Stayed for two weeks summer 2015. Cannot recommend property due to:
1. Facilities old fashioned, cleaned to basic standard, lack of recent expenditure, kitchen and fittings minimal, no extraction hood so cooking smell/heat cannot escape, tape around toaster lead, electric oven cannot be used if one other appliance (eg washing machine) is used at same time as the main electrics will trip.
2. Electric supply to property very poor - it rained on two occasions and both time electrics again tripped, leaving us one time stuck outside the fenced property as the electric gate would not open for access.
3. When electrics trip you have to go to outside the property garden into lane and open a sealed enclosure to reset the main electrics, we had to do this circa 6 times during our stay which appears rather dangerous for client to do especially in external environment.
4. Hot water and wifi both failed.
5. Advertised as private property but the owner has a man living actually on site and both he and the owner accessed the property during our stay without prior warning. One night the man living on site knocked on front door at 10pm to replace the TV set.
6. Air con only available in two bedrooms for which you have to pay extra, during our stay the remainder of the house became uncomfortably hot in evenings. There was no fans for use elsewhere so we requested these be provided but the owner told us he did not understand, only after a week later he arrived, again without warning, with one fan for our use.
7. Pool beds old and hard plastic, no cushions or covers.
8. At end of our stay the owner accused us of tampering with the pool filtration system and breaking two of the old poolbeds, tried to with-hold deposit, after we argued he returned the deposit.
9. Difficult to contact owner, phone message would tell us his telephone nr inactive, often instead had to ask the man living onsite to try to assist us (but he spoke no english).
The area of Colle Di Val D'Elsa is lovely area and ideal for exploring this part of Tuscany, local people friendly.
Restaurant - definitely try 'Portanova' located in entrance to the fortified walls to the old town, approx 100 Euros for 5 people. Cookery lesson - try 'Il Paretaio' near Barberino, 30 Euros each. Horse riding - try 'Centro Ippico L'Agrifoglio'- near Staggia Senese, 30 Euros each.
In summary, lovely area just don't recommend this property.
