My wife and I stayed at the Astoria Hotel for a week in July as part of a two centre holiday booked in the UK through Inghams (the second week spent on Lake Garda). We had a thoroughly enjoyable stay at the hotel, which, although not perfect, had an elegant and relaxing feel which put us immediately at ease in the beautiful surroundings
The hotel has an ideal location and is set on a quiet street, surrounded by parkland, close to the magnificent Tettuccio Spa and about 5 minutes walk to the centre of this small town.
Montecatini Terme is a charming small town and offers the ideal base for exploring the area. it has a central railway station (5-10 minutes from the hotel) which offers cheap, easy access to Lucca, Florence and Pisa (with a change at Lucca). The town was at its peak in the late 19th century as a spa town and the Astoria, like many of the hotels in the town, dates from this period. It's is a charming old building set in pretty grounds with a selection of pleasant terraces at various points around the hotel. The pool area is set a little way behind the hotel and although not particularly modern, the pool is a good size and the whole area is a very relaxing place to spend some time.
Although we were shown to our rooms by a porter, our welcome to the hotel was a little cursory and we were left to find out where everything was without any information from staff, although in general, during our weeks stay the staff were extremely helpful and friendly.
Our room, on the first floor, was reasonably spacious and well equipped. The decor and some of the furniture was a bit dated and although the room and bathroom were clean and perfectly comfortable, they would possibly benefit from a makeover in the future. Some of the other rooms have already been modernized and those looked very smart.
Our room came with a huge balcony, equipped with table chairs and sunbeds. The balcony had a nice view over the breakfast terrace and up towards the hills behind Montecatini. Although the balcony was very welcome, like the room, it was also due a bit of modernization. The balcony wall needed a coat of paint and it was curiously covered with some rather tatty and badly laid Astroturf which was a little out of keeping in what was otherwise a smart 19th century building.
The public area were very elegant and beautifully decorated, consisting of a series of smart lounges, a modern stylish bar area and an elegant dining room with an outside terrace. A small criticism would be that the bar rarely seemed to be staffed, so that on the odd occasion we used it to have a drink we had to search out a member of staff to serve us. On one occasion, went we went for a drink after dinner, we were served by one of the waitresses from the restaurant, who made a poor job of disguising the fact that we were putting her to some inconvenience with our request.
We stayed at the hotel on a half board basis and were served evening meals of the very highest standard.
The meals consisted of a delicious selection of starters and antipasti, normally including a least one choice of soup and one of pasta. The main course included a choice of meat and fish dishes typical of Italian cuisine. These courses were accompanied by a choice from a salad buffet bought to and served at the table by the waitresses.
These courses were followed by a selection of delicious homemade desserts and then, if you still had room, a choice of cheese and fresh fruit.
The food was well presented and perfectly cooked. There was a good selection of local wines, which weren't too badly priced and the whole meal was delivered with silver service by waitresses dressed as if the hotel was still in the 19th century.
The only criticism was the speed at which the food was bought to the table, with each course arriving in quick succession and possibly a little faster than we would have liked.
It was disappointing, after such superb dinners, the breakfast was a little less impressive. Although there was nothing wrong with what was actually on offer and it was served on a lovely outside terrace, the selection was rather limited.
There were no hot options apart from a bowl of hard boiled eggs and the selection of savoury food consisted of just one type of cheap ham and one choice of cheese although in fairness there was a decent selection of fruits, sweet pastries, cereals and yoghurts. On the whole, the breakfast was adequate but we have come to expect a bit more from breakfasts served at 4* hotels in recent years.
To summarize, the Astoria is a good hotel in a perfect location, in a town which is a perfect base for exploring this area of Tuscany. The hotel has quaintly old fashioned feel to it which gives it a relaxing atmosphere which many other hotels cannot match. The staff are friendly and helpful and the food, certainly that served in the evenings, is excellent. There are some areas in which it could be improved and a few parts of the hotel which could do with updating. This is a good hotel and we very much enjoyed our weeks stay but I felt it could have been even better if the owners showed a bit more attention to details in certain areas.

Stayed with family for a week (7th-14th July) through Ingham's and had a wonderful stay. The hotel is in a perfect quiet location, a few minutes walk from the town and train station. The food was absolutely delicious, really good quality and generous portions. The silver service staff were very friendly too. The only thing I would say is keep ALL your money in the safe at all times, and do not leave any windows open, even at night. My mum and auntie who were staying in the room next door to me got robbed in the middle of the night while they were asleep, and quite a lot of money stolen out their purses. The thieves climbed onto the balcony, and in through the bathroom window. Apparently this has happened before, and security needs to be tightened, especially as it is a 4* hotel. Ingham's have been advised of this. Also, check your drinks bill at the end of the week before paying as we were nearly charged an extra 20 euro's for other people's drinks.

This is a charming older hotel set adjacent to a large park. It is quiet, and away from the noise of the town, but close enough to all the facilities. It is air conditioned throughout, which when we were staying was a big plus! Public rooms, the lovely pool and food are really excellent. Above all it is the charm and courtesy of the staff that is our abiding memory, Arturo at the desk and a wine waitress who actually can talk knowledgably about wines on the list. All the wines are Italian, no Jacob's Creek here. The night porter can even be persuaded to play many melodies on the grand piano.

We stayed in the Hotel Astoria from 23rd to 30th June 2012. We booked through Inghams having had a good experience of their hotels previously. The location and room were very good and the pool certainly helped a lot due to the unusually hot temperatures we had but that is as far as the good review can go. We booked half board and expected a certain level of food and menu as it is rated a 4 star hotel. Every single night consisted of a pasta course with a very limited sauce, repeated at least twice during the 7 nights we stayed. This was followed, every night, by meat and potatoes with no Italian influence at all. The hotel could also be classed as a fast food restaurant as well, every night the waiting staff made sure you ploughed through the 4 courses in less than an hour, frequently hovering over your shoulder and removing your plate before you had finished chewing your last mouthful. My partner and I are in our 30's and were expecting far more Italian food from a 4 star Inghams hotel. We actually resorted to eating out at La Cascina (excellent btw) so that we could experience Italian restaurant cuisine. Following this review I am composing a letter to Inghams complaining about their description of this hotel in their brochure. I would advise to avoid if you are wanting a taste of Italy.