Siena hotel advice
 

Hello,

I've spent quite a bit of time reading old threads about Siena hotels but have not seen some of our specifics addressed... hence this post seeking advice.

In early June, my husband and I, our then 19-month old son, and my parents plan to spend 4 or 5 nights in Siena. We hope to see Siena sights/museums in the morning each day and then daytrip to other nearby sights in the afternoons after our son's midday nap. Because at least some of us, most likely just me and my son, will need to return to the hotel for naptime, we are seeking a hotel that is centrally located (i.e., easily walkable to the main sightseeing areas of town). As we will have a car, we need a place with parking. Other requirements include A/C and single story rooms. I love the idea of the room with an in-room loft that it sounds like a few hotels offer, but don't think a staircase in the room mixes very well with a 19 month old :-). An elevator would be a plus as well - I'm normally a fan of taking the stairs but it is admittedly more difficult with a stroller in one hand and a little one lacking good balance holding the other hand. Finally, it would be a big plus if the room isn't extremely noisy as that makes it difficult to get an excited child down for a nap. We travel with a small white noise machine which helps with the noise but won't suffice if it sounds like Vespas are in the room next door ;-).

Our budget can stretch to 160E-ish per night but we would of course welcome suggestions that are less expensive than that. We're very interested in renting an apartment instead of booking a hotel, but most of the ones I have found require a full week's stay. Please feel free to let me know of any apartments you recommend that accept shorter stays!

Many thanks for all advice,
TA

P.S. Our son will be sharing a room with us but will sleep in his own travel crib, so we don't need a triple room.

Hotel Palazzo di Valli a couple of hundred yards from center
18th Century Villa at great prices
www.booking.com my fav many other options
with a nice map

Hi qwo,

The Palazzo di Valli sounds wonderful - thank you so much!

The parking and day tips will be your issue---Siena is not easy to access. I see 2 options---either stay outside of Siena or stay at the outer rim. The Hotel Santa Caterina is lovely and is located just outside the Porto Romana gate---and has parking. It is a :15 walk to Il Campo---I doubt if you get closer with good parking.

Hi Bob,
Thank you for your thoughts. We are definitely open to shortening our stay in Siena if it isn't a very convenient base for daytripping. The thing it seems to offer is plenty to see for several half-days and a central enough location for seeing other things in the afternoons. I know it isn't the most efficient way to sightsee but that midday nap is really important for my son and we don't mind going at a slower pace. Also, with a young child, we have found it isn't easy to change hotels frequently nor go for long drives every day to get to places :-). Anyway, if you know of other towns that might be a better base, please feel free to offer suggestions!

Staying in the old town will not be convenient for parking as most apartments/hotels will not have it. The old town is very hilly and will be challenging with a stroller.

I'm not sure what time you plan your day trips, but would think mornings would be better.

You are not allowed to drive in the center of Siena. Most hotels can inform the police of your license number so you don't get a ticket, but that is only valid for the day you are dropping off or picking up luggage, not for day trips.

Have you tried vrbo.com or homeaway.com (HQ Austin, TX on 6th St.). We used both and very happy with the apts.

It depends on what you want to see and how long you will want to drive. Tuscany is quite large. I know many places but you need to give me more input.

Many thanks for the replies.

Hi Bob,
We would like to keep our daytrip destinations to 45-60 minutes away, tops. DH and I have been to Italy 5 times but the only time we have spent in Tuscany was a week in Florence. We don't plan to re-see Florence on this trip, as my folks have also visited it.

Our primary area of interest is Etruscan and Roman history. Secondarily, we're interested in Medieval and Renaissance architecture and art. We enjoy wine but visiting wineries isn't the focus of this trip. We love museums and have lots of practice taking turns viewing the collection while the other(s) watch our son outside and play with him there.

We have 11 days to spend in total since we'll be spending several days in Rome on the front end of our trip. I am hoping to select just 2 bases and have Orvieto (Umbria, I know) be the first. It seems like a city with many things to see which will be great for the family to do while Alexander takes his daily nap. It also seems as though there are quite a lot of interesting daytrip possibilities nearby. I'm not totally opposed to doing 3 bases spread out over 11 nights if you think that might be the best bet to avoid long daytrips? Moving hotels every 3 or 4 nights isn't too bad, especially if the bases aren't really all that far apart (just a couple hours).
Thank you again for your time and advice,
TA

I wish I had the perfect answer, but that is a tall order with the child. Here is one place just outside of Siena that would make a great base location.
http://www.villascacciapensieri.it/en/home.html

Here is another further south in Tuscany that would allow you to see some of the best hill towns within a :45 drive. I love the village---very authentic:
http://www.palazzodelcapitano.com/

Here is a rustic hotel just outside famed San Gimignano and only :45 to the best Etruscan history in Tuscany in Volterra.
http://www.pescille.it/pescille/index_en.php

Good luck---I admire your spirit.

Thank you so much, Bob. I really appreciate your time and analysis of our itinerary and unusual situation. DH and I will look through these tonight! Travel with a young child is certainly challenging but also really special. Alexander has been to London, Greece, and 4 different states thus far. Thus far, he has been an absolute joy to travel with. He will never remember these trips of course, but I will remember the look of pure delight on his little face when he first felt the waves of the Med on his feet forever. And before we know it, he actually will be old enough to remember the trips (yikes).

I've stayed at the Chiusarelli in Siena several times, and have always been pleased with it. They also have 2 parking options. If you decide to stay there, be sure to request a room at the back, as the street side can indeed be noisy.

http://www.chiusarelli.com/en-hotel-...facilities.htm

I have nothing to offer re: your query, but I must say that I remember well when you were planning your honeymoon! How time flies and congrats on continuing your travel life with your little one! It is so lovely to hear how much you are enjoying him!!

Santa Caterina is lovely and one of my favorite memories of my first trip to Italy is breakfast in the garden. It's an easy walk to the Campo.