British family of 4

Guest: Sam (Yorkshire, england)
Date of Stay: 08/05/11 Review Submitted: 09/04/11

We had a wonderful stay in Fienele in summer 2011. Everything exceeded our expectations: the setting, the grounds & the quietness of this place are fabulous. We've taken lots of photos of the views but no photo can do this place justice. The house is well equipped and the pool is one of the nicest we've seen. Jonathan & Roberta and family are delightful hosts with a brilliant outdoor oven for those wonderful authentic pizzas. There are so many great places to visit nearby so its hard to choose between days enjoying this place or driving to one of the very many lovely Umbrian towns and villages, there are many great places to visit. We have great memories of sitting out with BBQ, wine & beer on the terrace enjoying the superb view to Montone, we highly recommend this place!

Owner response:Thank you Paul for your kind words and we are so happy that you and your family enjoyed our secret getaway hideout. Paul found out about our place from former guests who stayed two years ago, so we are very grateful to them for the recommendation; the best way to find the best guests...

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

A perfect get-away-from-it-all!

Guest: Neil & Mandi (Saffron Walden, UK)
Date of Stay: 07/22/11 Review Submitted: 08/20/11

This was our third stay at Pianelle - we had summers here in 2008 and 2009 but missed last year to our regret! Two weeks passes rather quickly and we were sadder than ever to have to go home this year; the peace and tranquility have to be experienced to be believed ! This year we chilled out more than ever and stayed 'home' sampling the fantastic local home made pastas, acceptable wines and the star filled skies overlooking Montone on the next hill. The town still offers excellent, and excellent value eating from the simple to the exquisite, and the people are friendly and helpful. Add a very helpful but discreet property manager and gardener, a superbly kept pool and solitude without isolation to make a holiday property it would be very hard to equal let alone better. Our only regret is that this year we missed meeting Roberta and Jonathan by a few days; maybe next year!

Owner response:We are so sorry to have missed Neil & Mandy this year, but are very pleased to hear that we are keeping up with their expectations. I wonder if they have any comments on the local restaurants as they are fair judges in our view and we like to hear what places they liked best. We certainly hope to see you next year.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+.

Wonderfully relaxing stay in beautiful countryside.

Guest: Joanne & Carl (New Zealand)
Date of Stay: 06/18/11 Review Submitted: 07/20/11

All we can say is Wow! What an idyllic getaway in an amazing location. Looking across the valley to Montone was spectacular and only a 5 minute drive for supplies. Great variety of restaurants in the local town. The 1 bedroom villa was in superb condition, 100% clean and tidy with good (although small) shower with great water pressure. The swimming pool was a must have and added real value to the property. Meeting Jonathan and Roberta was an added bonus, as they are wonderful hosts ensuring we had everything we needed, it added to the whole experience. Would highly recommend this property if you're after a quiet location but only a short drive to the must see areas of Umbria. This is the place to stay.

Owner response:Joanne and Carl are very experienced world travelers and have seen it all, so we are so happy to hear their positive comments. Thank you guys and we hope to see you again one day (maybe in NZ?).

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Very satisfied UK renter in Summer 2010

Guest: David S (Baslow, Derbyshire, UK)
Date of Stay: 08/17/10 Review Submitted: 09/08/10

A wonderful holiday and lovely hosts. We were very lucky to overlap with the owners being in residence in the near by farmhouse and spent a very enjoyable evening with them at Montone's festival and at a pizza making evening using the outside wood fired oven. They couldn''t have been more helpful with advice and suggestions of where to visit or eat or making sure we had everything we needed. This is a superb location, well placed to visit the sites and cities but also hidden away in a beautiful quiet valley. Montone is a beautiful hill top village and the elegant city of Perugia is only 20 mins away. The view while sitting outside the house for meals or relaxing was the best we have ever experienced in many years of visiting Italy and renting villas.

Owner response:David is an expert traveller of Italy and his knowledge of the history and culture humbles many Italian scholars, and his meticulous research resulted in him choosing our place to spend his precious time off. Therefore, his comments about the quality of the view/location and the peacefulness he feels while taking it in carries a lot of weight and are not dolled out casually. We appreciate his feedback and are very proud that he feels the way we do about this place.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Au milieu des collines

Guest: Eric (Paris/ France)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/15/10

Idéal si vous aimez le calme et la campagne. La maison est située près d'un petit village charmant (Montone). Il faut monter un chemin raide de 1km pour arriver à la maison. La vous êtes au milieu de la nature, avec des vues superbes sur les collines. Maison bien entretenue, accès Internet, literie excellente, et propriétaire charmant.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Fabulous!

Guest: Jill R (Vancouver, Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 08/12/10

My husband and I stayed here with our 10 and 12 year old boys for a week in July and we loved it. Great views of Montone and the surrounding countryside. Very private, serene, clean and well equipped. The pool is great. Montone is a lovely old hill town and the villa is not too far by car from other places of interest in Umbria. The owners were very helpful with ideas for outings and things to see, as was the local caretaker. We would definitely return and hope to one day!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Neil & Mandi (-)
Date of Stay: 09/19/08 Review Submitted: 09/19/08

Date of Stay: August 2008 This property near Montone in the stunningly beautiful Umbrian hills, is the closest we have come to a perfect holiday location for many years, if ever before. It took a painstaking internet search early this year to find such a gem, and from the moment of booking I was not disappointed. Jonathan, the owner, contacted me within a couple of hours with some helpful advice and insights, and nearer the time of arrival sent a comprehensive and helpful property guide plus details of a good route from our arrival airport (Ancona) When we arrived at the top of the winding track, we were immediately overwhelmed by the beauty of the place; even more so when we learned that we were the sole occupants of the whole property for the fortnight! Jonathan and Roberta, who were present for our first day showed us around; from that point we just revelled in the peace and tranquility of the house, grounds and superbly kept pool (thanks Alberto!) You may accuse me of hyperbole, but I can't describe the utter relaxation of sitting on the patio, overlooking Montone on the next hill, watching the Buzzards hunt in the wooded hillsides and seeing the sun set, with the stars gradually appearing in a sky unaffected by light pollution, with a glass of Orvieto in hand! For those with families, the property is very well equipped; although Umbria has a negligible crime rate, the electric gates offer extra security, and also prevent younger children wandering off. The more adventurous will find a number of interesting towns within 30 minutes to 1 hours drive. Montone itself is a gem, and it has a number of excellent local bars and restaurants. Nearby Umbertide has everything else but less character. For high quality shopping, Perugia has some fantastic offerings, not forgetting the local Perugina chocolate! Mandi and I will be returning here; it would be difficult to find a more conducive spot to get away from the rigours of everyday life for a week or two! Recommended for: Sightseeing, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

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