With a possible 20 people and a special Birthday, hunting for somewhere to host a party was proving very difficult until I stumbled across the Villa Sibillini on Google. From that moment on, things could not have been made easier by Pam and her wonderful team. 6 months later when we actually arrived to celebrate D's birthday with a total of 15 in our party, we were welcomed with a beer and a smile and we knew this was going to be a great week!!!

The whole family chipped in (even Nan!!) to make Desha's birthday VERY special and stopped at nothing (which included a whole host of cocktails and wonderful wines) to ensure we ALL had a great week!

The rooms were great and very comfortable, the views were stunning and we all felt as if we were part of the family. It was like staying with friends.

Pam and Dave know the area so well that we had a large selection of recommended restaurants to eat in as well as places to visit. George is on hand to translate and act as a guide if you need her. Neil (who's name isn't Neil really but he looks like a Neil so please call him Neil when you visit) was good fun and nothing was too much to ask.

The whole trip was more hoped and it was a perfect week with old friends and now some new ones. Some of our old friends enjoyed it so much they are planning to spend New Year there with our new friends and given half a chance, I think we'd all move in and never leave : )

Thanks Dave, Pam, george, NAN, Aly and Neil for all your efforts and ensuring that this was a trip to remember.

Oh... and if you do visit.... ask George to show you the Cornflake Box game... you'll howl with laughter.

Love

D and Pogs

VERY STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!

What an exceptional find Villa Sibillini is. Interestingly reading all of the reviews on this site, it is quite interesting that they all seem so positive then a latest one is damning! I would take that review as an anomaly and make up your own mind on the remaining reviews.

I stayed at Villa Sibillini at the end of August this year and found it to be totally delightful. As one who usually stays in 5* resorts around the world, I found the service and friendliness of Pam, David and Georgina far superior to those I found at the larger hotels.

The hotel is situated down the end of a private driveway with some of the most stunning views I have ever possibly seen. Sitting on the terrace, overlooking the pool and with the views of the Sibillini mountains in the distance with clouds rolling over them was exceptional.

I believe Pam and David only moved to Italy in the past few years and I have to say how fantastically they have settled in. We wanted to do some things out and about like horse riding and walking and Pam immediately knew who to phone, how to organise it and ALL in fluent Italian! And we had the best time ever. It was so nice because the locals have a huge amount of respect for the family and will move heaven and earth for their guests.

The accommodation was clean, tidy and with our own modern en-suite, our room had just as good a view as the one from the terrace! Beautiful early in the morning.

Also, the food was truly exceptional! We were treated to a banquet most nights of some of the most delicious food. PAM - MAKE THAT COOKING RECIPE BOOK!!!!!

Thank you to all the Bates family for such a lovely time. We have already booked next year and I believe our best friends are seeing you in March?

Thanks again to you all

Alex and Gemma xxx

We were looking for a quiet upmarket hotel to use as a base while we explored the Marche region. We found the Villa Sibillini on the net, and were - unfortunately - suckered in by it's website which makes the hotel out to be all the things it is NOT. The hotel had a generally rundown appearance and the room was dirty and meagre in its furnishing. The walls appeared paper thin, allowing us to overhear the most personal and intimate details of our neighbours domesticity at all times, day or night. The breakfast -apart from the coffee - was a prepackaged joke. BEWARE OF THEIR BOOKING POLICIES. We left early as we could stand it no longer, and will not be back. EVER.

The warmth we experienced in Italy was only exceeded by the warmth of Pamela and David Bates and their delightful family. After two weeks of blistering city heat, we arrived in the mountains of Le Marche and wended our way to the Sibillini. No sooner had we pulled in then David placed a tall, cool beer before my husband while my 14 and 20 year-old sons and I changed for a dip in the delightful pool. Our rooms were cool, clean, and comfortable, but the best place of all was around the pool. Pamela brought us drinks and snacks while we swam, read, spoke to the lovely Dutch couple also staying for the week, and sunned ourselves senseless. The views and rural ambience were magnificent, although Pamela and her lovely daughter brought us to a shoe outlet in nearby Tolentino--many places to shop if that's your bliss.
We ate gourmet food at Sibillini, as well, much of it prepared from nuts, vegetables, and fruits grown right on the Bates' property. The cuisine was gourmet and served al fresco. Beneath starry skies and beside ancient expanses of well-tilled fields, we ate succulent meals, drank tasty local wines, and rested our tourist-tired bones. Pamela and her daughter, George, were delightful hostesses, and they humored us when we begged to hear how they had left the gray routine of England for the salubrious sun of Italy.
Before our departure (I honestly wanted to cry), we bought as many jars of Pamela's mother's homemade fig jam as we could. This is a place I would and will (God willing) return to. My 20 year-old who initially expressed disappointment that we would be "in the country," ended by joking that this stop had been HIS best idea yet. It would be anyone's best idea. Baci Villa Sibillini!