Relais Santa Chiara San Gimignano

The Relais Santa Chiara hotel is set among the most spectacular views in all of Italy. It is just a short walk from the hotel to an amazing small midevil town that is one of the most unique and hospitable that we were able to visit. The staff at the hotel is so helpful and kind, and they are sure to make your experience in Tuscany everything you hope it will be. The hotel offers great services and they are more than happy to make sure you are comfortable and well taken care of. We highly recommend booking a room with a balcony because the views you will awaken to each morning are breath taking. We would recommend this hotel to anyone planning to visit the area and we are sure it would be pleasing to anyone.

During our stay both our room and our "keyed room safe" were entered and my wallet was stolen. The hotel owners were of no help and denied to me and police at first that there were master keys. Turns out that there are. Also, when safe keys are lost by guests, it appears that they simply make new keys and don't change locks. So it is likely that someone has access to rooms and safes.

Spent 10 nights at the Relais Santa Chiara in San Gimignano in June 2005. Initially it was rather difficult to find as there was hardly any signs for the hotel and it is positioned off a gravelled path. The ground floor reception and dining room are light, airy and clean with typical italian decor. The small room we reserved was pleasant with adequate facilities such as fridge, TV, Hair dryer, air-con, radio etc... the balcony was large and private surrounded by flowers, as we looked past the balcony we were speechless as tuscany presented us with it's finest views, rolling hills, cypress trees, vinyards, olive groves and the odd house or church dotted about the hills. The service from the staff their was excellent, they were friendly and always available to assist you, they spoke good english and could even undertsand my attempts at italian. San Gimignano medieval walled town is situated not more than 10 minutes walk from the hotel although it is up hill some of the way, this has many shops and restaurants to keep even the most enthusiastic of shoppers interested. Out of ten we can give the whole holiday a ten and feel the hotel played a major part in making our time in Italy so enjoyable, can't wait to return next year.

Wonderful hotel overlooking the hills. It was a pleasant 10 minute walk into the town. The pool was very nice after a long day's walk. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Breakfast was OK but not special. Would return again and would recommend it.

The road to the hotel had a sign adjacent to a grubby building, I was horified as I had booked this holiday for my wife and a friends birthdays, however, the sign was simply pointing to the hotel which was nestled in the hillside bounded by two very quiet roads. The hotel did not cater for evening meals but the views and rooms could not be faulted, the staff were very helpful and friendy, eager to serve, nothing too much trouble. The walk into town was approximately ten minutes uphill, shorter on the way back, the town is magnificent and local people friendly. The hotel has a good size pool but I would suggest it is not a childrens hotel, its quiet and relaxing. Certainly we would return to this hotel without question and recommend it as a perfect place to sit around the pool with a glass of local wine and relax.

The best thing about this hotel is the location, I think it's the only hotel with a pool within walking distance of San Gimignano & if you arrive in time to get one of the free parking spots this is a bonus. We stayed for 3 nights in Sept 2004, & chose a small room with a large balcony. Balcony was great, with fantastic views. However, room was tiny with dated decor & the shower was very small with a shower curtain that stuck to you whenever you moved! Swimming pool area is okay, plenty of comfy loungers, but you can't see the views due to the high hedges so it can feel quite small. Also, didn't go in the pool as thought it looked quite dirty. San Gimignano is fantastic & I would recommend this hotel for the location but don't expect too much from the rooms.

The Santa Chiara Hotel is situated near the main gates of San Gimignano. Thus it strikes a good balance between proximity and seclusion. The hotel maintains a low profile on the hillside and each room has ample privacy. Rooms were clean and neat, though small as is typical of Italy. Breakfast was good, but not spectacular. There's a nice veranda and swimming pool. The staff was very helfpul and accomodating. Parking was tight. Our biggest complaint was the excessive use of perfumes in the room which triggered my allergies. Otherwise, a nice choice.

We stayed at Relais Santa Chiara for our honeymoon in September 04. It was a wonderful hotel. It is just outside the walls of San Gimignano, "The prettiest town in Tuscany". It is a short walk into town, set on top of hill, with a fab views of the valley and free parking. The rooms are small, quiet clean, have a balconeys with wonderful views. A/C's are forbidden at night, but the open balconeys more than made up for it. The staff is super friendly. Safe's are availaible in the room or by the check inn desk free of charge. A computer is availaible for internet access. Breakfast is a special treat. Fresh fruits, yogurts, cold cuts, eggs, fresh squeezed juices, capachhionos...yummmm..puts the day to a wonderful start. We booked through Venere..excellent service. We are definitely going back!

Relais Santa Chiara is a wonderful hotel located just outside the walls of San Gimignano. The hotel is charming, the staff is friendly and go beyond the call of duty to help you with all your needs. Our room was large, clean, nicely decorated and quite charming, the views from our room of the Tuscan countryside were wonderful (I recommend you spend a few dollars more and get a room with a balcony facing the pool). Parking and access to the hotel was easy. It is a short walk into San Gimignano for touring and dinner. I highly recommend this hotel and would stay here again!