Casa Fabbrini ValD'Orcia

We loved Casa Fabbrini Rome, but their Tuscan property was a huge disappointment. The website promises “traditional hospitality and expert chefs” — in reality, meals were cooked by summer staff with tinned ingredients. Despite telling them we don’t eat cheese or pork, we were served both. One night we were given burnt gnocchi in a tinned tomato sauce with cheese — completely inedible. Plates were simply cleared and replaced with pork for my husband (who doesn’t eat it), and ice cream for dessert even though I said I didn’t want any. Rooms were run down: leaking air conditioning, faulty showers, and hornets coming in through windows without nets. The pool was unusable due to swarms of biting flies, and the owners parked by the house while guests had to walk further in the dark with no lights. Breakfast was equally poor — stale bread, packet-mix cakes, filter coffee, and the same cherry tomatoes every day. The only positives were the dog, the cleaning staff, and the farmhouse itself (in the owners’ areas). Overall, it felt like everything was done for the owners’ comfort, not the paying guests. Not recommended.