Those are the 2 words to describe this place. What a perfect location, and what a charming old building. The staff were extremely nice to boot, and very knowledgeable about the surrounding location. I stayed in the "Torreta" room which is the very top. A wonderful suite with a big window overlooking the Tuscan countryside. Loved it!

Perfect place to stay when exploring Tuscany and surrounding areas (you want to have a car while staying here). We visited San Gimignano, Montalcino, Monteriggioni, Pisa, Luca, Florence, and Siena and spent one day on Elba Island too. One afternoon we did a wine tour to Montalcino. Great breakfasts, nice local restaurant and convenient grocery store near the property.Enjoyed dining twice at Monteriggioni. LOVED the swimming pool. Had wonderful massages in the spa. Very peaceful and relaxing. Great outdoor space to sit in the evening enjoying wine among the olive trees under the stars. Staff were helpful and professional. Would definitely stay there again.

Castel Bigozzi is located in the very heart of the Tuscan countryside. It lies in the Val d’Elsa near Monteriggioni, a lovely medieval town. Nearer the hotel is a small village called Strove, which has a small grocery store and a gas station. Other than that, at Castel Bigozzi, you are surrounded by utter peacefulness and rural beauty, an expansive landscape that spreads out in all directions.

Because we were traveling with another couple, I was able to see two of the hotel’s bedrooms. Ours was large and light-filled, with a stunning view of the valley. Our friends’ was much smaller and darker, with a small window overlooking the garden. Both rooms were charming in an understated, authentic Tuscan way. Our friends didn’t mind the relative darkness of their room, but if I were going again, I would certainly ask for a room with lots of light and a view, like the one we had.

Older reviews have complaints about showers and overall bathroom facilities. I can only assume that those problems have been addressed fully in the last year or so... the showers and bathrooms of the two rooms I saw were sleek, modern, spa-like, of very high quality.

The original structure at Castel Bigozzi dates from the 13th century. Its thick stone walls and expansive grounds overlooking the surrounding countryside are evidence of its history as a fortified aristocratic residence.

The grounds are lovely, filled with fruit trees, olive trees, roses, many potted flowering plants, and, as mentioned earlier, stunning views. Apricots were in season while we were there and were part of the breakfast offering, along with pastries, boiled eggs, numerous cheeses and yogurt, prosciutto and salami, fruit juices, delicious coffee. It was a generous, handsomely presented table.

Other pluses were well-functioning wifi and air conditioning in the bedrooms, a lovely swimming pool, and the proximity to Monteriggioni with its spectacular views and good restaurants. Siena is only 20 minutes away. To reach Castel Bigozzi, we drove through the lush Chianti countryside, so just getting there was a highlight of our whole Italian stay.

The service at Castel Bigozzi was friendly and perfectly fine, though I felt that the hotel was a bit understaffed. I would expect this during the off-season, which is when I normally travel, but we were there at the height of the summer season. There were several times when we entered when no one was at the front desk and it took a while to summon someone. This was not a big problem, though... it was summer, it was hot, we were in rural Italy and we were experiencing la dolce vita!

We stayed at Castel Bigozzi for 6 nights from May 26-June 1, 2012. We picked the hotel because we wanted to stay in the Tuscan countryside in a convenient location for exploring the Siena and Chianti areas. The hotel was very charming and reasonably priced. The bathroom had just been renovated and was completely modern with marble and a wall of mirrors. Our rooms consisted of a good sized bedroom and a large living room both with stunning views of the Tuscan hillside. There are 20 rooms in the hotel which was the perfect size for what we were looking for. The staff was very helpful and accommodating and the grounds, room, and pool were impeccable. The hotel is located in a village called Strove which is part of Monteriggioni. Although the restaurant in Strove was a bit fancy for our tastes, there is a small restaurant/store (called a Co-op) at the bottom of the hill that was a great place for a quick lunch or to pick up snacks. There were several restaurants within a 5 minute drive in or near the walled town of Monteriggioni that were quite good. We enjoyed Bar Dell’Orso just outside the roundabout near the Siene-Firenze highway as well as Ristorante da Remo and Il Fuedo Ristoranti within the walls of Monteriggioni. We explored San Gimignano, Siena, Monteriggioni, Montepulciano, Montelcino, and Villa Dievole in Vagliagli (a vineyard in the Chianti region) - which were all within easy driving distance. We also enjoyed a lazy day at the pool. We would definitely stay there again.