airport to the fantastic views overlooking Tuscany from our suite in Villa Sassolini! We would both like to thank Mr and Mrs Smith for helping to make this the most magical engagement possible.

There are horse riding facilities are nearby but book well in advance in summer months. We were unable to make a reservation at short notice as the next reservation available was two weeks after we had returned home. Don't take a taxi from the hotel to one of the only two local restaurants on the day that the hotel one is closed. We were charged just short of €70 for a booked return journey which was onle a few km each way. The explanation given was that the driver has to drive all the way from the local town. It ended up costing about the same as the meal.

My girlfriend and I stayed at Villa Sassolini as part of our first trip away together. The Villa exceeded all of our expectations! Sassolini is situated in a beautiful part of Tuscany and was a great base for driving out and about in our hire car. The staff were warm and welcoming yet unintrusive. The room we stayed in was amazing and was very romantic (especially when the rain was pouring outside). The restaurant was closed on the Sunday evening we stayed there. However, rather than drive, or get a taxi to a nearby restaurant, we decided to have our own little picnic in the room. Right next to the Villa is a fantastic shop for the locals full of salamis, fresh breads and tomatoes. It made for a great evening with some fantastic local food at a very reasonable price!

It is a wonderful place in a beautiful location.

Villa Sassolini was wonderful. Everyone was so courteous and helpful, especially Andrea who did everything to ensure that our stay and activities were as stressfree as possible.
There are a number of outlets nearby, I believe that you already have mentioned the Prada one, but there is also The Mall, Leccio which is about 20 minutes away. This one is absolutely fantastic with about 30 different brands such as Pucci, Tods, Bottega Veneto, Sergio Rossi etc. It is on route from Villa Sassolini to Florence so worth stopping off if you are making that trip.
Also I have to mention the wine tasting/lunch at Poggio Molina. A beautiful setting, run by a charming Italian family. Once we had had an interesting tour of the cellars, we sat down to taste the five wines that had been selected. We were astounded by what followed. Setting anyway was amazing – a beautifully laid table for two in a huge room – and we happened to be the only ones for most of the meal. The food was incredible, simple, home-made and excellent. Salami and cheese, pesto tagliatelle, wild boar lasagne, followed by roast pork, green salad, peach tarte with amazing strawberries and all accompanied by some great wines. I believe that you can drink as much as you like but we did not realise and so were driving. I would recommend leaving car keys and going on an empty stomach! We will definitely return.

Although Villa Sassolini came highly recommended by Mr & Mrs Smith, I would like to add that the hotel is fantastic and so was our stay.

We had a great time, so relaxing and peaceful it was as if someone had turned the volume down. The hotel is just far enough away from anywhere else that you start to think you have made a wrong turn, but when you arrive you are treated to unrivalled hospitality and breathtaking views.

The room was superb, the decor fantastic and the food untraditional but excellent accompanied by a difficult choice from an extensive wine cellar.

All in all, we couldn't have asked for more.

Thanks very much.