Serenity in Sienna: Belmond Castello Di Castole Review

After a few days in Florence we were ready to relax. Although I have been to Italy a few times I have never explored the Italian countryside.

Where to stay

While searching resorts online I came across the Belmond Castello di Castole. The stunning views, beautiful gardens, relaxing infinity pool and delicious looking car and restaurant stole my heart. We decided to check in to the Belmond for a few days rest.

How to get there

The Belmond Castello di Castole is located in Sienna, about 45 minutes from Florence. Since this was my first time venturing outside the city I learnt a lot of valuable lessons. First unless you rent a car transport in and around the countryside is difficult. Second it is better to rent a car in the city because it is much cheaper than renting in one of the smaller towns or from the resort. Third you can hire a car and driver from the hotel. The cost is very similar to renting a car from the hotel. Since I was not comfortable driving in Italy hiring a car would be a good option. The only reason we decided not to do this was because we would not be able to be out and about all day given the heavy rain.

We were lucky to find a taxi which drove us to the resort.

About our Stay

Upon our arrival we were welcomed with two glasses of Prosecco to enjoy in a beautiful arrivals lounge. I love how check in to hotels in Europe is not stressful like in some places. You don’t have to stand and wait in line. They allow you to rest and relax which they take care of your check in.

The hotel has many different types of rooms and suites. We decided to stay in a split level suite called the Limonite Suite. I chose this room because of the gorgeous private patio with lounges that lead into a beautiful garden. Since there were two of us it was nice having a lounge on a separate floor so if we were up at different times we would not wake the other person. If you are travelling with a friend I definitely recommend this layout.

By the time we went to Siena the weather had improved. We had nice warm and sunny mornings with Rainer afternoons and evenings. The combination of rainy weather and the lack of transport forced us to spend all of our time in Siena at the hotel. Lucky for us the hotel had many activities.

The hotel as Aqua di Parma amenities. The size of the products is bigger than usual hotel products and the smell is lovely. We also got different small treats with turn down such as a facemark, mosquito repellant and a face wash. The face wash was not Aqua di Parma but it is one of the best hotel face washes I have ever used.

What to do

Pool

The hotel has a stunning infinity pool which overlooks the Tuscan countryside and the city of Siena. We spent most of our time during the day at the pool. It was peaceful and the perfect place to relax.

Ecoprinting

Before our stay at Castello di Castole I had never heard of ecoprinting. I love trying new activities and this one piqued my interest since you got to make a scarf or bag and this seemed like a great keepsake from our trip.

Castello di Castole is a great place for ecoprinting since it has a large variety of foliage and many gardens. We started the activity by choosing a variety of flowers and leaves.

I did not have a print in mind when I went into the ecoprinting and my advice would be to have a pattern in mind. This way you can choose your flowers and leaves accordingly. Luckily with some quick trial placements I came up with a pattern I liked. We covered have the scarf with our pattern. Over this we placed a dyed cloth. The cloth transferred the color over to our scarf. We used a rolling pink to flatten the flowers and press the dyed cloth down. We then placed the second set of flowers over the dyed cloth and folded the scarf over top. We did one final roll with he rolling pin. The last step was to roll the scarf up tight.

The scarf soaks in a solution which helps with transferring the floral and leaf print onto the fabrics. After 24 hours we unwrapped our scarves.

The reveal was so much fun to see. Once unwrapped we picked off the flowers and leaves. It was interesting to see which leaves transferred their print and which didn’t. Not all leaves would transfer as green. Some roots transferred as a red color. For the final product we had to wash the scarf until the water ran clear then we left the scarves to dry.

If you ever get the chance to try ecoprinting I definitely recommend it. It is a lot of fun and you get a great souvenir.

Spa

With the suite package I booked we got spa credit. While usually spending time inside a spa while in Italy would seem like a waste given the rain this was perfect! I decided to try out one of the body treatments. I started with a scrub, followed by a facial and did with a massage.

The spa at Castello di Casole is lovely. The facilities include an indoor hot tub, dry sauna and steam room. I loved using these on the rainy afternoons. The lounge area is quiet and has relaxing day beds. They were the perfect place for a cup of tea and a peaceful place to read a book.

Wine Tasting

The hotel has a sommelier and impressive wine cellar. The tastings at the hotel are not complimentary and are not cheap. They start at 130 euro per person with a minimum of 2. The tasting includes a meat and cheese charcuterie platter. While you get to try some unique and rare wines I do think this is quite a steep price. If you have transport and can venture off property to some surrounding vineyards I am sure you could try some fabulous wines at a better price. Since we were rained out in the afternoons I decided to try a wine tasting.

The tastings are private and just for your own group with the sommelier. Since I am interested in wine I found this a fun experience and got to ask many questions.

Castello di Casole has their own vineyard and produces their own red wine. I will admit this was not my favourite wine. I did fine a few other Italian reds which I loved. I had never heard of Brunello di Montalcino wines before and these have become a new favourite red.

Pizza Making

The hotel has an option of pizza making however we did not try it out. You get to make your own pizza then have it for lunch. I would definitely try this out another time!

Where to Eat

Lounge Bar

The hotel has a gorgeous bar where you can enjoy lunch, afternoon aperitifs and a light dinner. The bar has a great cocktail list with a whole sparkling cocktail menu. Any bar with its own sparkling cocktails is a great bar in my opinion.

On our first day we start with aperetivo hour at the bar. What I love about cocktails in Italy is the the bars always give so many amazing snacks! Honestly sometimes the snacks alone are a meal.

I had dinner one night at the bar. There were enough options to make a meal out of it. My favourite item were the truffle arancini.

Tosca Restaurant

The hotel restaurant is where breakfast and dinner are served.

Breakfast was included in our stay. There are other buffet and a la carte options included. I am not a big breakfast person but the selection of food was great. I did try the pancakes and they were amazing. Crisp outside and fluffy on the inside, total perfection.

We had dinner twice at the restaurant. It is hard to choose a favourite dish. The seafood salad, truffle pasta and lamb risotto are some items that stand out in my mind. All the desserts were amazing and they even had celiac friendly desserts (that weren’t just gelato!).

Drinks at the bar was always a fun way to end the night since many of the people staying at the hotel would hang around there.

pool Grill

The pool grill was the perfect spot for a delicious lunch will soaking in the sun poolside.

Picnic Lunch

The hotel offers a picnic lunch which you can enjoy anywhere on the grounds.

There are so many gorgeous spaces and gardens. We decided to have our picnic in the herb garden. While there is a table you can use we decided to set up on the ground amongst the herbs.

The picnic lunch included bread, salad, pasta, fruit and dessert. The food was delicious and enough for two meals!

If you want a fun way to have a meal while taking in the views I definitely reccomend the picnic lunch.

Overall we have a fantastic stay at Catello di Casole. This is my first time staying at a Belmond hotel and the level of service and attention to detail is exquisite. Given the hotel’s close proximity to Florence it is an easy hotel in the countryside to visit and stay at. The hotel has many activities you can try which kept our stay busy. If I went again I would consider renting a car or hiring a car and driver in order to see more of the small towns. It would be nice if there were more attractions to the hotel within walking distance but there is not much in close proximity. Siena town centre is gorgeous with apparently a great gelato place (next time I must go!). There were only a few families there with young children. Personally I think the hotel is better suited for groups of friends, couples or families with older children. As someone without children I really enjoyed the peace and quiet of the hotel.