| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 18 positive, 0 negative]
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| 10/12/09 |
Positive
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WOW. That was everyone’s reaction when they crested the last hill, and drove down to the villa. Just WOW. What a gorgeous place. It was like a movie set – gorgeous.
We had a family reunion in Italy at the villa for 21 of us. The 6 apartments worked perfectly for us – every family had their own apartment that was incredibly comfortable. And we had the big group dining room and kitchen for gathering times. We were all surprised at the amount of room, at the comfort, at the “gorgeousness” of the villa. We sat outside a lot: early in the morning to sip our coffee and chat, in the evening for dinner, and even late in the evening by the pool to reminisce and enjoy a final glass of wine. There were so many areas around the villa to sit out and enjoy. We are a noisy, rambunctious crew and we also need our space away from each other - the villa was plenty big enough for us to gather and to have private time. Bea cooked us a lovely meal and taught us how to make our own pasta, it was a ton of fun. We cooked by ourselves 3 times in the large group kitchen and then spread out in the group dining area to enjoy it with lots of comfort. We went to a winery and toured and tasted – it was a lot of fun.
I am telling everyone about the villa and recommending it. It was truly perfect for us!
Mary |
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Anonymous, Pleasant Hill, CA
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| 10/09/09 |
Positive
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| This is the second time we have stayed in the villa and it grows more fabulous by the trip. You are so centrally located, about an hour/hour and a half, from all the great sightseeing places and the house is unbelievable. Bea, your hostess, is as charming and welcoming as they come. The house is huge, spacious, on a hill where you can see for miles, close to the A1, clean and absolutely wonderful. Will go again someday. Wouldn't think of staying anywhere else. |
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Marj Witherspoon
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| 09/21/09 |
Positive
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My husband and I were recently married at Villa Anna. Our families are from opposite coasts so we took this opportunity to bring everyone together for the first time. There
were twenty-two of us that spent the week relaxing and celebrating at this beautiful house in the Tuscan countryside. The apartments are so spacious that everyone was
able to spread out and get comfortable.
During the days some of us would take trips to the surrounding cities and medieval villages while others stayed and relaxed by the pool. At night we all pitched in to cook
dinner in the communal kitchen. We would gather on the back patio overlooking the sunflower fields at sunset to eat and share stories about our day. We even had a few
midnight swims.
Our wedding ceremony went beyond anyone's expectations. We got married under the gazebo on the side lawn at sunset. Bea our hostess prepared an incredible meal for
our reception. It came complete with cocktails, wine, hors d'oeuvres, wild boar, and fresh truffles that her father had found. Afterwards we had music and dancing in the
large salon. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect setting for our wedding day.
Everyone enjoyed themselves so much. The time we spent at Villa Anna will not be forgotten. |
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Michelle Varner, Denver, CO |
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| 08/12/09 |
Positive
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| Villa Anna FAR surpassed our expections. The photos could not begin to capture the beauty of the surrounding area. There were beautiful sunflowers blooming as far as our eyes could see. Our view from our bedroom was beyond stunning. The pool was wonderful for our hot July days and evenings. There is an amazing outdoor dining area where we enjoyed a relaxing and delicious 5 course Tuscan dinner prepared by our gracious host. She went our of her way to make our stay comfortable and recommended many adventurous sights to see. I would DEFINITELY stay here again if I am lucky enough to travel to Italy again! |
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Cathy, Kenmore |
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| 08/02/09 |
Positive
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| Four families fit perfectly in this villa with room to spare. The large kitchen and dining room made for festive gatherings. The setting was spectacular - the sunflowers! Everything exceeded our expectations, especially the hospitality of our host. Can't imagine staying anywhere else in Tuscany. |
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L Taylor, Seattle, WA |
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| 06/08/09 |
Positive
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| It is not possible to describe just how much we loved this property. We just returned from a weeks stay there (May 2009) and had a fantastic time. The villa is much more than we expected in that the setting and views were stunning, the spaces inside are huge and everything was just right. Even though there is so much to see within 1 hrs. drive, it was very hard to leave the villa each day. We are a group of 16 and to a person, we all loved it. Thanks Linda for all your help. |
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Anonymous, Toronto, Ontario |
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| 08/21/07 |
Positive
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| My BIG 50th Birthday bash at the villa was absolutely incredible. The property surpassed even my high expectations. Photos do not do it justice. The villa was clean and the apartments were large - all with their own fireplace. The 19 family members and friends who joined me enjoyed the privacy of their own apartments and the communal living/dining room area which was filled every night with our laughter. The property around the villa was stunning. The pool was incredible - we held a couple yoga sessions on the pool deck. We drank coffee on the back outside deck in the morning and watched the fog lift over the Tuscan hills while smelling the fresh lavendar plants and listening to the birds. The evenings were filled with wine and stories. The small nearby towns offered wonderful shops and experiences. Also, there is an incredible thermal pool and spa at a resort not too far away. Even though a car was mandatory to get around the area, the convenience of the train stop in Chuisi was great for excursions into major cities. The owners were gracious and we paid them to cook for us a couple days in conjunction with offering cooking classes. We all have made recipes several times since we returned. I would not hestitate to go to the same area and the same place. The only thing I wished we did different was to build in more time to just hang around the property and relax since it was so incredibly comfortable. |
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rose, Tampa, Florida |
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| 07/05/07 |
Positive
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We rented Villa Anna from June 2 to 15, 2007. What can I say about our trip to Italy!!!!
First, Villa Anna far exceeded our expectations! It's arrangement into apartments allowed each family privacy and convenience that made everyone much more comfortable; it allowed everyone the opportunity to relax and enjoy the time spent in the Villa. The kids especially enjoyed the pool area and the freedom of exploring the surrounding grounds; we hardly knew they were there. The first floor living/dining/kitchen area served as a meeting place to enjoy each other, plan the day and have breakfast before starting out on our many travels to the beautiful cities of Tuscany. We relaxed around the pool area in the mornings and evenings, either next to the pool or in the patio area between the Villa and pool. The views from any location around the Villa were spectacular! We had opportunities to take pleasant walks in the nearby countryside, and one of my sons took back trails one morning and walked to Cetona.
The Villa, besides being indescribably beautiful and enchanting, was very clean and all the facilities (stoves, refrigerators, dishwasher, bathrooms, living areas and bedrooms) were first class. Women came on the second Saturday and changed all linens and towels and cleaned all areas. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained. Lights placed around the grounds, timed to come on in the evening and and go out in the morning, made staying outside pleasant even at night. Of course, the fireflies helped to create a magical experience. We saw beautiful wildlife every day: birds of various types, pheasants, rabbits and deer in the evenings. We saw no wild boars.
The trip to and from Chiusi, along the gravel roads, then on the highway, was always pleasant due to the spectacular scenery, not the least of which was seeing Cetona from many vantage points. We especially enjoyed seeing the many three wheel vehicles used by the locals for work and transportation. Everyone in Italy was pleasant and great ambassadors of their country.
The convenience of the Chiusi train station and related parking made the day trips to Florence and Rome very pleasant and memorable. We took one day trip to Florence and one to Rome to see the Vatican as a family. The rest of the time we traveled by car (conveniently rented in Chiusi) to cities within a relatively short distance from the Villa.
A large volume could be written to describe the wines of Tuscany; however, there're are not many bottles left for others to taste!!!! |
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Richard Plessala, M.D., Sugar Land, TX 77478
281-242-6304 |
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| 12/06/06 |
Positive
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| My husband and I stayed at Villa Anna the first week of October '06 during one of the organized vacation weeks. This was the absolute best vacation we've ever taken together! The group outings to Deruta and the wineries were so much fun. Linda knows and is friends with so many local people they treated us like their friends also. Linda was a helpful and gracious host. The villa is beautiful; we had a one-bedroom apartment that became our home away from home for the week. There are so many places to visit within a short driving distance; great restaurants; wonderful wine. It couldn't have been a better experience. You have to visit Villa Anna, especially when Linda is there! |
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Doris, Detroit, MI
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| 11/14/06 |
Positive
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| I would recommend this trip to anyone. Linda made this trip very special from the moment we first booked our trip until after the trip was over. She was so patient answering all of my questions by email for months before the trip and then when we were there she was our personal tour guide. Linda's years of going to Italy really helped in figuring out what was worth the time and what was not. She was our safety net and we felt very comfortable knowing she was just a phone call away. The Villa was wonderful. There were 4 in our party and we had a two bedroom 2 bath apartment in the Villa which was very spacious. The other groups were wonderful we all got along great. It was one of the best vacations I have ever had. What was really nice was you had the best of both worlds. You had time to explore on your own (which Linda would help us plan our trips) and yet there were also structured days. We got to see things that regular tours do not show you. I am hoping to return someday and would definitely rent from Linda again. |
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Susan Tresatti, Saxonburg, PA
724-234-2669 |
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| 10/12/06 |
Positive
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| Wow! What an amazing week we had. This is THE place to stay. The views are wonderful. The accomodations were perfect. In Linda, we had our own private travel agent/tour guide. She was up each day highlighting maps and giving us directions. The wine tasting, cooking lesson with Enzo, and trip to Deruda to the ceramics factory made us feel like authentic Italians. Combine that with the dinners and wine with the other people who stayed at the villa, the experience could not have been better. We used the villa as our home base and took day trips to Siena, San Gimignano, Citte' Della Pieve, Florence, and the Chianti wine Rd. It all worked out perfectly. I would stay at Villa Anna again in a heart beat. Thanks Linda for everything you did. |
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Judy Puckett |
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| 07/11/06 |
Positive
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| The second visit to this wonderful villa was even more enjoyable than the first. What a lovely villa in a perfectly charming town. It is truly the best of all worlds and a definite on your list of "must see" locales. Watching the world cup victories with the locals was an added bonus! |
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DianneS, Stamford, CT |
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| 07/01/06 |
Positive
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| The villa was lovely, inviting, and most important to me, very clean! We had a great time and would recommend this villa to friends and family and we would definately stay here again. Linda, you were a super person to work with, from helping coordinate our booking, to advice and ideas while we were there, and we are most appreciative. |
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S. Delacretaz, Victoria, BC |
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| 06/27/06 |
Positive
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| Our group filled 2 Villas (almost 60 of us). Wonderful experience. Great central location. Linda Pappas was a great help with planning our daily excursions from the Villa. Have been to Europe many times but this was GREAT!!! Jerry |
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Anonymous, St James, NC
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| 06/27/06 |
Positive
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| the villa so exceeded our expectations....and everything Linda did for us was fabulous....it could not have been a more perfect week!!!! |
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linda pennington, sotuhport, NC
910 253 9641 |
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| 06/21/06 |
Positive
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| We just returned from the week in Tuscanny package trip. It was excellent. The wine tasting tours, the cooking class and the trip to Deruta for ceramics were all great. My wife and I we're celebrating our 30th anniversary and it couldn't had been better. Linda was a great help with planning out local trips, helping us with the language and getting us to the places that the locals go. That made the Italy experience absolutely wonderful. I can't wait to go back. |
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Ron Scott, Overland Park KS
913-685-3831 |
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| 06/02/06 |
Positive
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| What a delightful place! We arrived after dark, and the birds were singing. Just amazing. The scenery surrounding the villa is postcard material from every window. The accomodations were excellent -- roomy and modern. There is so much to do in the area it was hard to choose. We had a great time at the wine tasting. I highly recommend this place for its peace and tranquility, plus you're near enough to town for most anything you need. Thanks for the warm hospitality and making us feel right at home. I'll definitely be back! |
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Teresa Bueno, Atlanta GA
7704763973 |
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| 10/31/05 |
Positive
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Our group of 14 had a wonderful week at this villa. We rented the entire house and it was just perfect. Up the gravel road, set up high on a hill with wonderful views of the beautiful Tuscan countryside. It is spacious and well appointed. We did many easy daytrips to the various sites in the area: Montepulciano, Estruscan ruins, Thermal baths, Florence and Chiusi to name a few. This villa is a great place to completely relax. Our group used the large kitchen and dining/living area to create delicious meals (as we also did with our arranged cooking lesson!).
You could rent a one, two or three bedroom apartment and be quite comfortable or if a large group as we were, the entire house.
It was easy doing business with Linda and the few photos on the website do not do justice to this property.
We wish we had rented for two weeks as there certainly would have been more than enough to do.
Thanks for a great vacation.
Scott, Beryl, Pam, Brian, Samantha, Bob, Darleen, Eileen, Jim, Linda, Kevin, Meg, Bill and Laurie |
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Steve, Chicago, Il |
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