http://www.la-bandita.com/

It will be opening this summer according to the owner and will have airconditioning and screens!

I see the beds are queen size- I wonder if this means American queens or Italian queens which seem to be bigger.

Have any fodorites driven near the property? The photos look wonderful.

Calville,

This constant plugging is starting to get annoying.

Dayle- I can see your point but I am genuinely interested and intrigued with La Bandita. Also, the owner has given some helpful info on other threads.

I know the fodor policy is not to advertise which is correct but I do seem to see alot of references to fodorites that have travel businesses on the side, villas or apts to rent etc.
There might even be some people who fantasize about starting a business similar to his.
I'd like to hear about the entire construction process and dealing with the village council but won't ask- that might really irritate some people.

Hello calville, I too have thought the la-bandita looks lovely and I certainly wish them well.

But rather then ask here I would ask the owners of la-bandita your question regarding the size of their queen size beds. Only they would know.

jvoigtm- if it's not too late to change your mattress order, you might want to consider adding some king size beds.

I'm having difficulty finding kings in Montepulciano and Pienza.

You've mentioned Villa Bordoni in Greve in Chianti in another posting- their rates are similar to yours. All of their beds are kings except for a few in the lowest category.

Hi Calville
The mattress size is an interesting issue, which we debately quite heavily before going with queen size beds. Here in Italy king size beds are very rare and expensive, especially in the countryside (most beds, even in luxury properties are usually two twin beds put together and made up as one bed).

We designed some elegant and contemporary bed frames, and had them made by a famous terracotta company in Imprenuta outside of Florence where the best Italian terracotta comes from. Ultimately, we felt the queen size fit the overall design, provided us more flexibility and opened up the rooms to be more airy and comfortable.

I'm hoping that won't be a deal breaker, especially considering the other many other positive aspects that we invested heavily in (like air conditioning!).

I'm pretty sure I slept in a queen when I was at Villa Bordoni, but I loved the property so much, I never even noticed.

Just to be clear, I have no relationship with Calville.



I hope my posts elsewhere haven't annoyed anyone. I understand Dayle's point, but I have only posted a handful of time. I've been very open about my position as a hotel owner, and only responded with information on La Bandita when it seemed it would be helpful. Also, as a well traveled american living in Tuscany, I have the unique opprtunity to help answer some questions put by Fodor travelers. I sometimes recommend competitive properties when it seems appropriate and have posted replies when I had information to share, even when it has nothing to do with my own property.

But I'll back off if people are annoyed.

It's not so much that you are annoying anyone. You agreed to a contract with Fodor's when you signed up for this Forum. You may not have read it as most people scroll through and click on the "I agree with the terms and conditions". These conditions state that there is no personal advertising on the board.

jvoigtm- thanks for responding.

I started a thread on this topic last yr entitled "European bed mysteries."

How many cms are your mattesses? In the Veneto a few yrs ago the Italian queens we encountered seemed slightly larger than American queens and were just one mattress. They seemed big enough.

This is an important topic to me- we are big, tall people and don't sleep comfortably in a small bed. I know most Americans prefer a king size bed when traveling. I know of few American hotels except for B & Bs that offer one queen.

Also, as you age there are more sleep disruptions.

I was told at a popular, luxury inn outside of Pienza that all the beds were queen but have since communicated directly with a fodorite who said the bed in their particualr room was most definitely a double/full.

It's confusing when trying to research hotels to get conflicting information. Kind of reminds me of our Swiss trip last summer- I was told with certainty that two hotels had a/c but it never functioned properly and provided little cooling (including a 5 star hotel). I don't think the hotels were deliberately trying to mislead me, the European mindset is different when it comes to beds and air conditioning.

Did the electrician ever come? I'm looking forward to seeing the completed rooms on your website.

I'm thinking you might want to de-emphasize being American owned and operated- for those wanting an "authentic Italian experience."
I would talk up your Italian employees- especially females- on your website. LOL sorry about all the unsolicited advice.
I appreciate the info you have shared so far on other postings. What are your favorite restaurants in Tuscany?

Do you have any favorite spots to visit in Umbria within an hour or 1 1/2 hr of Pienza?

Those terra cotta bedframes sound lovely

PS- What do the Italians call their queen beds? Double? Matrimonial?

How do you refer to a king size bed in Italian?

Is there consistency among Italian mattress manufacturers as far as dimensions?

What's an American full/double called?

Thanks again for being so generous with your time and info jvoigtm and revealing "insider secrets."

Calville--I'd love to answer all your questions...there are definitely difference between bed sizes in Europe and America, and maybe even between Italy and the rest of Europe. We found that an Italian "Queen" (170cmx190) was pretty standard and provided ample room. An American "king" is ridiculous enormous by Italian standards and meant custom making linens, not to mention redesigning our rooms!

If there is anything else you want to know, just let me know. We're a month away from opening La Bandita!

jvoigtm- thanks for posting exact dimensions. We found the Italian queens to be roomy enough a few yrs ago 170 vs 152cm American. They are shorter though-the same length as an American full/dbl
but were OK for us.
Are they called matrimonials?
The reason I ask is I want to clarify the size at one of our locations- I'm worried it may only be a double/full.
Can you tell me what dbl/fulls are called in Italian?
Thank you!
I'm going to check out your website for updated photos.

Nice writeup of this property in Vanity Fair this month...