Location: the villa is situated near Tuscany / Umbria boundary, about 250km from Rome, most of which are highway. The directions from Expedia are actually pretty good if you follow them to the dot, even though the villa is in the middle of nowhere. During our stay, we explored nearby Cortona (5-10min drive) - a picturesque castle-like town with a lot of eateries and small shops. We also took a day trip in our rented car to Montelpulciano, Pienza and Montalcino, famous respectively with Tuscany wines, cheese and Tuscany wines. The towns were very charming, also castle-like (except for Pienza) - I truly recommend taking the time to visit, however do so during the day, as it is more lively; during the evenings (when the handful tourists have gone away) it gets pretty deserted and almost too quiet. Local wines are available for degustation, some places charge a fee, others let you try their cheaper sorts. Very good cheeses and meat cuts available for sampling as well, especially at Montelpulciano. The best Tuscan scenery can be shot with your camera on the road between Pienza and Montalcino. Beautiful!!!

Rooms - We paid a slightly higher rate for something like a superior room, however we were given a good sized bedroom, with a handkerchief size window on the roof! Honestly - this was a little too primitive for almost $400 a night. I couldnt help but feel that we didnt get what we paid for (either by mistake or because we were given the last available room). The furniture in the room had this "old feel", however it was not unpleasantly dated, this was simply the style of the room, which was fine by me. Much to my likings, the bathroom was excellent, marble, if my memory is not lying to me, sparkling clean, in other words, the old charm of the villa was not an excuse for an old and smelly bathroom. Thumbs up!

Service - Since this is not your full-service hotel, the number of staff was not huge - there was general politeness everywhere, yet not to an excessive extent. That is probably fine, just noting here for other fellow travellers. However, front desk is NOT 24 hours, which almost left us standing outside the locked villa, when we arrived at 11:30pm to check-in and the front staff lady was just locking the doors. Had we not entered, this review would have been a 1-star review. Not having 24 hr front desk is UNacceptable for a hotel charging upward of $300 a night!

Amenities/Hotel Grounds - Hotel grounds are simply beautiful and picture-perfect. Food at breakfast is plentiful and tasty, it was a pleasure all over every morning for both me and my husband to spend our hour enjoying the view. There was always room and loungers around the pool, although the pool was not heated and somewhat cold in May.
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One thing I wanted to note - we were taking pictures of ourselves in the villa yard, using our camera on tripod (which perhaps appeared "too professional"). Some lady (the owner?) approached me after staring at me for a while to inquire what we were doing and she appeared satisfied to hear that we were guests of the hotel, not some random photographers. This was pretty annoying for me, considering I was pregnant and showing at the time, and definitely didnt look like a travelling photographer.

I read about the Villa in the book, Great Sleeps Italy, and was impressed by its history. The villa itself is gorgeous. We did not have a car so we asked, and they arranged, for a taxi to meet us at the train station. Everyone was extremely professional, and warm. We had a 3-course dinner there every night except Tues. (they're closed), and some very good wines. We had a jr. suite which was elegantly furnished, and very comfortable. My husband, son and I took a cooking class with the owner, Adriana, which was a lot of fun (and delicious). We made fresh pasta with mushrooms, pork loin with prunes, and panna cotta. They arranged for a driver to take us through the countryside, stopping to tour a vineyard (with wine tasting), the San Antimo Abbey, and various other sites. They have a cozy, intimate bar where you can have a drink and conversation with other guests before dinner. Villa di Piazzano is luxurious, elegant, comfortable. We would most definitely stay there again.

Ancient hunting manor of the 1500s restored carefully and with taste, located in a beautiful landscape. Very kind staff. Excellent service. Good restaurant and excellent breakfast. This is a place for a wonderful and relaxing holiday.

Our decision to try this hotel was based on Karen Brown's guide book for Italy, but we booked directly with the property.

We spent a week at the Villa di Piazzano (VdP) to explore southern Tuscany and northern Umbria. The hotel was ideally situated for this plan. The setting, in the countryside southeast of Cortona, was a lovely respite after a day of sightseeing. Our room was a separate stone cottage in the garden near the large swimming pool and below the main house.

Breakfasts and dinners (optional) in the VdP's dining room were always delicious and beautifully served. The maitre d', Massimo, made excellent wine recommendations.

The friendly staff at the front desk were knowledgeable about sightseeing and local shopping, and most helpful. For instance, upon our arrival, they recognized immediately that my wife's injured ankle needed medical attention and arranged for a doctor to call the next morning. One of the owners was always available to assist and visit with guests, giving the impression of welcoming us into their home.

Our only regret was not taking more time to relax and enjoy the tranquil setting of the VdP ... perhaps next time.