Castello Di Potentino

Pleasant
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : The castle, its setting and charm are all very beautiful. You feel very much immersed in this area of Tuscanyand as if you are staying in the home of an aunt in the 1950s. The story behind its restoration, and the quirks appealed to me, but I think others would struggle - fundamentally this is not a hotel, its more of a exchange program to live in Charlottes house! Which I think was charming and interesting. We are as a big group with the students and her friends on site which was lovely. Her wine is very good also. It is a very unique place.
  : The communication with guests is lacking. You are very much an afterthought. When we arrived there was a wedding on and as such the place was noisy with nowhere to retire to. Staying at the castle are charlottes friends and students on a semester abroad. Most of the time you fend for yourself. more importantly running winter is limited - which would be fine if we were told this, and that the water they do have might not be drinkable. Wed already drunk and bathed in it (and its gross) before we found out that nobody knew if it was safe. I mean we were fine, but nobody communicated this, nor were guests provided drinking water (also its early days!). mostly its quite a lot of money for what is more a youth hostel vibe, with limited water.

Very Good
Traveller Type: Solo Traveler
  : This place is fantastic. Beautiful, historic and a great place to relax. Loved the rooms, nature and pool.
  : Breakfast was very simple, same bread for all three days, so it was very at the end. Nothing fancy there. Anything else was really nice.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Its hard to know how to describe it! Charlotte, the owner, decided the valley to us as Magic, and the whole place certainly is that. The experience of the wine tasting with Charlotte was incredible, informative and inspiring (history, geology, archeology and also conversation about sustainable approaches to farming and historical wine making methods) and the wines were delicious, as was the food we enjoyed at the Castello afterwards. The scenery and insides of the Castello are both beautiful and we did some wonderful walking in luscious countryside. The pool is lovely. We love what Charlotte and her team are doing in the valley, and loved our stay. Well be back (for longer, and next time with a car to explore the local area more!)
  : The previous reviews cover the simpler parts of the stay. This isnt a fancy/ normal hotel and that was fine by us! But just make sure that you are aware that:- Meals at the Castillo are served together on a long table with other guests, Charlotte and the volunteers working at the farm. Great for meeting new people and chatting. - Breakfast is a serve-yourself, basic affair with a loaf of bread, Potentino honey and fruit, and somecoffee machines. Again, great for us but might not be some peoples cup of tea.- The rooms are incredible, but there is no air con, room service, concierge etc. We found, even in the height of summer, that the rooms are high enough to get a nice breeze going through the room tomitigate this. But a more modern/ effective fan would be good.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : Amazing location with a breathtaking view of the surrounding hills with the borghi on their top , especially now in the cold season where snow covered the vineyards and the Mount Amiata slopes. A great pleasure and inspiration to meet the owner Charlotte who gave new life to the castle her family acquired with elegance and respect of its original beauty. Hopefully will make it back with the whole family again in spring!

Fair
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : The castle was lovely & we were given a very large space that included a sitting area, kitchenette, & dining area. The owner has put a great deal of effort & money into the structure.
  : The lack of enough heat, decorating, &, more importantly, the beds. 2 of the three beds were literally made of straw. My adult daughters tried to sleep on them & ultimately spent a restless night on the old couches in the sitting area. One might feel compelled to justify the use of straw beds & lack of sufficient heat as an attempt to make the stay an authentic castle experience but this seems hardly likely when other elements, such as the mismatched poorly mended 30-year-old couches, did not stick to this theme & the rooms contained newer but barely warm radiators. I might also add that my daughters are not delicate pansies, both have spent time sleeping outdoors yet they found it impossible to sleep there. The owner has published a large book filled with many color photos which she proudly leaves out for guests of a luxurious castle she previously renovated entitled: Castello di Potentino: A Tuscan Adventure. The Restoration of a Castle. This only serves to accentuate the huge disparity between what the guest expected and what they received. For those who are already familiar with this book, do not expect that experience here. If the owner is attempting to recreate what she accomplished at Castello di Potentino, I recommend that she not rent out unfinished, randomly & cheaply furnished areas & turn on the heat.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Breakfast was simple but adequate. Location was beautiful, a deep dive in Tuscan history and culture, all blended with excellent wine! Owners have been providing a warm and friendly welcome
  : Difficult to say, I enjoyed a lot the place!

Wonderful
Traveller Type:
  : Charming old school comfort.

Very Good
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children

Very Good
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : It was a great experience to be able to stay in the castle and the vineyard and the pool were amazing.
  : We would have appreeciated a nice hot breakfast with local produce. We would have like to have some proper cosmetics in the room not just the forgotten ones from the before guests. Also when we arrived we did not exactly know how to do the check in or where.. and they did not had the key to our room (they searched for it for a few hours and then they found it) and the room was not ready when we arrived (at the check in hour). You only find out about the histroy of the castle if you do the wine tasting. Maybe a little brochure would be nice in each room.. No clear directions for the pool, we had to ask someone where it is. It is not a luxury experince but an authentic one.