We just returned from a week-long stay at Villa Ai Cedri. It was all we hoped it would be -- the perfect setting for a Tuscan holiday. Located in the beautiful countryside just outside of Cortona, Villa Ai Cedri provided a comfortable and lovely base for our group of 7. We enjoyed fascinating tours of Cortona and the Montepulciano region with Debora, and divine meals at the Villa prepared by her husband, Chef Ryan, who the Villa owners set us up with. Taxis were readily available to take us into Cortona and even to Florence for a day. The highlight of the trip, however, was just being at the Villa enjoying the ambience, the food, the wine, the cozy fireplace, and the good company. The Villa is well maintained and the owners are most hospitable. We would definitely recommend it to others and hope to return ourselves someday.
Our family - four adult siblings with three significant others - stayed at Villa ai Cedri for the week. From early in the booking throughout our stay, the communications from the owners were fantastic. They were kind, responsive, and helpful. We were welcomed with wine and lovely local treats as well as fresh flowers. They were around if we needed them but not obtrusive.
The house is bigger than it looks. We all had room to spread out. The kitchen, porch, bocci court, pool, ping pong area, and two living areas made it easy for us to stay occupied and we never felt crowded. We could comfortably be in one area together or spread out. The bed linens, pillows, kitchen supplies, etc. were high quality. The house is beautifully constructed. Wifi and excellent TV options (including in English) were available.
The garden was abundant with ripe vegetables and herbs and we were encouraged to help ourselves. We could walk to a market, a cafe, and a couple of pizza places. The views were spectacular.
Because of the stone walls on the way up to the villa, driving with our big Mercedes over-sized van was challenging. We recommend small cars, even if it means you need two. We decided not to try the drive at night which led to our having lunches out and dinners in.
Very easy drive to Cortona and we had a lovely wine tour.
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A homemade blueberry tart, beautiful floral arrangements and fresh veggies from their garden, and Giovan, our host, all greeted us on the first day. The home was clean and the beds comfortable. The kitchen was fully equipped with all the utensils, pots and pans etc. Giovan was as accommodating as could be although there was really nothing we had to ask for. It was a treat to sit at the covered outdoor dining table and have coffee/tea over breakfast and watch the panoramic views as the sun rose over the valley. Dinner with a glass of local wine at sunset was memorable as well. On the hot days the pool was a treat (morning dips were great too). There is a local market/butcher 5 minutes away with anything you might want and friendly staff. Giovan has a wine cellar in the home with reasonably priced options (as well as some of his his home made olive oil). The home is situated above on a south facing valley with an exceptional panorama. Our first morning, as the sun rose from behind the house, the first light illuminated the hilltop town of Montepulciano in the distance (about an hours drive)...stunning! Because of it's central location we were able to do day trips easily to Montepulciano, Montelcino and Chianti regions for wine tours and tastings. I could not think of a better setting than the Villa ai Cedri as a launching point for our tour of this area of Tuscany...a truly 5 star Villa. The grounds were impeccably manicured by the host family; beautiful flowers, flowering trees, olive orchard, shade trees and even a nice garden to harvest some tasty treats for dinner. We visited some friends who had a villa on the other side of Cortona that was more expensive, by a lot, and I would not have traded them Villas.
Villa ai Cedri gave us a true taste of Tuscany. The views are spectacular - just like the movies !
The house, garden and pool area are beautifully decorated and well maintained, it makes it all feel like a real home away from home.
The kitchen is the best equiped we have ever had, add to that the outdoor BBQ & pizza oven and you are in for a treat. Making home made pizza's, including your own dough and baking it in the pizza oven, is a guaranteed family moment to never forget !
Villa ai Cedri is ideally located, close th lovely town of Cortona (10') and also maximum 1 hours drive from the other cities to visit: Pienza, Sienne, Montalcino, Motepulciano and Firenze. But it will mean you need a car. Having a hillside location provides for the tranquility and views but you will need the car to get around.
Giovan and family are really warm hosts that live nearby if you need them but you have all the privacy you would want. Giovan even treated us to some howe grown vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce and Tuscan herbs) and some eggs.
The house has some hidden treasures such as the wine cellar where you can taste some of the delicious local wines and the white 'Villa ai Cedri' definitely makes for a perfect aperitif wine.
One minor point for improvement is the internet connection. It is dependend on the satellite connection and that is sometimes unpredictable. On the upside, you have full high speed wifi coverage in house and around the house, all the way to the pool area (your teens will appreciate that for sure !)
We would definitely come again and enjoy the hospitality and lovely home.
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We returned from 2 weeks at Villa Ai Cedri just two days ago. It is the most wonderful place you could imagine staying. Whilst the website photographs make it look stunning, this is a place where reality is even better. We felt like we were staying in an exclusive retreat. The house was clean, comfortable, well-appointed and spacious. The gardens are exquisitely beautiful with an amazing array of delights - the pool was the cleanest and best we have ever enjoyed (maintained diligently and discreetly by Giovan and his family every day very early in the morning) - deep and immaculate. The kitchen garden from which we could gather whatever we fancied to eat; the herb garden; the different areas to sit and gaze across the valley at the sunsets; the wonderful outside kitchen with pizza oven and open wood fired grill; the boule pitch; the wine cellar with a great selection of local wines and olive oil pressed from the garden's own olive trees. Absolutely wonderful.
We loved the slightly 'hidden away' nature of the narrow track up from the valley road - but it's still only a ten minute walk downhill (fifteen minutes back up again!) to the well stocked local supermarket with a good little deli section, bread, cheeses and meats.
The location was excellent for access to Cortona, Montepulciano, Castigliona del Lago, Arezzo and Siena which we visited with their delights and had wonderful lunches.
We had a very special holiday at Villa Ai Cedri and it will be particularly strongly associated n our minds with our three year old daughter gaining real confidence in swimming with great glee - whole lengths (with armbands) - and learning to write.
We would visit again at the drop of a hat.
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This was my Birthday trip with a total of four sisters. When we arrived at the villa...we had the most amazing fruit tart, meat, cheese, bread, wine and fresh cut gorgeous flowers awaiting us on the table. The owner Giovan met us and showed us around the charming country villa and the grounds...which was beautifully kept. The owners take great pride in making your stay memorable. On two different evenings...the owners prepared fabulous meals and served us. It was a real treat and very much appreciated. I personally loved everything about this villa...lovely, clean, stunning views and so comfortable. The property is so beautiful with a porch with breathtaking views and stunning sunsets. There are many places to sit and relax all over the property to soak up the incredible view. It had an outdoor kitchen with pizza oven and beautiful pool!!!! My sisters and I would go back in a heartbeat and stay at this Villa!!!! We were so sad to say goodbye! Thank you, Chiara and Giovan Batista (Teresa, Kathy, Laura and Mary) CIAO Until we meet again!!!!
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When you close your eyes and imagine the ideal Villa set in the Tuscan country side, you picture thick, stone houses over looking beautiful vistas. Your see olive groves surrounding you and a bountiful garden filled with fresh herbs and tomatoes. There is a fig tree by the pool and an outdoor kitchen with a brick oven. You imagine comfortable evenings on the porch with friends and family sipping good local wine and watching impressive sun sets over the valley below.
Now, when you open you eyes, you go directly to the internet and book a week at Villa ai Cedri to insure that you can have this whole experience!!!!
Our recent stay at this home was more than any of our group could have imagined. The Villa is situated on a hill, facing west, over a beautiful valley. The property is impeccably maintained by the owners and their family. The flowers, the landscaping, the stone paths, the strategically placed benches, just add to the charm of this place. The house itself is comfortable and clean. They recommend sleeping for 8. That number of people is accommodated more than comfortably. We had 9 and you could probably squeeze in 10, but I still think 8 is the ideal number to enjoy the comfort of this house. The Kitchen is well stocked. We had no problems when we wanted to get swept up in the moments and cook up some Tuscan fare for our group. There are many nice amenities that make this house special. Of course, the pool is delightful! There is an outdoor kitchen as well as a brick oven. They even have a small wine cellar complete with lemoncello!
One note of caution, though. The house is situated on a hillside off the main road. Of course, this adds to the charm and beauty of the property, but it is a bit of a challenge to initially find the house. Also, there is a little village at the base of the hill for groceries, but the climb back up the hill can be challenging for some. You will probably need a car to get around.
Still, this is a remarkable place! The owners, Giovan and Chiara, have created a beautiful, welcoming home that allows you to comfortably immerse your family in the "Tuscan Experience" for the time that you are here.
I would return to beautiful Villa ai Cedri without any hesitation. You can book this home with the confidence that you and your group will have a glorious time "Under the Tuscan Sun"!
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