LBI09

Hi! One more Italy honeymoon question. (But probably not the last!)

We are planning to stay two nights in Siena and two nights in Montalcino on our October honeymoon.

We will have a car, but we are looking for hotels that are well-located so we can simply walk at night for dinner and drinks. We want to be able to drink as much delicious Italian wine as possible without worry!

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

tower

LB


we favor the Hotel Santa Caterina just outside the south gate (Porto Romana) in Siena...it's a lovely 18th century building with a gorgeous back terrace overlooking the valley below....there is parking, and it's a comfortable (flat) walk into the heart of the city (probably ten minutes, so no need to drive in)..the walk will do you good and help digest the wine)

http://tiny.cc/2rqVu (click on hotel pix)

bobthenavigator

Stu has a good suggestion for Siena, but I would stay in one hotel for all 4 nites. My choice would be Palazzo del Capitano in San Quirico--which Stu knows very well. It is :15 from Montalcino and :45 from Siena---the location is perfect for day trips.

shellio

In Siena, the Palazzo Ravizza is perfectly located only a few minutes walk from the cathedral and the square, offers parking and has a lovely garden terrace.

maitaitom

I second both Palazzo del Capitano and Palazzo Ravizza. We have stayed at both hotels and liked them very much.

Henry

LB109,
You don't say what you are looking for.
In Siena I think the Grand Hotel Continental and the Cannon d'Oro have great locations inside the walls. The Cannon d'Oro doesn't have parking but is a third the price of the Continental.
In Montalcino it hardly matters since you can walk from one side of town to the other in under 10 minutes. Take a look at Il Giglio.

Henry

tower

always hard to argue with Bob the Navigator' suggestion...we usually agree spot on...SQ would be a very good choice if you heed the advice to stay in one place rather than two...Capitano, excellent .

stu t.

LBI09

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm excited to research them all asap!

Sorry, should have been more descriptive about what we're looking for...primarily location where we can wander about and just relax. Looking for nice but not overly luxurious, and always prefer a hotel/inn with character! Not entirely sure what the going rates are, but hoping to be in the $200 range?

Thanks!
LBI

tower

LB


If you are still thinking of staying only in Siena, todays published rates for Santa Caterina are €159 $(about $209)..

stu

cruiseluv

Stu,

I am considering Santa Caterina for a stay in Siena while I attend a language school. I read somewhere that there are no sidewalks on part of the road where you have to walk from the hotel to town? Also, is it a problem to walk back at night?

Thank you for any additional info!

tower

Hi CruiseLuv:

The hotel is just about 50 yards (or a bit more) from the city gate (Porto Romana). We walked into town every day during our stay and had no problems at all. At night...yes, we strolled back to S. Caterina each evening, sometimes late, and people are out and about all the way. Never had an anxious moment.

By the way, the hotel has some rooms with great view over the valley...but if I recall, the one we had was on one level (good size) and the bed level was just above it with a little staircase..very high ceilings. Ask about it....we did not find it to be any problem. We had a car, and the parking out back is very tight..but I don't imagine you'll have one during your stay.

The feature we throughly enjoyed, which I'm sure will appeal to you, is the lovely terrace in back where buffet breakfast is served, with smashing views of the surrounding valley below.
All in all, the SC is a very good value for the rate.

Enjoy your language school, CrusieLuv..

stu tower

bfrac

bookmarking

cruiseluv

Thank You Stu, you have been very helpful!

bniemand

Another vote for Palazzo Ravizza in Siena. Great location inside the walls, has the character I think you're looking for and it's easy to walk to many restaurants at night. We used it as our base for touring Tuscany in May 2006. We rented a car, and the hotel has a free car park. Easy to get in and out of Siena each day to go on visits to other towns. Beautiful gardens in the back overlooking the surrounding hills.

caroltis

Definitely pick one place to stay.

TNTX

We stayed 2 nights in Siena and 2 nights in Montalcino because we wanted to be able to walk back to the hotel after a wonderful meal and maybe a bit too much wine for narrow, unfamiliar roads!

It worked well for us, but then we are very light packers


We stayed at www.vecchiaoliviera.com/ing/ing.htm - in Montalcino and enjoyed it. And had one of our best meals of our entire 2 week Italy adventure at Grappolo Blu.

naples7

Sounds commercial but ... KarenBrown.com has excellent, well-researched locations in Italy. Good B&B's for a different experience.

panecott

I can't argue with the Palazzo Ravizza - I never stayed there but I know people who have and loved it, and I've dropped in and found it to be quite lovely - but I can also heartily recommend the Santa Caterina.

Just be sure to request a room facing the countryside. The ones facing the road will be noisy and have no view.

The garden, where you can have breakfast, or a drink in the afternoon or evening, or just relax, is a little paradise.

I had no problems walking between the hotel and the city. There is definitely a sidewalk from the hotel to the Porta Romana. After that you are in the town of Siena, and there are people walking all over. No problem at all.

panecott

P.S. In Montalcino, I stayed at Il Capitano. It's at the edge of town, where you can park, and has beautiful views of the valley. I can't recall for sure, but I think some rooms had little balconies. Again, just be sure to ask for a room with a view. It also has a little swimming pool.

Both Il Capitano and Santa Caterino serve wonderful buffet breakfasts.

panecott

Sorry, I misspoke. The hotel in Montalcino is Dei Capitani, not Il Capitano.