Castello di Velona

We landed at this resort by accident but it ended up being the best of all. Amazing staff, great service. Unfortunately our master bdrm window was just above their grilling barbecue chimney (make sure this isn't your room) so that window had to remain closed. Great food, peaceful, tranquil, 5 star all the way. Special note: Our son has a peanut allergy and the staff treated him with nothing but respect and professionalism and kindness. He felt like just another guest getting 5 star treatment. Bravo!! Trip was too short. We will return for another sunset from heaven.

We were excited to stay at this winery and spa. It is about 12k from Montalcino and is very secluded. Beautiful scenery and food. Exceptional wine. Unfortunately the rooms are kind of ugly and have a lot of design problems. Bathroom lights on sensors so they leave you in the dark as you are in the middle of going to the bathroom, and a window into the bedroom from the bathroom so you wake up the person sleeping whenever you walk into the bathroom. Design is lacking for a very expensive hotel! You are also about an hour from Sienna on a very windy road, so if driving in Italy is your thing, enjoy! Otherwise, it is a scary ride in the dark so plan ahead. Go for the wine, but stay elsewhere.

The Good; setting, thermal pools, , linens, towels, housekeeping, staff all excellent. Breakfast quite good, diverse choice of hot and cold, although somewhat chaotic at times, especially when there are many guests. Breakfast is included, yet there is a menu with prices on the table over and above the buffet; one needs to ask if this is or is not included in complimentary breakfast. The not so good; The little irritants--real 5 star luxury hotels do not charge 5 euros for water in your room--silly; 8 euros for a double expresso in pool bar; no water at the pool other than what you buy; promote hiking as one of the activities on their site..no hiking or trail maps of the trails near the hotel; Restaurants..there are 2 one extraordinarily expensive and one just very expensive; 24 They say they have a world class chef; but the expensive food does not reflect this. 24 euros for the least expensive glass of wine in the less expensive restaurant; for 2 of our 4 nights only the very expensive restaurant was open. Other than the first night we ate elsewhere. I strongly recommend this. Food was expensive and mediocre. Make sure you have a car as there are wonderful restaurants in and around Montalcino.

Castello Velona is in Montalcino, 15 minutes from the center. We arrived after spending 4 nights in Chianti and we were greeted warmly by Helga who showed us the castle. The most outstanding feature of this hoteli is the view, awesome, breathtaking. The Spa, is an oasis, so spacious with marble everywhere and top facilities and the pool has large sunbeds scattered around, must say they were comfortable. The warm sulphur pool takes all your tiredness. The room , we had a junior suite in the castle, is well appointed and clean. I dont know why many people write so many negative reviews, we were happy with our stay there. Breakfast was also soo delicious. I think its the ultimate retreat in this area if you want luxury, history, view, service, good breakfast and wellness . You also have the best wine producers around. If you want food outside, the reception will assist you , they did a great job for us and the center is only a few minutes away so everything can be arranged. We listed this as our chosen retreat in Montalcino, we will surely return next year because of our lovely experience.

Castello di Verona is a remarkable resort from a visual standpoint. The hotel is located on top of tuscan hill with magnificent views. The castle has been remodeled in the utmost taste....stunning with the bones of its historical building. What is most sad about the resort is the hidden costs. We have stayed in many luxury hotels and have never felt 'ripped off.' Unfortunately Castello Velona overcharges for just about everything (except for the room). They charge 5 euro for a small bottle of water, 25 euro per person on top of the room service food bill, 150 euro for a t-bone steak. We are currently in a 5 start luxury hotel in Florence and they do NOT charge for water, they charge 10 euros for room service and their food is excellent and much less expensive. The hidden costs felt like a scam. We did not appreciate it. It also too 20 minutes to get a cup of coffee in the morning with breakfast.