| 09/07/09 |
Positive
|
My husband and I stayed in this lovely villa the last week of August 2009 with our 3 children (3, 6 and 7), and 4 other adult family members (total 6 adults, 3 children).
There was plenty of room in the home, which was beautifully appointed. There is a nice family room for the children to watch TV and a lovely outdoor terrace where we ate breakfast and a few dinners overlooking the Florence countryside.
The swimming pool was very nice and VERY little kid friendly (must climb up to get in it and there is a shallow bench that runs the perimeter on the interior. The grounds around the pool are also very nice.
The location was spectacular. We drove into Florence almost every day and it was only a 10 minute drive. We had a lot of luck parking on the street in Florence and also drove to the the Tuscan countryside for a wine tour and drove one day to the beach in Forte dei Marmi.
The house itself is very clean, the furniture is very nice and comfortable and the bathrooms have all been updated.
MBR was very nice with a king bed and en sutie bath with tub and shower stall.
2nd bedroom had a king bed and an adjoining 3rd bedroom with 2 twin beds (ideal for the kids). Both these bedrooms share an ensuite bath.
4th bedroom had a king bed with an ensuite half bath and an adjoining full bath which is shared with the 5th small bedroom which has a twin bed.
(Only downside was walking thru the 4th bedroom to get to the 5th small bedroom and the small office, but it was no trouble). This bedroom would also be ideal for parents and children.
My 80 year old Mother-in-Law and her 80 year old husband had little trouble navigating the steps (level changes from room to room and bedroom area is a half flight up) inside the home (and he's not so mobile).
We paid extra for Mirna to cook breakfast for us all every morning and this is well worth it -- she was lovely, prompt and made us a delicious breakfast.
We also hired Mario to cook us a traditional Tuscan dinner for two evenings -- it was FABULOUS and even better than most restaurants we ate.
The location of the villa is inside the city of Florence so taking taxis to the City Center is less expensive (11 Euro to 20 Euro depending on time of day and traffic).
The house has WiFi, but we decided to just hardwire to the ethernet cable in the little office with a desk.
We would strongly recommend this villa to anyone traveling with a family or a small group.
The owners live next door in the big villa and are extremely friendly and gracious, plus the very handsome 28 year old son Antonello was always a pleasure to interact with. They are fluent in english and very helpful and not intrusive at all. |
| |
Joan Panagos, Fairfield, CT USA
203-257-5918 |
|