We rented a room at the Ponzano for four nights during our honeymoon in autumn of 2007. At the end of our visit we were nearly in tears, wishing we could stay at this fantastic villa for the duration of our full two-week vacation.

Absolutely everything about Torre di Ponzano is wonderful, from the location to the grounds to the rooms themselves. Centrally located in Tuscany, the hotel is a short drive from the quaint (if tiny) village of Barberino val d'Elsa, as well as the legendary towers of San Gimigniano. The olive groves that surround Ponzano will inspire poetry in any soul, and there are even a few barn cats who prowl the grounds, chasing birds and sunning themselves on the ancient stone walls of this former farmhouse. The room we stayed in was tastefully decorated -- simple and rustic, but with a European flair for color and design. The fixtures in the bathroom were new and modern (with a large shower ... yay!) and we especially loved how huge the room was. After staying in a postage-stamp-sized closet of a room in Rome, Torre di Ponzano seemed like a palace.

But what we loved most about our time at Ponzano was the warmth and humor of our hosts, Alba and Andrew. They were like characters out of an Italian comedy, with contagious laughter and endlessly wonderful stories to tell. Alba spent more than an hour with us, hand-drawing maps of the countryside and giving us tips about where to park and when to visit nearby attractions. Although the hosts don't live at the villa, they are there often, visiting with guests and tending to the property. We still speak about Alba and Andrew with fondness, and recommend the Torre di Ponzano at every opportunity.

One caveat: Because the Ponzano is a bit difficult to find the first time around, the owners will ask you to meet them at the nearby Hotel Zucchi. Be forewarned that the Hotel Zucchi is is on the outskirts of an industrial complex, and isn't a likely location for a hotel (by American standards, anyway). We second-guessed ourselves trying to find it, but once we stuck to Alba's very clear directions, we were able to track it down. Smooth sailing from there.

Absolutely beautiful - family of 4 with 2 teenage boys. Plenty of room, lovely home. Home owners are absolutely perfect providing recommendations, directions, etc. 30 minutes to Florence, 20 minutes to Siena.

Will visit again, will stay at Torre di Ponzano!

There was a dreamlike quality to our stay at Torre di Ponzano. Perched on a hill, all you can see for miles are beautiful olive groves and the Tuscan countryside. Andrew and Alba were excellent hosts. They were especially helpful with local recommendations.

Torre is situated no more than a half hour relaxing drive to Florence, San Gimignano, and Siena. We also went to Pisa which is further a field but still manageable in a way that you are not knackered at the end of the day. For a tourist destination that you hear about your entire life it was well worth seeing it in person.

On a practical note our accommodations were exceedingly spacious. After being out for the day we would return to Torre for a wonderful meal that we prepared after stopping at the local grocery store. Then we either swam or everyone could find a place to read a book, relax or do their own thing without tripping over each other. I stress this point because we came very close to booking a hotel room for five days in Florence. Instead we stayed in the countryside and made daily sojourns into the cities and towns (we even stayed ‘home’ at Torre for one day).

When we went sightseeing we would arrive early in the tourist areas and leave just as they were becoming unbearably crowded. For instance on the day we went to Florence the Ponte Vecchio on the way in, in the morning had about 6-8 people on it. When we were leaving it looked as though the New York City marathon was being run across it – but without beginning or end. Fifteen minutes after heading back to Torre we were breathing in the fresh Tuscan air and the only thing we had to contend with was the odd wild boar crossing the road.

We did all of our food shopping on the way back in the afternoon or early evening. It definitely made it more economical and relaxing since we prepared simple meals. We did go to a couple of the restaurants in the local town which were decent and had a great view. You may want to think twice about ordering Bisteca Fiorentina. Our experience was that it was a steak that was twice the cost it would have been at home for half the taste. Plus the smallest 'portion' you could order was 2 lbs. Our best local ‘culinary’ experience was the bar just outside of the town. It is a local hangout and thus devoid of pretension or weariness of tourists. It was great to end our evening there with a coffee and gelato.

If there is one drawback to Torre I would say that it was not a great location if you like to walk. We did not walk on the grounds because they are forested and by the time we were ready for a walk it was already getting dark. But this was also the time when we were going out to dinner on the two nights we did. It would have been nice to walk to the restaurant after having driven during the day, but with two children, and cars zipping on the dark country road leading into town it was not going to make for an enjoyable walk. Would it stop me from going back? No.

By the way, go to the Café delle Carozze right near the Ponte Vecchio. Surprisingly it was not overrun (we actually got an outside table both times we went) and the gelato is worth writing in TripAdvisor about.

The highlight of our first trip to Italy (3 weeks) was our one-week stay at Torre di Ponzano. From the minute we arrived we were greeted with such warmth and hospitality from the owners, Alba and Andrew, that we felt we were with old friends. This lovey "Country House" is located in an incredibly beautiful area of Tuscany that is easily accessible to Florence, Siena, and many other beautiful cities and areas of Tuscany and Chianti. Our trip would never have been such a wonderful success without Torre di Ponzano and Alba & Andrew. Thank you so much for all the time and attention to guide us thru your beautiful country. On a scale of 1 to 10 we would have to give Torre di Ponzano and its owners a 10+ rating. We will certainly plan on returning to Italy and Torre di Ponzano.

Sincerely, The Lawsons, SC