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Help. Alternative to Cretaiole?

Posted by (South Carolina) on

We were in Tuscany two years ago and were fortunate enough to stay at Cretaiole. We enjoyed our stay immensely and were hoping to return in the future. We are planning another trip to the region this September and had hoped to stay there again but, due to their popularity, they are booked during our time period.
Since they are unavailable, what alternative places in that area could you recommend? As much love at Cretaiole gets on this site, I know that not everyone that travels to this area stays there. There has got to be some other places in the general area that are favored and much loved by RS travelers.

As a retired photographer, I really love staying in the Val d'Orcia region and am eagerly hoping to catch a few more sunrises in that beautiful area of Tuscany.

So please, share your experiences and recommendations so we can get this going!

Posted by
261 posts

Cretaiole is a fine property with caring owners, but it's not my personal Val d'Orcia favorite. What exactly did you love about Cretaiole? If photography and spectacular views are your goal, there are many other choices that deliver in this region.

Posted by
2023 posts

We liked La Crociana which is located just outside of Montalcino--stayed there a week a few years ago. Take a look.

Posted by
54 posts

Every place has its plus and minuses. It’s not necessarily the accommodations that we liked, but it was the overall welcoming experience that we liked. The location is on a bluff overlooking the valley and is convenient to many local towns and places of interest. We also really enjoyed extras that they offered such as the pasta making class, the wine tasting, farm tour, etc. Also, we got the feeling that a lot of thought and effort was put into making sure our stay was pleasant. For example, my wife was thrilled with the special three-ring binder that has driving excursions, complete with maps and detailed directions for day trips from there. (She still talks about that binder!) It was the small details like this that made the stay memorable.

What are we looking for?
_Someplace outside of a major town but within a 10-20 minute drive to one so we can pick up groceries etc.
_ A kitchen. The room we stayed in was small but had a kitchen, something we would like this trip.

I’m really hoping for recommendations for other places in that area where people have stayed, enjoyed and would definitely stay at again if they returned.

Posted by
54 posts

Susan, Thank you! I will look into your recommendation.

NYCTravelSnob, you mentioned you have a favorite or favorite places in the area. Would you mind sharing?

Posted by
54 posts

Thanks April! We will add those to the list to check out.

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