Relais Santa Chiara Hotel - Tuscany Charme

Sadly there is little I can say to recommend this hotel. Having said that I will start with the good parts. Although very tired looking and in need of some investment (bedrooms & bathrooms) it is kept clean. The gardens and pool appear well maintained though we never used them during our stay. The veranda to our standard double bedroom was larger than the room itself and had a beautiful view of the Tuscan countryside which was stunning . On arrival Marco (on reception) tried to book us a taxi to a local vineyard tour we had booked on impulse a day earlier . Sadly seems a taxi service in this more rural location is scarce. Marco was a real star and explained the vineyard was on his way home and since his shift would be finishing soon he would take us. This was so kind of Marco who refused any payment from us. Thankyou Marco . Now for our not so complimentary comments regarding this hotel . The standard double bedroom Is tiny even by Italian standards. It was really awkward for two adults with cases to move about the room without bumping into one another. The bathroom was clean but in need of modernisation and was accessed by a sliding door .The shower was one of the smallest I’ve seen with a shower door that was would fall from its rollers at every opportunity. The shower tray looked stained yellow and dirty. See pictures. The bedroom appeared to have a triple mirrored sliding door wardrobe but it quickly was evident it was actually a partition between our room and the next incorporating the sliding door to our bathroom … bit weird. Sound proofing was awful. We could hear our neighbours on the toilet and showering , together with other night time noises I shan’t detail in this review. I doubt any money has been spent on our bedroom since the 1980s. There were no tea or coffee making making facilities in our room but there was a small fridge contains 2 glasses and 4 bottles of water. Breakfast was OK but not great and the waiting staff were not particularly welcoming . All in all I felt pretty disappointed with this hotel . It’s the 4th we have used on our current trip round Italy and is by far the worst . I don’t honestly see how it has 4* on this site .

I booked this hotel to sleep for 2 nights. I contacted the hotel several times to ask about the type of room, and the person at the reception told me that it had no front view, that it faced the back, and that it had a balcony. That's why my surprise was very unpleasant when I arrive at the hotel and discover that my room has no windows!!! Only some skylights on the roof through which light enters in the morning, forcing you to wake up, but giving a horrible feeling of claustrophobia as you cannot see outside. I inform the man at reception that I had been told my room had a balcony, and that there is no point in offering a room without windows, and he tells me that is what it is (rather unpleasant). Furthermore, the room left a lot to be desired: in addition to not having windows, access was through the service area, the shower did not have taps, so the water came out through a tube (photo attached). The ventilation duct had never been cleaned (photo attached), making the room as a whole more typical of a 1 star hotel than a 4 star. Although the stay at this hotel has ruined my visit to Tuscany, I certainly think that the main problem is that a worker tells me something on the phone, and then it doesn't happen. Very very bad. Obviously I explained this to the front-desk guy on Saturday, but he didn’t seem to care very much.

Very nice and cozy hotel. The staff is fantastic, espiacially Maria, who is the best i have ever seen. Breakfast is rich with variety, and you can always get a glass of prosseco. Good location, easy to access the city and still living very quetlly.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed with a complimentary welcome drink which is a small but sweet gesture of the hotel. The beds and pillows were comfortable, and the room was quiet and peaceful. I would highlight the shower gel and shampoo provided by the hotel, which contained organic extracts, and I liked them so much. The size of the room was not that great, but it satisfied our needs for one night. Last but not least: breakfast. It was a fantastic 5-star breakfast regarding both its variety and quality. The staff was also ok; the waitresses at breakfast were helpful and quick. Pay attention to parking; book it in advance or leave the reserved area after checking in to avoid some extra parking costs. All in all, we had a great time here.

This place is great value to allow a visit to San Gimignano. About 500 metre walk from the walls, lots of parking (15 Euro fee). Rooms were simple and clean. Small bathrooms with a shower curtain that stuck to you…..minor issue! Great views from the rooms and breakfast was included and good. Definitely recommend this hotel as part of a road trip through Tuscany

We loved our stay here! The breakfast was incredible! The room is big and the staff are wonderful! Loved the pool and grassy lounge area! Walking distance to restaurants and shopping.

The location is great, very close to the centre. Breakfast superb! Rooms clean, nice garden

Overall, the property was nice but the reason I give it three stars is because I booked a room with a hill view and they gave me a completely different room with a view of the parking area and a house. They claim they overbooked the rooms but upgraded us to a “Suite”. They didn’t inform us of this until I complained about it and acted as if there was no problem at all. Had I known this I would have booked another property because let’s be honest, the view is everything in Tuscany. Not an awful experience but I would probably recommend booking another property if a balcony view is a priority for you.

This hotel shows great potential with its on-site parking, breathtaking views, impressive pools, and modernized spacious rooms. The dining experience is equally praiseworthy. Most of the staff were extremely helpful, friendly, and delightful, offering valuable recommendations for nearby vineyards. It nearly earned a 5-star rating from me. However, our stay was marred by a few instances of rudeness from 2 members of staff, notably the initial reception encounter, which was later apologised for. The absence of an individual air conditioning unit in our room was disappointing, despite attempts to address the issue. Unfortunately, we had to contend with discomfort due to the lack of cooling options. Interestingly, our friends in room 301 had a room with a functioning AC unit, providing a comfortable and chill environment. Additionally, the mosquito problem was a significant downside for us. Despite our best efforts with repellent and lemon soap, my child ended up with over 20 mosquito bites. In contrast, our friends in the cooler room remained bite-free. Overall, the bites made it not our favourite hotel during our 8 nights in Tuscany and Bologna. A little added investment and staff training and this could be quickly rectified.