John G.
Yelp
There are just certain hotels that you really don't ever want to leave , or (when you have to) you want to immediately book your next stay, and you almost want to keep it a closely-guarded secret. Podere L'Olmo is one of those places.
A small hotel (fewer than 10 rooms) set in the gorgeous open rolling hills of the Val D'orcia, just south of Monticchiello. The place is just idyllic. The hotel has luxury amenities, a heated pool, its own small restaurant, and extremely comfortable, well-appointed rooms. The ground floor suites are just terrific. The hotel grounds are sizable enough to relax in peace and just watch the world go by if you choose. Views all around the valley, with Pienza perched on the hill nearby.
But its also the perfect base for exploring Val D'orcia: a quick 10 minutes' drive to Pienza, 5 minutes to Monticchiello, and surrounding territory including hill towns and other attractions such as Bagno Vignoni. Montepulciano, Montalcino and other towns are short drives away.
Your hosts treat you like you're family. Maybe the Royal Family. With only a handful of rooms, Giulia, Gabriella and Antony can lavish attention on their guests. And...they do! We had a great deal of fun just passing idle moments with them chatting, about local sights, Italy, and the world in general. Such wonderful people. They're great stewards and ambassadors for the local territory and can help you set up itineraries, reservations and day trips that will make your stay magical.
We were there for 5 nights in late April and our stay was indeed magical. It's quite clear they receive many return guests who have fallen in love with L'Olmo. We'll be among those return guests, I promise you. But in the mean time....ssssssh! It's our secret!