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> SlowTrav > Italy > Vacation Rentals > Reviews > Tuscany Chianti Review 2884: Tenuta di Lupinari, Il Granaio
apartments on an estate near Bucine, Tuscany Chianti 
WhenMay 26 - June 2, 1 week LocationTenuta Lupinari sits on 750 acres of vineyards, olive trees and woods. The nearest village is Bucine, about a 10 minute drive away. There are 11 villas in the complex, which can host from two to 10 people. We loved the area and it was very central to all parts of Tuscany. Nearby AmenitiesYou have to have a car for your stay here. You can only access the estate from a five minute drive on a dirt road and it's another five minute drive to the nearest village. Bucine has a nice size coop store for groceries and essentials, it also has a train station for local trains (we took one to Florence on a day trip) and there are many restaurants and cafes in the town and surrounding area. The famed Prada outlet is only 15-20 minutes from Lupinari! The House/ApartmentThe whole estate has been restored from an ancient village and includes a beautiful castle. Our villa was very spacious and clean. It was one of 11 in the complex and there are four bedrooms that are part of the main house which can be rented nightly instead of weekly. We had a modern kitchen, dining area and living room with corner fireplace. A wooden staircase led to an upstairs bedroom and bathroom. We were high up in the hills, so it was very peaceful at night. GardenEach villa has its own private terrace with patio tables and chairs. There is a large swimming pool which overlooks the vineyards and the Tuscan hills in the distance. There were also various sitting areas scattered throughout the estate, as well as some walking paths and even a small private lake. Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living AreasThe furniture was very nice, comfortable sofa and easy chair in the living room. The apartment was cleaned every day (there is a 48euro weekly cleaning fee) and it was spotless. Bedrooms/BathroomsThe bedroom was on the second level, very big with three windows along one wall. The bed was very comfortable, nice set of drawers and armoire with a wing chair near the windows. The bathroom was very clean, had a stand up shower stall only, a sink, toilet and bidet. Our hostess was happy to lend me a hair dryer when I asked her for one. KitchenThe kitchen had very modern appliances, and was very well equipped with everything to cook with and eat on. There was a nice buffet/hutch on the other side of the dining area with lots of plates, glasses, cups and linens. We cooked several breakfasts there and would have been able to do more elaborate meals if we had wanted to. There was also an Italian espresso machine. Problems or BonusesWe were thrilled with how beautiful our villa and the whole estate was. The owners of Lupinari were very warm and helpful with suggestions about restaurants, day trips, etc. Agency and Representatives (and price)We booked directly with the owners. Marianna spoke English very well and communicated by e-mail with us several times. We sent 1/3 of the weekly rental (€880 for our unit, Il Granaio) by wire transfer when we booked and paid the rest in cash on checkout. The website actually doesn't do the estate and the villas justice, everything was beautiful and so well taken care of. Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?We would stay here again in a heartbeat. This is the type of place you want to share with everyone you know so they can have the same wonderful experience that you did. Things to do in this areaWe took day trips to Siena, Arezzo, Cortona, Florence, Montepulciano, Chianti country and San Gimignano. Lupinari sits almost right in the middle of Tuscany so most places were less than an hour away. We ate at the estate twice during the week. Dinner was €35 per person and included pre-dinner drinks and appetizers in the main living room, a four course meal with their estate bottled wine and digestif after your meal. Breakfast was €10 per person and could be taken in the dining room or served in your villa. As for shopping, Prada was 15 minutes away, what more can I say! This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com. |
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