Umbria Hotels

Other Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Hotel Agli Scacchi: Very good option for Valnerina: stay in Preci

by Trekki

Hotel Agli Scacchi proved to be a perfect base for my exploration of Valnerina, the valley of Nera river in the very east of Umbria. It is located at the highest point of Borgo Preci with marvellous views of the surrounding landscape. It was once the palace of Scacchi family, one of the renowned surgeons of Preci. In total it has 26 rooms, simple but nice. My room had two single beds, a bathroom with shower and floor heating and the view as in the photo on my main page. Oh and TV and phone, but that wasn’t important to me. One warning though for those with light sleep: bring earplugs because the church’s bell tower is very close and it rings every quarter of an hour. And I heard dogs barking in the night. But this didn’t prevent me from having a good night’s sleep.

The hotel also has a swimming pool outside, with lazy chairs, parasols and a small bar (draught beer). Next to it is a roofed seating area where drinks are being served. And they have a restaurant which serves good meals at reasonable prices (see photos).

All in all I enjoyed my stay here and paid 42 Euro per night including breakfast (Italian style). They have no parking lots, but very close by is space next to a display panel with hiking paths where I could park my small car.

Directions:
In Preci (the lower part of the village) just follow the signs to “centro”. The road winds around the hill and at the highest point the hotel is located.

Location of Agli Scacchi on Google Maps.

© Ingrid D., April 2012 (just in case, RickS or others come along and think they can steal texts).

Thank you for reading. I appreciate if you would decide if my review was helpful or not and if you could leave a comment => here.

L'Orto degli Angeli - Residenza d'Epoca: Marvellous old palazzo in middle Umbria

by Trekki

Surely a dreamlike hotel in the middle of Umbria is L’Orto degli Angeli in Bevagna. Restaurant Redibis, which belongs to the hotel, has been one of my favourite restaurants since 2008. I had lunch and dinner here several times and also celebrated my half century birthday with friends here. But all the times I never stayed there. This had to be changed and so in May 2011 during another of my short Umbria roundtrips I decided that it is time to book a room so that I could not only enjoy another marvellous dinner with wine this time but also to stay in this so charming residence.

What can I say? The name L’Orto degli Angeli – the place of the angels – says it all. The hotel is consisting of two palazzi, connected with a courtyard like garden. In the main palazzo, Palazzo Andreozzi, the rooms are named after angels and the rooms in the other palazzo, Palazzo Alberti, are designed as apartments. In between is the wonderful garden, with flowers and bushes which are very old. Especially the roses are marvellous; the guys in Redibis restaurant pick one for every desert they serve. I have kept all my roses simply because their scent is exceptional!

I stayed in the main palace, in the room Arcangelo Raffaele, which is in the upper floor facing the street Corso Giacomo Mateotti. Well, it was not really *a* room but a whole flight of rooms. There was a lobby with a separate wardroom and a safe, the drawing room with sofas and chairs for a nice relaxing evening, a huge bathroom, the bedroom and stairs lead up to a little loft with two additional beds. I enjoyed this room very much, although I would have liked to stay longer than only one night. The only downside was the location facing the street. There is a little bar just opposite of the hotel and they had the TV running all evening with a very high sound level. But luckily the bar closed at 11 p.m.

It was not only the room I loved but the whole concept of their hotel. The palazzo seems to have stayed intact, thus the several parts of rooms. The stairs and corridors outside the rooms are a maze of winding stairs and separate corridors with bookshelves and tables with flower pots, which makes the whole appearance quite cosy. And I also loved the public rooms, such as the charming reading room with its huge bookshelf painted in bright red. And of course the garden! One can relax here, with a coffee or a drink and just let the world pass by.

Breakfast was ok, included in the price of course. The only downside here was the coffee. It was not the typical caffè but machine made and thus a bit on the watery side. We had quite a big selection of pastry, fresh yoghurt, orange juice, bread, butter, marmalade, cold cuts and cheese.

Be careful when reading some of the reviews on TA. Some reviewers obviously have forgotten where they were. This is an old Palazzo and not a Disneyland Palazzo set up. This means that the rooms and the furniture are old, no matter how excellent renovation and restoration is. And Bevagna is in Italy, where church bells will ring.

Directions:
Parking the car is a challenge. It is possible to drive to the hotel to unload the luggage. Drive through Porta Foligno, which is the entrance portal coming from Foligno on road SR316. The palazzo is on the right side where the narrow road just widens a bit. But parking isn’t possible here. Drive along the hotel and turn right at the traffic light and drive through Porta Cannara. Outside is a big parking lot. And it is safe to park the car there. Just look at the signs where exactly you can park the car = in the middle of the space.

Location of L’Orto degli Angeli on Google Maps.

Location of Parking outside of Porta Cannara on Google Maps.

© Ingrid D., April 2012 (just in case, RickS or others come along and think they can steal texts).

Thank you for reading. I appreciate if you would decide if my review was helpful or not and if you could leave a comment => here.

Residenza di Via Piccardi, Gubbio: Home away from home: Residenza Via Piccardi

by Trekki

Residenza di Via Piccardi has become my “second home” by now and I can only highly recommend the place to anyone who looks for a peaceful and enjoyable stay in Gubbio, northern Umbria. Not only is the residenza in the middle of town, only a few metres off Piazza Quaranta Martiri and with view to Palazzo dei Consoli from the garden, Federica Biagotti is also one of the sweetest hosts I ever had in any accommodation. She is always of help with any question, speaks French, English and a bit German and is the good soul and spirit of the house. She is there from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. with a break from noon to 2 p.m. But while she is gone, she switches the phone to her mobile, so one can always reach her, also in the evening. During her noon and evening time she also locks the garden door (which is the access to house and rooms) which makes it a very secure place. But then Gubbio is a very secure town, no one would break into hotel rooms!
The rooms are located in the left and right wing of the house, an old stone house of 14th century, according to a stone with engraved date at the house. It was a trader’s or farmer’s house, given the round arches which are still visible in the basement. Maybe they were a shop or a stable in the past. That’s very typical for Gubbio, by the way: these stones tell so many stories about the past life, incredible! My room(s) were located above the little porch (see photo 5, view of the house) and I loved the view into the garden and the little street. Although it was not a single room but had a double bed (queen size), bathroom, big cabinet for the clothes and TV. Bring your own hairdryer although by now I know that Federica has a spare one in case you forgot. There is no telephone in the room but enough possibilities to make phone calls in Gubbio (phone booths and the post office). But since I don’t need this in the days of mobile phones I didn’t miss it. During my almost 4 weeks in May I stayed in the mini-apartment, with a little kitchen. This was even better since I could cook or make salads. Remember that there is a small market under the arcades at Piazza Quaranta Martiri every day so fresh produces are available daily.
During my extensive stay in May 2010 I met several fellow travellers, among them Ewa and Rafal, a lovely couple from Poland, and David from Utah. They also loved the stay here and I know that they will be back. VTer Dan also stayed here in May 2010 and according to his review, he and his family also loved the place.

Already now while updating this, I am looking forward to next time, August 11, 2010, to be precise. I look forward to park the car at Piazza Quaranta Martiri, grab bags (and my special dress), run across the piazza and stop at the entrance into Via Piccardi to take in this gorgeous view which the makers of HB Bildatlas Mittelitalien kindly chose as their cover photo :-) The Residenza is the one where the little vespa is parked in front of. Do you understand now why this is the only place I could ever stay when I am in Gubbio? (Except when I have my own little apartment with view to my beloved campanone one day).

In total, the residenza has 5 rooms plus one mini-apartment (with kitchen). One morning when I was the only one staying here Federica showed me the other rooms above the lobby (see photos). These are of bigger size with an extra bed and much bigger, but then these are the true double rooms. I loved all of them and especially the charming decoration and furniture. These rooms in that old house have truly been renovated to perfection!!

Unique qualities? I loved my stay here, every single day of it. My time in May was even better. The place is a gem. Breakfast is served in the lobby at lovely decorated little tables and chairs or outside in the garden on sunny days: croisssants, caffè or cappuchino, orange juice but she also serves bread, jam and butter. The garden is huge and once you stand at the patio of Palazzo dei Consoli with a view over the town you will realise that gardens are not the norm inside of Gubbio’s town walls, especially for accommodation places. The space below the porch roof makes an excellent place to relax, read or have coffee.

I paid 30 Euro including breakfast which is in my opinion a bargain given the charming place and its sweet owner Federica. In case you want to come during the busy days (mid May, ceri festival, Christmas; New Year, the other festivals or Easter), make sure you email her or give her a call some months before.

Update, November 2010:
Federica has a new website, I have linked it below. Beautiful!! Much much better than the old one :-) Brava! And in case the oversensitive start to scream because the photos on her website and mine here are identical: this is completely normal and legal. I took them (= I am the owner of the photos) and gave her the right to use them on her website, licence free.

Residenza di Via Piccardi on Google Maps.

© Ingrid D., January 2011 (just in case, RickS or others come along and think they can steal texts).

Thank you for reading. I appreciate if you would decide if my review was helpful or not and if you could leave a comment => here :-).

Villa Sonia: A relaxing accommodation in the heart of Umbria

by Valentina82

I stayed at Villa Sonia, in Gualdo Cattaneo (at less than 30 minutes by car from Spoleto). I don't actually know if they have their own web-site, as I found it through an online rental agency www.summerinitaly.com.

Both agency and landlord were very helpful and friendly, and the accommodation is just perfect for a relaxing stay in Umbria: it has a lovely terrace overlooking the hills and fantastic swimming pool. It is situated on top of a hill where almost the whole land is covered in woods...very relaxing.

We stayed there in Semptember paying something more than 500€ per the entire week. So nice :-)

Amazing views of the sweet hills from the swimming pool. There also is an area equipped with a barbecue, perfectly usable for dinner, with some fresh air. There is a ping-pong table, a lawn bowling field, and mountain bikes available. The swimming pool as well as the garden are floodlit for night use...and romantic nights.

Hotel Gattapone: Good value in the heart of Gubbio

by Trekki

(Haha, only now (some weeks after my trip) I found out that I have stayed in a hotel group twice during my central Italy travels – the other one was the Collegio Gentile in Fabriano, Marche).
When I arrived in Gubbio, I was a bit exhausted from the road traffic, it was late afternoon (around 7 pm) and I only wanted a bed without much searching. I found Piazza 40 Martiri, parked the car and set out to look what was nearby. Luckily, Hotel Gattapone was near and also looked nice. Obviously April is not a very popular month for travellers – during the 3 nights I stayed here I was twice the only guest and had many nice and interesting chats with the night porter.
The room was big and faced the lovely terrace (photo 5), but due to the cloudy and cold weather I didn’t sit outside (well, next time). I especially liked the bathroom, as it had heated floor tiles, which came handy after my daily walks in the crisp weather. I also didn’t freeze, as the room heating was excellent and I could also use spare thick blankets. TV and minibar are available. No coffee/tea making facility though.
Breakfast was more than the typical Italian croissants – selections of cheese and cold cuts were available, as well as cereals, orange juice and joghurt. The coffee was freshly made and very delicious (but then again I was in Italy…).
The hotel has 16 rooms and two suites on 3 floors (elevator available). It is prepared for handicapped (see bathroom photo), but then I tried to imagine how people in wheelchairs would be able to manage the steep streets which often even have tiny stairs.

I liked my stay here very much, because the staff was very friendly and helpful and I got so many interesting tips for sightseeing and background information from “my” night porter. And the whole ambience was cosy as well.
Although the hotel is located in a dead end side street and is quiet, the bell clock of Palazzo dei Consoli has a very strange rhythm – it rings every 15 minutes and tells the hour as well (4:15 p.m. for example is one ring for the 15 minutes, followed by 16 rings for the hour) – so if you are not used to this, bring earplugs.

I paid 70 Euro per night for my double room with single occupancy.

Locanda Rosati: Enchanting agriturismo near Orvieto

by Trekki

Locanda Rosati is a very similar enchanting retreat as Il Poggio dei Pettirossi, the previous one I have described. But while Pettirossi is more for individualists (one can decide if one wants to eat there or not for example), Locanda Rosati is more for the sociable visitors. It is a true agriturismo and this means that all guests will be seated around the table at dinnertime and it is almost inevitable that conversations start.
If I compare the premises, Locanda Rosati is certainly bigger and more contorted but lacks the fantastic view of Pettirossi. Ok, so much for comparison between the both.
Locanda Rosati was the farmhouse of the owners during generations and has been transformed into a guesthouse some years ago. The owners live across the street, so one or both are taking care of their guests with passion. The house itself has 3 storeys, the basement is for socialising with a huge library, living room and dining room, while the upper rooms have been converted into guest rooms. All is customised with old (antique) furniture and very much cosy. The rooms are equiped with newer furniture, but also in wood. I liked the design, it was made by the local wood artist Michelangeli, and he has placed little animals here and there, see my bed, right hand side – dormouse. Now guess how my room was called? The dormouse, haha. Consequently, each room was named after one little animal, it was on the room key and somewhere in the room. The rooms are spacious enough (for me, but I have choosen a smaller room anyhow) with bathroom (shower) and a nice view to the garden. I don’t remember if it had TV, but I don’t watch TV when on travels. No coffee/tea making facility though.

The premises are lovely as well, easy to spend a whole holiday there. This is what VT’s Mike and Sue did, they have
devoted their Orvieto page almost entirely to this locanda. On their page you can also see more photos than I took. And they have been there in summer, when it was warm enough to enjoy the pool (photo 2). While I was here, I could pick fresh lemons on my way to the pool (photo 1). The whole garden is so wonderful, some benches here, some benches there, some pathways overgrown with bushes, some herbs in bloom – a real view for heart and soul.

The food is also excellent – see my separate tip about Locanda Rosati restaurant.
What else? There is enough parking outside of the house, but inside of the premises. The gate is locked in the night, but someone of the family sleeps in the house every night, so there is one to let you in if you come back late (but it is advisable to inform them in advance).

All in all I paid 80 Euro per night (single occupancy of double room).

Update, March 2010: only website exchanged.

Il Poggio dei Pettirossi: Million Euro view in the heart of ValleUmbra

by Trekki

I discovered this most magic bed&breakfast or albergo only by chance as I simply did not find the one I was looking for (Torre Antico in Viepri) in April 2008. So I headed further north of Massa Martana, direction Bevagna, and checked one of my travel books for further options. One mentioned an albergo with a gorgeous view into Valle Umbra and I decided to have a look. And oh my, I was speechless once I turned into the parking lot – I had the plain of Valle Umbra in front of me and a view that stretched from Assisi to almost Spoleto. When I asked if they would have a room and how much it costs, I was even more surprised! I would have expected something around 70-80 Euro, but no, 50 Euro only, including breakfast. So my decision was quickly taken and I moved into my room. The room was very big with huge bed, desk at the window, in-built cupboard (in the photo on the right hand side) and big bathroom with shower. The dominating colours were sun and earth, which gave the room a very relaxing atmosphere. No wonder that I didn’t have any “problems” with the weather – I stayed inside when it was raining cats and dogs and enjoyed the view out of the window. And often I was sitting at the terrace, reading.

The premises are very nice and inspiring. They have 29 rooms (mostly double rooms but also triple ones or suites), all built in a row next to each other and separated from the main house and restaurant. With the big meadow in front of the rooms and the huge terracotta flower pots it all looks very much harmonic. Oh, I should mention that the rooms have TV, phone and a minibar. But these things don’t matter much to me. No coffee/tea making facility in the room though.

Behind the restaurant (at a higher elevation than the rooms) is the pool area, which has enough sun chairs and parasols for sunbathing and sitting in the shade. All with this gorgeous view!! I also liked the huge round glass lamps in the pool area, which gave a very soft light in the evening (they are not in the photos here but on my Bevangna page).

Breakfast was served in a room next to the dining area, of course with this magic view across the whole Valle Umbra. The choice was excellent, cold cuts, cheese, jam, fresh bread and croissants, orange juice, a kind of cranberry juice, fresh fruit and caffè (freshly made with a machine) or tea.

The main house is equipped with many old furniture and new design objects like very creative lamps (they have something with lamps). And there is a reading area in the basement and upstairs as well.

Would I stay here again? Yes and in fact I went back in May 2010, when I celebrated my half century birthday with friends. We stayed here and the help and special rates we got from the owners were very good! Read how Sarah (@Toonsarah) describes her stay.

Their restaurant is excellent as well. In early spring it is open Thursday to Sunday, but in summer it is open daily.

Their website is in Italian only at the moment, but excellent made! Please don’t miss their video (I forgot to make one…) – it shows a lot: the relaxing atmosphere, their love for life, hospitality, beauty, design and Brazil (the music is Brazilian). Oh and it also shows a bit more of the pool area, including the huge lamps and their soft light during the night as well as the other light objects and the reading areas and the library. See here:
Il Poggio dei Pettirossi video.

Directions:
From Bevagna, from road SR316, just after having crossed the tiny river, turn right into the tiny road which leads uphill to chiesa Madonna della Grazie (which is signposted). At the church, turn right and then right again to Il Poggio dei Pettirossi.

Location of Il Poggio dei Pettirossi on Google Maps.

© Ingrid D., June 2008 (just in case, RickS or others come along and think they can steal texts), updates April 2012.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate if you would decide if my review was helpful or not and if you could leave a comment => here :-).

Abbazia San Pietro in Valle: The most wonderful room I ever had

by Trekki

Or ... “magic has a name: Abbazia San Pietro in Valle”. I stayed here for one night only, when I was in desperate search for a bed on my way south from Norcia (April 2008). I wanted to see the church of the abbey San Pietro in Valle anyhow and realised that there is also accommodation. So I found my way uphill and parked the car under the glittering silvery green roof of olive trees (note: they take also care for a car’s soul given this maybe most beautiful parking spot a car can ever wish for) I went uphill to search for the reception desk. A nice lady greeted me, seated me in a little very stylish welcome lobby and served me caffè and orange juice, freshly squeezed by the way. She told me that there were indeed enough rooms available, because they had just opened the season end of March. After I finished my drinks, she led me through the huge terrace and through a little gate into the abbey’s cloister. We walked upstairs on the first floor and in one of the rooms we passed she made the incidental remark that this would be the reading room. Reading room!!! How could one concentrate on a book if one sits in this room (photo 5) with all this furniture around?? We finally arrived at the room and I couldn’t help but gasp in amazement – this room was the most perfect room I ever saw to stay and sleep at far away from home (but on the other hand… where is home?).

The rooms are nothing else but the former abbey cells with most of their former features like the old terracotta stones on the floor, the wooden ceilings, in-built shelves and fireplaces still in place. The hotel’s leaflet writes that every room is different. Mine had this magnificent shelf built into the thick stone walls with partly wooden and partly stone files. A little candle here, a little pot with dried flowers there, some vases, some books – as if the former inhabitant only left his room for a prayer in the church. Opposite on the wall was the fireplace, also built into the thick stone walls. The former entry was modified to a closet now, the outer door of course locked forever. A little desk and chair completed the spare but very efficient and plain beautiful interior. The bathroom was restored in the same concept: the old floor stones still there and the modern amenities (shower, sink, toilet and bidet) only built into the stone walls. There is a small TV in the room. No coffee/tea making facility in the room though.

Unique quality? Everything was unique quality here. I spend some time to walk around the stone stairs and take some photos. But given the lack of sun, they are quite darkish. For better photos, please check the hotel’s website.
In the evening, after a splendid dinner in Il Cantico just below the hotel (which is gone by now, but has been replaced with a restaurant called Hora Media; April 2012), I stood for a long time and watched the night through my window and was wondering if the monks might have appreciated this location as much as I (and certainly the other guests as well) did. But then, a monk’s life is spiritual, and I cannot imagine a better place that has spirituality written in big letters all around. Despite it was cold and rainy, I slept with open windows and could smell the fragrance of wet grass in the morning when the “sun”, ok, not sun but daylight, woke me up. Yes, that is something I did – let the light wake me up and not the alarm clock. In this environment I didn’t dare to make noise or let my mobile phone do it. Sounds stupid? No.

Breakfast was served downstairs in the former refectory and consisted in a huge selection of what was typical for the region: wild boar sausage (most probably from Norcia), goat cheese, self-made jam, yoghurt, fresh fruit, cereals, croissants and fresh bread, cakes and tartes and a selection of coffee, caffè or tea.

In my room was a little leaflet with information about the wellness and beauty treatments they offer. On the website is more information about this part of their service. They also have a sauna in the basement.

For my one night including breakfast I paid 90 €. That is more than I would normally spent, but given this location, it was worth every penny.
Would I recommend it? Yes, very much so!!
Would I stay here again? Yes, very much so, but then a bit later with hopefully better weather. I would bring tons of books and would sit in the garden forever and read……

Directions:
The abbazia is located on road SS209, approx. east of Spoleto, in the valley of river Nera, Valnerina. It is approx. 3 km north of Ferentillo and 500 m south of Macenano. Signs lead uphill.

Location of Abbazia San Pietro in Valle on Google Maps.

© Ingrid D., June 2008 (just in case, RickS or others come along and think they can steal texts), updates April 2012.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate if you would decide if my review was helpful or not and if you could leave a comment => here :-).

Check the definition of “low season”

by Trekki

When I was preparing my first trip to Umbria in April 2008 I found some inconsistencies with the definition of the “low/high season” part of accommodation. Even if one hotel/B&B/agriturismo in a certain town or region has defined their low season, this isn’t necessarily valid for the one next door. In other words: I was looking up places to stay at for April – most of the ones I have checked define April as low season, but some don’t.

So if you are researching and come across high season prices for your proposed time, check others nearby and you might find low season prices.

Well, Easter, summer and Christmas are definitely defined as high season throught Umbria’s places to stay. As are the dates around specific local events, such as manifestations (historical events) or religious festivals.

Hotel IL CASTELLO: A picturesque accomodation

by melaverde

The hotel was a castle or a gentleman's residence in the past. Nowadays it's a pretty confortable accomodation right in the heart of the castrum, with a view onto the breathtaking scenery of the Valley and the surronding hills.
The rooms r modest but very clean, the cooking is fairly good, the staff is friendly and the rates r inviting.

Beautiful hall. Swimming-pool (outside).

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Umbria Hotels

532 Hotels

Other Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Hotel Agli Scacchi: Very good option for Valnerina: stay in Preci

L'Orto degli Angeli - Residenza d'Epoca: Marvellous old palazzo in middle Umbria

Residenza di Via Piccardi, Gubbio: Home away from home: Residenza Via Piccardi

Villa Sonia: A relaxing accommodation in the heart of Umbria

Hotel Gattapone: Good value in the heart of Gubbio

Locanda Rosati: Enchanting agriturismo near Orvieto

Il Poggio dei Pettirossi: Million Euro view in the heart of ValleUmbra

Abbazia San Pietro in Valle: The most wonderful room I ever had

Check the definition of “low season”

Hotel IL CASTELLO: A picturesque accomodation

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Questions and Answers