Tuscan wine trip disaster - help please!
 

I could use some help from some Italy experts! My husband and I planned a trip to Florence and Montalcino for our tenth anniversary several months ago. We are staying at the Hotel Antica Torre (thanks to this board!) October 9, 10, and 11 and we made a reservation in the center of Montalcino for 12,13, 14 and 15th in a B&B with kitchenette and balcony. The plan was to tour the area, drinking Brunello, and taking day trips to Siena, Montepulciano and the like.

This week, disaster struck. The B&B owner wrote to say he had decided to have friends in for a holiday and was canceling our reservation. So we have no where to stay!!! Everywhere except the B&B Porta Casteliana which has so so reviews and Banfi which we cannot afford is booked.

We are debating the merits of changing our itinerary in order to have a place to stay. Can anyone make suggestions on how to alternatively spend our four days before we fly back out of Bologna? We planned to focus on food and wine for this trip. Thank you.

There are lots of places in Montalcino. What is your price range? What amenities do you need?

Have a look at the tourism website for Montalcino.
http://www.prolocomontalcino.it/inde...id=119&lang=en

Paging Bobthenavigator! He'll have some lodging recommendations for you.

I assume you tried this one...

http://www.montalcinoitaly.com/eng/home_cesira.htm

Please, post the name of that distinguished B&B that has kicked you out all of a sudden.

rtbotts,
Try IL GiglIo http://www.gigliohotel.com/en/

Vecchia Oliviers http://www.vecchiaoliviera.com/

Palazzina Cesira http://www.montalcinoitaly.com/eng/home_cesira.htm

dei Capitani http://www.deicapitani.it/web/index....1040374A330DC9

La Crociona http://www.lacrociona.com/

Henry gave you the other best choices in Montalcino, so let me move a few miles east to San Quirico---good luck !

www.palazzodelcapitano.com

www.poggiolo.info/

www.casalemmi.com An apt.

Thank you for all of the replies.

Il Barlanzone is the name of the place that dumped our reservation. We are beyond livid as it has changed the whole course of our trip. We wanted to stay in town with a view for less than 200 Euro so we could relax or travel to another town or wander the streets when the mood struck us.

All of the places Henry mentioned are booked with the exception of Dei Capitini from whom I am still waiting for a reply although it appears booked on Venire. I am also waiting to hear from a place called Porta Castellana.

I just heard back from Pogio Antico that the restaurant is closed until November and that is where I was hoping to do our anniversary dinner. I am beginning to feel cursed!

Perhaps, as Bob kindly suggested I should move to San Quirico. I do not know about the town. Would you all recommend that or Sienna or somewhere else? Chianti? I have been to Montalcino and Montepulciano but that is all in the area.

Any help salvaging my trip and finding the right town would be appreciated. Thanks!

You should check the many places listed on the link I provided above if you want to be in Montalcino. Venere only has a handful of places on their website. You can also e-mail the tourism office on the link I provided and tell them what you need. They should respond with what is available for your dates and offers from the various places in town.

In the meantime, you might want to look at this one that has 15 apartments. Their prices are only listed on the Italian version of their website.

http://residenzapalazzosaloni.com/ita/prezzi.html

http://residenzapalazzosaloni.com/eng/residenza.html

This one is on the edge of town.
http://www.suiteintuscany.it/prezzi.php

http://www.enotecapierangioli.com/accommodation_e.htm

Kybourbon,
Thank you so much for all of the links. I have contacted several of the places and hope to have good luck by morning. Surely we can find somewhere in all of those great choices!

Does it have to be Montalcino? We had a great stay in the center of Montepulciano a couple years back at:

http://www.ilriccio.net/english/index.html

These apartments, also in Montepulciano, always get good reviews:
http://www.politian.com/

There are only two of them, but maybe you'll get lucky. You certainly deserve to.

San Quirico is only 10 miles away and is my favorite location for that part of Tuscany.

We absolutely loved our stay at Montorio....overlooking Montepulciano....and it's within your budget!
http://www.montorio.com/

Zerlina, the Politian is booked, but thank you for the suggestion and good luck wishes.

Bailey, I contacted Montorio. Do you remember how long/difficult the walk was to the city center/shops/restaurants? It certainly looks lovely.

Brian_in_Charlotte, I will examine Montipulciano - we certainly enjoy the Vino Nobile, as well!

http://baileyzimmerman.blogspot.com/.../montorio.html

Here are some images of our stay in Montorio. We had a car so we drove into the center and parked....but the town is right across from Montorio. It's just across but you do have quite a climb UP!

San Quirico is lovely, we stayed in a real dump (the petrol station) and discovered the food served in their restuarant was amazing and cheap. If you are lucky enough to get here why not try it?

We stayed in an apartment called Il Giardino in central San Quirico last year, very reasonably priced and convenient. You can find it on google. San Quirico is a great base for the wine area and feels non-touristy. Check out the wonderful range of vino nobile di Montalcino from the wine shop on the main shopping street.

I love San Quirico and highly recommend it. I prefer it over Montalcino. It's a much smaller town, but just a few miles from Pienza, San Quirico, and Montelpulciano, but my wife and I stayed in Monticchiello in March and loved it. See lemaribelle.it Barbara, the owner, is fabulous. She set up two private tours of wineries owned/run by her friends (Poliziano and Villa St. Anna). Plus, you can have your anniversary dinner at La Porta, my favorite restaurant in the entire world!

We liked Pienza much better than Montepulciano. Beautiful small town with just enough restaurants and amenities. Free parking. Try Terra Pille (agriturismo just outside of town) or the old convent. It is quite close to Montalcino.

Pienza or Montepulciano would both make terrific bases, but Pienza might be slightly more central for you since it is closer to Montalcino.

I've seen good reviews of this apartment in San Quirico:
http://www.intuscany.net/apartments/...o_costanti.htm

It rents by the week, but if it's still available, they might settle for four nights.

For places in Pienza:
http://www.portalepienza.it/

I've stayed in the Il Giardino's smallest apartment and paid 45€ per night in Sept.2008. While I wouldn't want to stay in this particular apartment again (lack of comfortable seating and bedroom up stairs), I would stay in one of their other apartments.
http://www.ilgiardinosegretopienza.it/

Another good website for lodging in the area is Crete di Siena.
http://www.cretedisiena.com/english/

For Montepulciano:
http://www.prolocomontepulciano.it/index.uk.php

Thanks to everyone we have secured lodging in Montalcino with a kitchenette and a terrace. We are super excited. And now we will have to include some time in San Quirico!

I really love how all you Tuscany-experienced travel rallied around for rtbotts in her dilemma. And rtbotts - looking forward to your report back, so we can all cheer your successful outcome! Enjoy every minute (and every glass!)

So glad you have your lodging settled, rtbotts. Through your post, I have been able to get some great suggestions for our upcoming trip. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

I promise to share a report on what is looking like it will be an amazing trip!

What is the name of the place you booked in Montalcino?

Residenza Palazzo Saloni

Thank you for helping us find it.