And the planning continues...In my research I have read many positive things about La Saracina on this forum, but there is less mentioned about L'Olmo. The one comment on tripadvisor was very positive and the review in Karen Brown is great too. Has anyone stayed at O'Olmo or is familiar enough with it to comment on it?
Thanks,
Bill

Bill, I have stopped there but not stayed. IMHO it is too isolated. I would much prefer the Saracina location and ambiance. Have you also seen www.lacosta.it Not as nice but in a really cute medieval village.

Thanks Bob.

Yes, I have seen La Costa's website. It looks great. How are the accomodations? The restaurant is supposed to be very good. Is that true?

Have you heard of Relais San Bruno in Montepulciano?

One of the reasons both Saracina and L'Olmo appealed to me is that they both have pools. Is it going to be necessary to have a place with a pool in late June?
Thanks,
-Bill

Well, my first pick would still be Saracina. The world class ristorante in Montefollinico is La Chiusa, but the hotel is not bad. A pool would be nice--go for it.

If it is not too late I would like to comment on L'Olmo. We have stayed there three times and love it. It has five two-room suites, an apartment, and one single room. Our room (suite #5) had a large comfortable living room, good sized modern bath, and a corner bedroom with four poster bed and views of Pienza in the distance. The staff is wonderful - you feel like you are staying with good friends. The courtyard is a great place to have a drink and the pool is wonderful. I don't think of it as too isolated. You are two minutes away from Montichiello - a charming walled village that contains a couple of excellent restaurants. It is less than a ten minute drive to Pienza. Also easy access to Montalcino and Montepulciano. It is nice to be able to day trips without the hassle of driving in and out of a hotel located in a town center.

BoulderCo, did you have any dinner in L'Olmo itself during your stay? If so, how's the quality and price and where is dinner served?

BoulderCO,
Thanks for your recommendation! OUr trip wont be until June 2006, so your remarks are not too late.
-Bill

Selinalei

They generally don't serve dinner at L 'Olmo. One year the owner cooked a tremendous three course dinner for any guests who were interested but she has not done so in recent years. I asked her why and she told me that most guests prefer to go out to dinner in Pienza or Montichiello rather than stay in. So if you stay there, you should plan on going out for dinner. There are many excellent restaurants within a few minutes drive that I could recommend if you are interested.

BoulderCO, thanks for the clarification. I read somewhere that guests could even opt for half board. So, probably, it's not the case anymore.

It will be nice if you can recommend some restaurants that are not too far away.

In Montichiello I can recommend Taverna di Moranda. In Pienza I recommend Latte di Luna, Rosellini's, La Pergola, and Buca Della Fate. All have great food, reasonable prices, and fun atmosphere.

BoulderCO, thanks to your recommendation, we had our best meal at Taverna di Moranda during our trip to Tuscany this past September. We splurged and each had 4 courses with a nice bottle of wine (I had the wine). Cost us $100.00 but well worth it. My wife still talks about it.

They're closed on Friday, if you can believe that.

Had a wonderful lunch at Latte di Luna. Make a reservation as they were turning people away.

Budman

Glad to hear you enjoyed Taverna di Moranda. It is one of our favorites. Latte di Luna is the most popular restaurant in Pienza so reservations are a must. I believe they are closed on Tuesdays.

Just returned from a trip which included staying at La Costa in Montefollonico, near Montelpulciano. Lovely hotel, lovely small medieval town. Ate dinner twice in the hotel's dining room - excellent. And the owners are planning a pool and extended deck area for next summer.

Cheers,
Linda

Linda,
I noticed your earlier post about the hotels you stayed in on your trip and enjoyed your comments. I have some questions about Tenuta Quadrifoglio:

How far from S.G. is it?

Is there anything in the way of food that is within walking distance?

It seems like such a good deal and such a lovely place.
Thanks.
-Bill

Linda, I also have a question for you, about La Costa. Were there other restaurants closeby, either walkable or a very short drive? Thanks.

Bill, I strongly recommend Tenuta Quadrifoglio - gorgeous property, wonderful location, extremely friendly staff. It's about a 10 min. drive from San Gimignano and no, there aren't any restaurants within walking distance (we asked). The manageress, Mara, gave us a list of restaurants in the immediate area, who give 10% off if you mention the hotel by name. We were a little suspicious about what the quality of the food might be, but ended up having one of our best meals of the trip at the restaurant closest to the hotel. A bit too far to walk to, though. We were in the area a very short period of time but we agreed that we liked staying a few minutes outside of San Gi, rather than inside the city. I hope you enjoy it!

SusanP, the old portion of Montefollonico is a charming, small, walled town. Within the walls, where La Costa is, we saw a charming bistro (can't remember the name) and a nice-looking wine bar with casual-styled food, both easy to walk to. You are maybe a 10 or 15 min. drive from the larger city of Montelpulciano, where there are lots of bistros, restaurants, etc. Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Linda

Thanks, BoulderCO.

Knowing that L'Olmo no longer serves dinner, I am also hesitating between it and La Saracina. Is there any place I can see more photos of La Saracina? And what differences are there between doubles and suites in La Saracina?

Thank you, Linda, that information is a help.

Boy, I'm sure gald this thread got brought back up! Thanks BoulderCo for bringing it back and thanks to Linda for the lodging info.
-Bill

Copied from a previous post: (Glad to hear you enjoyed Taverna di Moranda. It is one of our favorites.) Absolutely agree with this, the best restaurant in all of our meals in Tuscany. And most of the other meals were GREAT. This was the greatest.