We are looking to visit both Umbria and Pienza and are looking for somewhere which would provide good access to both. We like higher end and have tentatively selected the following to choose from:
-Hotel La BAdia (Orvieto)
-Locanda Della Posta (Perugia)
-Il Falconiere (Cortona)
Thoughts?

I only know the Il Falconierie which is a very up scale charming location, with excellent food. it is not up any hill which helps to get in and out when visiting other places. I once ate
at La Abadia near Orvieto and my feeling is that the food is much better at Il Falconieri.

I've stayed at La Badia and enjoyed it very much. The room we had was large, had a nice sitting room, comfortable bed, small terrace with incredible view of Orvieto and large modern bathroom. The grounds are lovely and the restaurant is excellent. A few years ago, we stayed at La Saracina, which is a farmhouse converted to a very comfortable hotel. It is located between Pienza and Montepulciano and we were able to see much of Umbria (Perugia, Gubbio, Assisi and Norcia) as well as that corner of Tuscany from this base. I think Perugia itself is not the best place to base yourselves as it can be time consuming getting in and out of town. I don't know anything about Il Falconiere other than the few comments I've had from friends who dislike Cortona as an overrun tourist trap.

Thanks - anyone else heard that Cortona is a tourist trap?

I have stayed at Il Falconiere in Cortona and, whicle the hotel is beautfully situated, I was very disappointed in the service. Also, Cortona did not really impress me, compared to other hill towns in Tuscany. A better choice for a lovely hotel that is well-located for both Pienza and Umbria is Locanda dell'Amorosa in Sinalunga.

I concur--Amorosa is your answer.
Also look at Il Patriarca at www.roadtoitaly.com near Chusi and La Foce south of Montepulcianio. La Badia is too far south and Cortona is too isolated.

Sorry I should have said this earlier but I have already stayed at Locanda Del Amoroso and I loved it! But I wanted to try someplace else so my trip wasn't an exact duplicate! Since I wanted to focus this trip more on Umbria I thought that I would stay in/around Umbria without staying at Locanda Del Amoroso again!

Four of us stayed at La Badia two years ago. They have a good restaurant and the rooms were nice. They also have a pool which was a nice place to relax after touring around Umbria. We had friends who stayed there not too long ago, and they also liked it a lot. I highly recommend it.

If Umbria is your goal, why not stay in Umbria? The Hotel Palazzo Bocci in Spello is centrally located, and it's right across the street from Il Molino, one of the best restaurants in the region. Spello is one of my favorite towns in Italy. It's very beautiful and not too touristy. Villa Pambufetti in Montefalco is another good choice if you'd rather be in the country.

Thanks for the suggestions I will look them up!

I stayed at La Badia about 4 years ago and also found it to be great -- but two years ago I stayed at a truly unbelievable inn (actually it's a 13th-century convent)called La Frateria Di Padre Eligio. It is sometimes called th Convento San Fancesco. The hotel is in Cetona (not Cortona)which is between Orvieto and Siena so it makes for a good base for exploring. The rooms are delightful, the countryside is spectacular and they are both out shined by the meals prepared using ingredients grown in the convents gardens. If you don't stay there see if they'll accomodate you only for dinner. Have fun!