we hired a car in Pisa and after a good sightseeing tour of Pisa went to Arezzo .
The hotel is an old monastry, which is up a 3Km very winding road ( lots of 1st gear!).
the hotel and staff are excellent and very friendly.
if you haven't got a car and do not like adventures get a hotel in the town.

Booked two nights here on our tour of Umbria and Tuscany based on the reviews on trip advisor but did not really like it.

It is hard to find as it is situated several miles up into the hills east of Arezzo. When you eventually find it the setting is absolutely beautiful, with a nice pool and lovely views of the countryside and distant mountains. However the grounds needed some maintenance work eg the decked patio at the front was rotted and dangerous). The bedrooms were quite clean but overall the place seemed a bit dusty. The shower cubicle had black gunge round the bottom and there were lighbulbs out in practically every room - a general sign they did not care enough to ensure they were replaced.

Breakfast was in a dingy room and the food overall not very appetising. Dinner was in the outside courtyard and could have been a nice setting but it was so quiet it lacked atmosphere and the food was variable and not worth the money - we only ate there because it was so isolated and we did not want to drive up the road in the dark. When my husband ordered a beer with dinner - the supercillious waiter remarked 'beer with dinner? - oh OK'. On the second night we ordered the steak for two and it was awful - tough and impossible to eat - we complained and sent it back but were still charged for it. A couple of the staff were nice enough (the young chap and one of the girls).

Overall this place was too rustic and hard to get to for me. Also it lacked good service and attention to detail. If the owners addressed the issues I mentioned then I can see the place may appeal to those wanting to get away from it all in a peaceful, beautiful setting.

Loved, loved, LOVED this place! Perched atop a hill just outside of Arezzo, this hotel was everything we were looking for, and at an affordable price. The views were stunning in every direction, especially from the lovely pool. The path from the parking lot to the hotel was lined with lavender and abuzz with delicate butterflies. Our room was spacious, comfortable, and immaculately clean, and the staff was knowledgeable and helpful. The breakfast buffet was generous and tasty. But the best part was the restaurant, situated (at least in summer) in a beautiful courtyard. The food was superb and the service, led by Guiseppe, was perfect. We ate there the first night and liked it so much we went back the next night. I only wish we could have stayed longer.

A magical place, a beautiful 'Italian ex-monastery' hotel overlooking one of the most beautiful cities (Arezzo) where the staff can not be more friendly or helpful. We had a wonderful 8 days here and Badia di Pomaio is a very special place for us! The hotel is very peaceful and does not attract children which is nice if you want to relax as a couple. This is the best hotel we have ever stayed in and is no doubt due to the dedicated team of staff who go beyond the call of duty - a special thank you to Joseph and Valentina. Gianni, the owner, is very lucky to have such a committed team. This amazing vibe within the staff defiantly comes from the owner Gianni who is a very genuine and kind person who always had time for a quick chat!

The Room
We stayed in Room 1 Viola - it was a massive italian decor room with a king size bed, digital safe (you can set the code), air conditioning (you can control it) and tv all included within the price per night. There was also a mini bar which was reasonably priced. The bed was extremely comfortable with plenty of spare blankets and pillows, and there was ample wardrobe and drawer space. Our room was very clean and cleaned each morning with fresh bedding and towels every day! The room had an en-suite which was large in size and had a double shower and hair dryer. One very good feature of the room is that the windows had a mosquito net on the outside so you can leave the windows open all night without the worry about being attacked! The windows also had wooden shutters on the interior which created a black-out if required. The view from our room was not looking out over Arezzo, however why would you want to stay in your room when you can be sitting outside in the Sun or under the stars looking over Arezzo!

Breakfast Buffet & Hotel Bar
The spread of food was really nice and fresh each day - there is something for everyone! You even get a coffee of your choice made from the hotels espresso machine! The Coffee is amazing at the hotel and by far the best in Arezzo and again very reasonably priced. The Coffee beans are from a coffee roasting plant just 2 mins drive around the corner. Always get Joseph to make the coffee as he is the best at the hotel!

Hotel Bar & Internet Access
The hotel bar is open all day until approx 11pm and is reasonably priced with, as mentioned above, the best coffee in town! There are plenty of comfortable seats and board games if you fancy a challenge. There is also a laptop which you can use free of charge for accessing the internet, etc and free WIFI if you want to connect to the internet on your phone/laptop/etc.

Restaurant
The picture - "...watching the sunset over Arezzo and enjoying 'a la carte' amazing food and exceptional service...". The menu is varied and the Chef is more than willing to create a dish specially for you if you did not fancy anything on the menu. Although we would not normally spend quite this much on dinner, it was lovely as a holiday treat! If you stay here you have to try the Tagliatelle! If you do not know what to order Joseph will help you and is very good at suggesting to your preference.

Shuttle Bus
The hotel is around 12 minutes away from the centre of Arezzo and is up a mountain - so is not ideal for walking into town! However, if you do not want to hire a car (which we did not) the hotel provides a shuttle bus service between 8am and 11pm at a very reasonable price which we were more than happy to pay! If you want to stay later in Arezzo a Taxi back will cost around €15.

The Hotel Grounds/Pool
The grounds of the hotel are very well looked after with ample sun-beds and chairs (with wooden/straw parasols). The pool was very new, exceptionally clean, well maintained and was very large and not too deep. The pool overlooks Arezzo - what more do you want!


A fantastic hotel which we thoroughly recommend - we cant wait to come back!