First, I'd like to say that this site has been an invaluable resource of information for my forthcoming trip to Italy!

I'm stumped on two things at this point, however:

Rome Hotel Choices:
- Del Senato (is a standard double REALLY worth it?)
- Hotel Smeraldo
- All'Orologio B&B
- Hotel Teatro di Pompeo
- Canali Al Coronari

Tuscany Hotel Choices:
- Palazzo del Capitano
- Le Traverse B&B
- Any other suggestions? I'm looking to stay around Montalcino.

Does anyone have any preference for any of the ones I've mentioned? Any stories? I've read a lot of what's been posted here and at TripAdvisor.com so I'm just looking for some 'final confirmation'. Thanks!

have you searched on this website for comments about these hotels yet? You can do that by typing the hotel name in the search field. Also, do the same on www.tripadvisor.com and you'll find recent reviews from average folks.

Yes I searched this website and Tripadvisor and have gotten some great feedback. I was just looking for some final suggestions before I book...some of the comments I read were years/months old and wanted to get some current info!

Hi. We stayed at the Hotel Il Giglio in Montalcino for 5 days. It is right on the main street and handy to everything.

We had room #1 which was quite nice - large bathroom with marble shower, great outdoor terrace/balcony off the bedroom. The views were awesome.

The restaurant is very good- service & food excellent.

We had looked at a lot of other choices but were very happy with the Il Giglio.

Hope you have a great trip.

We (three of us) stayed in a spacious two-floor apartment in a villa just down the hill from Montalcino. We were there for a week and having a kitchen was quite handy. It was very quiet and very scenic...

http://www.larasina.it

Hi, I've only stayed at the Del Senato. I have no idea what the other hotels are charging, but assuming they're all well-located and well-reviewed on tripadvisor and they're less costly, then I'd say the Del Senato is NOT worth it.

I really enjoyed the Del Senato and would stay there again, but there are many nice hotels in Rome, right?

We stayed for four nights at Palazzo del Capitano in St. Quirico d'Orcia a few weeks ago. Simply the best hotel experience we have had in 13 trips to Europe. Great price (150 euros a night), room was terrific, garden was spectacular (nice spot for a late afternoon or early evening bottle or two of vino), front desk people were wonderful, plus they have a good restaurant for dinner and their breakfast room is charming. It was the perfect home for exploring the beautiful Tuscan countryside.

Hi C,

I also stayed at the Il Giglio just last month and was very happy with it. My room didn't have a terrace, but it did have a great view! Big bath, good bed, helpful owners. Great location. I loved Montalcino!

Buon viaggio!

Just another vote for the Il Giglio. Lovely room and view..Delicious restaurants in town too!

I will also chime in to say we just stayed 3 days at Il Giglio and loved it. Very nice, great views, right in the middle of Montalcino, very helpful staff. While you're going there, book a wine tasting at Altesino Winery. Wonderful tasting for 12 Euros with pecorino romano cheese, bread, prosciuto, and nice tour. It's about 15 minutes from Montalcino.
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Not many hotels can beat the location of the Del Senato. I loved it this past July and had a room with a balcony overlooking the Pantheon square.

We are headed to Italy next June and considered the Smeraldo. However, it is my understanding that if you cancel at any time, they charge your credit card for the first night. You don't say when your trip is, but since our trip is so far off, we didn't want to risk losing so much. (Also, we were reserving two rooms--even more to lose).

We made reservations for the Palazzo del Capitano based on the reviews on this site and think it may be a highlight of the trip.

It was a few years ago that we visited San Quirico d'Orcia, but it was a small town and quiet. Not many restaurants from the look of it. I prefer a town with several restaurant choices.

Next time I go to that area, I'd stay in Pienza, a livelier town. The hotel Il Chiostro there looked good.

Both these towns are good bases for a driving tour of southern Tuscany. They're easier to get in and out of than central Montepulciano and Montalcino.

We stayed at Del Senato this past May and I've booked it again for this May. While it is very expensive by our standards, the location, view, and service were wonderful. We've stayed at 2 other hotels in Rome - the first was a disaster, the second (Hotel Barberini) was very nice but without the perfect location and didn't save us that much money. Hope this helps...as far as Tuscany is concerned, do you want to stay in one of the cities? If you want to be in the countryside we've stayed at Locanda dell Amorosa and La Saracina and can highly recommend both - they're magical. Happy travels!