Palazzo BelVedere

We had a wonderful stay at Palazzo BelVedere. We were well taken care of from the moment we arrived by Oksana and that continued throughout our stay. The hotel itself is beautiful and I really enjoyed the aesthetic touches throughout that combined mid-century modern, art-deco, nouveaux, and a nod to the hotel's ecological conscience and focus on wellbeing. Our room was very nice, clean, and comfortable and provided great views over the foliage and up to Montecatini Alto. Housekeeping was great in the room and the Spa was also very well looked after. We were really able to relax and unwind after hard days of sightseeing :-) We ate incredibly well too. Breakfast was really nice and snacks are provided during the day, but Aperitivi and Dinner is something you don't want to miss! It is generous, thoughtful, and well executed. We ate 3 of our 4 meals in Tuscany here and honestly wish we had the 4th here too. Mahmoud and the rest of the staff in the restaurant and bar are excellent and we'll hopefully greet the entire team as friends on our next stay!

It is a unique establishment in the snese that it is a 5 star hotel in terms of facilities and amenities but a boutique hotel in terms of the way staff interact with the guests. I had the best 3 day retreat I could ever ask for. Silvia and Giulia from the spa were amazing and I can even already call them friends. Mahmoud at the restaurant and all the staff there were wonderful not to mention the tasty and diverse food options made by the experienced chef. Yoga with Anu and the group yoga class with live music on Sunday were just perfect. The room and hotel facilities are spectacular with great attention to detail. The location is also great, next to the funiculare to go to Montecatini Alto and 10 mns walk from down town and the nearby park. Will definitely be back.

We booked a junior suite and were upgraded, which was wonderful. On reaching the room, a manager was just leaving and said she was checking it was ready for us. However, we found a dirty towel beside the bath, dust and hair from the previous guests, dirty spoons and a general lack of cleanliness. The room was re-cleaned and we got on with our stay. Evening dinner in the soulless restaurant wasn’t great - over-salted and tough (not al dente!) pasta. The following day we asked for an iron and ironing board, which was denied on ‘security grounds’. When challenged, we were told that housekeeping will iron for us, but the prices were crazy. We also tried to turn the room heating on (it was 7 degrees outside) and were told this was not possible as the municipality would not allow it. Instead they sent us a mobile heater that didn’t work. Breakfasts were ok, although I was put off by the service staff using bare hands to arrange food at the buffet table. The staff were generally friendly but it didn’t make up for the lack of attention to detail, direction or quality. I booked through a third party for just over half the price that the hotel offered - I am glad I shopped around. This is not a five star hotel even though advertise as such and they charge for five star quality. We were massively unimpressed.

Beautiful hotel with stylish decor. An easy walk to the town. Fabulous breakfast included in the room rate. The bedrooms are decorated in a lovely scandi style. Staff were really help and polite. Only a few niggles! The breakfast is left open with no lids on things like eggs and pastries so there are lots of flies. The hotel need to invest in fly fans that spin by the breakfast food if they don’t wish to cover it. The spa only has 6 sun loungers outside by the pool and we never managed to get one during our stay. We chose to then sit inside but because they leave the windows open and that makes the air humid you start to be bitten by mosquitos. A bit disappointing as we chose the hotel for the spa element then we couldn’t really spend any time there. The hotel should invest in more sun loungers and place them in the garden area with parasols as then guests who cannot get a lounger by the pool can sit in the garden.

I was quite surprised (to the negative) by this hotel. Based on the website, the listing on Mr & Mrs Smith, and the nature of it being a 5 star hotel, I expected a little bit more. It was overall quite random, and in a very random location. Perhaps we didn’t use it correctly given it’s a wellness resort of sorts but I found it all very bland and underwhelming. We arrived on a Thursday through Sunday and felt no vibe or atmosphere in the restaurant, gardens, wet area and it all felt a bit desolate in all honesty. The lobby is almost non existent, a sparse area not used particularly well and the reception area a lonely desk and a seat off to the side and not a very welcoming space. Again, perhaps we were hoping for a different vibe but perhaps not to be expected at a wellness resort. We found the pool and spa area a bit outdated and the outdoor pool area was very sheltered and no where to lay in the sun. We’d booked a studio suite on the 4th floor which was spacious and nice but lacked any character/warmth and was quite dark with small windows. We had a lovely dinner meal from the restaurant that we ate in our rooms due to having our baby with us. I ordered the ravioli and there were only 6 ravioli in the plate which I was a little bemused by although it was tasty! Very tiny portions. Alas, the staff were lovely and very helpful and accommodating, unfortunately the hotel overall was disappointing and sadly we won’t be coming back.

The hotel is very nice, especially the communal areas. But service is terribly inconsistent: one day my dirty coffee cup was not removed, another day coffee pods not replaced, water not replaced, towels from the bathroom missing… Such a shame. Staff were polite, even though not particularly willing to go the extra mile.