Name: Rentvillas.com
Address: 1697 NW Precision Ln, Bend
Rating: 4.38

“Overall: We loved our stay at the castle!”

(Il Castello 27) - Posted 19 years ago

“Overall: Just delightful! Enjoyed Most: The quietness, and the regal beauty. Enjoyed Least: All the steps!!! Surrounding Area: The vistas were incredible. Hey, its Tuscany! Nearby Events or Locales: Baccaiano, and we did walk there. Tips or Restaurants: Come prepared to do lots of walking, plan to eat a few of your meals in your room in addition to breakfast. If you have the right amenities, you can do your own cooking. Directions: Taxi driver knew his way. That was the upside, downside was not having our own vehicle, but we worked it out just fine!”

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(Il Castello 18) - Posted 15 years ago

“Enjoyed Most: We loved everything about it, the architecture is wonderful, the grounds are like heaven. I would like to think the people-staff are the best, and we are going back next year or sooner. Thank you so very much - I told all my friends about you and they are sure to contact you. Thank you so much we had the best vacation we ever had. Surrounding Area: Everything. Tips or Restaurants: This is the place to stay, if you are looking for the real thing.”

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(Il Castello 13) - Posted 19 years ago

“Overall: We just loved it! Enjoyed Most: It was just like being in a little bit of heaven, our own castle! The views from the property were wonderful! Enjoyed Least: The restaurant. Although, the special Tuscan dinner was great. Surrounding Area: We loved the countryside and winding roads. Nearby Events or Locales: Montagna, and yes it was within walking distance. Tips or Restaurants: Really stress the late check-in, especially for those like us who take the red eye flights. The castle staff was kind enough to do our room early as we were falling on our faces! Also suggest people bring things like salt and pepper, packets of sugar, and as we did some coffee to get started with.”

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(Il Castello 10) - Posted 20 years ago

“Overall: Wonderful! Enjoyed Most: The beautiful setting in the village, the lovely house, good bathrooms/showers/kitchen appliances. Enjoyed Least: A larger coffee pot would have been nice. Nearby Events or Locales: Broadwell. Yes, it's an easy walk to the village green. Tips or Restaurants: Many good pubs/inns to try, notably the lovely, friendly Fox Inn right there in Broadwell. Directions: Very easy to find.”

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(Gretel's Cottage) - Posted 12 years ago

“Overall: It was absolutely wonderful! Enjoyed Most: The VIEW! Enjoyed Least: The ferry ride across from Venice, but it was well worth it! Surrounding Area: Small restaurant towards the ferry stop was wonderful - I cannot recall the name, however it also offered sandwiches to go at the front of the restaurant as well as outdoor seating. Food and service was excellent. Nearby Events or Locales: Take the ferry across. Very easy and convenient, although pricey. Buy the pass for a few days. Tips or Restaurants: We did not cook at all here. They provided coffee, cream, breakfast items stocked in fridge such as ham, water, milk and then crackers, cereal, etc! It was a treat in itself! Directions: It was good to take the taxi if you have many bags. We ended up rolling our bags when we left, down to the public transportation and took the ferry to the Piazza Roma - it was very easy and fast, too! Check In Out: Great experience - they upgraded our room for us! How delightful!”

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(Giudecca 4) - Posted 18 years ago

“Overall: Wonderfully welcoming family, very comfortable and charming house, great pool area (too cold for us to swim), incredible views, nice location. Enjoyed Most: Views, the welcoming Italian family, charming bedrooms, amazing dinner. Enjoyed Least: No complaints... the shower could be larger, but it was fine. Surrounding Area: Beautiful countryside, easy to get everywhere -- day trips to Assisi, Orvieto, Perugia, Citta di Castello, etc. Nearby Events or Locales: The only minor issue for us was that we couldn't walk to town. We're happy with long walks, but the road is narrow and twisting with steep drop-offs, and not suitable for walking to get to the nearest cafe. Tips or Restaurants: Internet service at the wine bar in Cortona at the end of the main shopping street is the best way to get online. Have a bottle of wine, sit outside, and enjoy the Internet access while you watch the passeggiata.”

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(Girardi) - Posted 14 years ago

“Overall: My sister and I (72 and 62 respectively) had a terrific time in Furore! The villa was spectacular, with lovely views of the sea and the town of Praiano below. So overall, we loved the trip and the accommodations!! The unpleasantries were few and insignificant. I would be more than happy to recommend the villa to anyone who loves modern, luxury accommodations, peace and quiet (except for the barking dog) and superb views of the sea! Enjoyed Most: The unit was spotless, well maintained, beautiful furnishings, and had very new appliances, comfortable beds, and there was lots of space. Since we went the first week of May, they had just filled the pool and it was very cold, but we went in once anyway. Loved being able to open the French doors in the bedroom, walk out to the terrace at night, watch the sunset or sunrise, see the moon relfected in the sea below. We met the owners, and they were very friendly and gracious. There is a flock of sheep that grazes on the hillside below, and we loved watching them. Sometimes the shepherd was with them, sometimes not. There were three sheep that seemed to have special dispensation to stay out late into the dusk, all by themselves. We also encountered a herd of goats that crossed our path on the road – that was cool! The local agents were very polite and ready to answer any questions. I even called them during the week for directions to somewhere, or to inquire about why the Amalfi Coast Road was closed from Praiano to Sorrento (landslide, apparently); they were happy to take our calls. They kept saying how expensive electricity is in Italy, but we only used about $30 of electricity the entire week. Of coure, we only needed air conditioning one day, and then the weather became very pleasant. We found the villa to be very energy efficient. Enjoyed Least: The things we found unpleasant: there is a dog that lives not far from the villa that enjoys barking loudly and often. The steps to the villa are steep and strenuous – four flights to get up to our unit – not for people with mobility problems. There’s only parking on the narrow street in front of the villa or down about 100 feet to a small place for one car. I managed to find the BBC channel on the TV only once. Tips or Restaurants: You absolutely need a car to get around, and driving on the spaghetti roads on the mountain at night wasn’t something I wanted to deal with, so eating a cold dinner in the evenings worked out perfectly. There’s nothing in the main part of Furore to speak of, except for a pizza parlor/sports bar – it had the only bad food we experienced on our trip. And there was also a fairly well stocked bodega in Furore where we got juices, fruits, cookies, and other necessities. But we often stopped at a whim whenever we saw a restaurant along the road that had good sea views, and that worked out very well. For restaurants, I’d suggest “Da Maria” in Amalfi, just a few yards down from the Duomo. Hotel Rufolo in Ravello also had wonderful views and excellent food. Lunches at Restaurant Fornillo and Trattoria Ciccio above the Amalfi Drive were wonderful - local produce, fresh catch, excellent service. We wanted to eat at the Torre Normano near Maiori, but it was closed for lunch and the walk from the road to the restaurant would have been very strenuous. It’s amost impossible to park in Amalfi unless you are very lucky or you don’t mind walking all the way from the remote parking lot beyond the bus parking. It’ll probably take you about 15 minutes to go from there to the main entrance to Amalfi. We loved the Duomo in Amalfi and the gardens in Ravello... and the art/ceramic shops. Directions: We called the agents from Amalfi about an hour beforehand, and they suggested that we meet in Amalfi rather than in the town of Furore as suggested on the rental voucher. That was an excellent idea, since it would have been difficult to find the meeting place ourselves, and impossible to find the villa without a guide. We followed the agents right up to the villa and did the rental necessities there.”

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(Furore 2) - Posted 13 years ago

“Overall: We had a wonderful week there. The welcome basket was nice and fun, the rooms were spotless and charming, and the little town was pleasant. The town pub had great food and atmosphere, and Ebrington was located close to many other places we wished to visit. Enjoyed Most: The overall quality of the cottage. It was perfect for two people. Enjoyed Least: The cottage lacked WiFi, which made it inconvenient to contact relatives and to keep up with things. We had to go to the pub to get access. Surrounding Area: One of the most peaceful and beautiful areas we have ever visited, and we travel a lot! Nearby Events or Locales: Beyond Ebrington, in which we were centrally located, Chipping Camden was a couple of minutes drive away. We could do some basic shopping there. Ebrington has no stores. Directions: We asked around town and eventually stumbled across the property. GPS got us into town. Folks at the pub had no clue, so we had to go exploring to find the cottage.”

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(Flower Cottage) - Posted 11 years ago

“Overall: The best villas we have stayed in over the past five years - the managers were as wonderful as the property itself! Enjoyed Most: Location - outdoor space even in cool, rainy weather, it was delightful - the overall layout and comfortable feel of the entire place. Surrounding Area: Peaceful, beautiful gardens and landscaping, secluded without being far removed from Ronda and other places we wanted to visit. Nearby Events or Locales: Ronda - would have been a long and possibly traffic-congested walk - the drive was just fine and quick. Tips or Restaurants: EVERYTHING is provided for you at this villa! We did bring our own Tide laundry pods and our own peanut butter - but the villa had detergent available...and we don't like Nutella which seems to be the only nut butter available anywhere we travel in Europe! Directions: The tricky part in the directions for us was where we were to turn off of the main road from Sevilla - we misunderstood the turn after the blue lodging highway indicators and ended up on the wrong road...but we did have our own GPS and knew we were within five miles of the place and a few inquiries got us there! Check In Out: Caroline and Robert were very welcoming and helpful...and had a welcome basket that far exceeded any expectations bread, cheese, meats, butter, wines, crackers, etc. etc. All went extremely smoothly at both arrival and departure.”

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(Finca Ronda - Villa Sol) - Posted 10 years ago

“Overall: Great! This is a gorgeous property on a magnificent estatewith manicured grounds, a beautiful vineyard, swimming pool, and an interesting history. It was what one dreams of when thinking of visiting Tuscany. Enjoyed Most: The beautiful setting, the privacy, the comfort and convenience of this tastefully restored farm house.The convenience to autostrada for touring the area. Enjoyed Least: The walls in the upstairs bedrooms were extremely thin. Every sound was heard in between both bedrooms. Surrounding Area: The visits to Pisa, Lucca, Florence, and Volterra were all reasonable distances and worth the mileage and time! Tips or Restaurants: We enjoyed breakfast and dinner in our lovely Tuscan home. Each day we ate our main meal at midday in a nice restaurantin the town we were visiting. We managed to get back to the house before it got dark and it was a total pleasure! Check In Out: Once we got into the property following some confusion with the directions, check in, stay, and check outwent very well.”

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(Fattoria Capponi - Soprani) - Posted 13 years ago

“Overall: Excellent experience. Enjoyed Most: The beatiful views and privacy. Enjoyed Least: Proximity of the road (small amount of noise). Surrounding Area: Very good location, with many beautiful small villages nearby, especially along the road to Lucca. Nearby Events or Locales: We didn't walk, but it appears to be within walking distance; we just passed through going to another areas. Tips or Restaurants: Several good restaurants nearby, especially in the small villages along the secondary road that leads to Lucca. Directions: We used GPS. The property has two entrances, but the GPS didn't show the main entrance.”

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(Fattoria Capponi - Dolce And Gabbana With Soprani) - Posted 12 years ago

“Overall: It was more beautiful than I expected and our group was most comfortable with the living arrangements on two levels. We ate as a group in the dining room and outside in the patio. I loved the swimming pool. It was cool, clean and brand new.Roberta, our contact person at the main house, was very helpful and lovely to do business with. Enjoyed Most: The house, the grounds, and the location. Enjoyed Least: We had some trouble learning how to get an outside line from the telephone but resolved the issue with several attempts. Surrounding Area: The villa's location off the superstrada made it very well situated for day trips to Florence and Pisa. Shopping was also nearby. The train station was also nearby for when we wanted to leave the cars at home. Nearby Events or Locales: Montepoli was the nearest town but we needed a car to get there. Capanne was also nearby, but again, a car was a must to get there. All in all, a car was a necessity. We had two for our group of six. Tips or Restaurants: The washer and dryer take at least an hour to complete a cycle so don't expect to do your wash, dry it, and run. We used the washer and put the clothing out on a line to dry. Locals seem to do this too. We shopped at the town supermarkets, both of which were well stocked with food and wine. We also saved by cooking at the villa. Tried to grill on some charcoal chips on the outside grill, but did not get a good enough fire going to actually grill. Seems there are no briquetts for grilling. Directions: The main gate is a very quick right turn off the roundabout and one could miss it by going too fast.”

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(Fattoria Capponi - Dolce) - Posted 19 years ago

“Overall: The Cottage was a unique combination of old world charm with modern conveniences. The village of Melmerby is quiet, well located for day trips with an outstanding pub and bakery. Enjoyed Most: It was comfortable, and well located. Enjoyed Least: No complaints. Surrounding Area: The townspeople that we met at the local pub were friendly and very helpful. The food at the pub and bakery was delicious and reasonably priced. Nearby Events or Locales: Lake District, Scotland, Penrith for groceries. Tips or Restaurants: The Shepherd's Inn! Village Bakery.”

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(Deer Cottage) - Posted 24 years ago

“Overall: It was quiet, beautifully decorated, and the owners went out of their way to make us comfortable. Enjoyed Most: The furnishings and amenities that were made available for our use. Enjoyed Least: There was not a single thing we did not like. Surrounding Area: There were a lot of restaurants, grocery stores, and taxis close by. Nearby Events or Locales: All of the tourist sites were withing walking distance. Tips or Restaurants: If you go in February, bring an umbrella and warm shoes. Directions: We were driven from the airport by a taxi. Check In Out: All very easy. We were met upon arrival by the owner who gave us all the information needed.”

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(Davide) - Posted 12 years ago

“Overall: Outstanding magnificent experience. Each member was very pleased with the chateau. It was styled after Versailles Palace and in it's own grandeur it stood as we approached it from the country road. Everyone in our group agreed that we would come back again to this chateau. Enjoyed Most: The grandeur of the chateau and the surrounding property. Should also say that the interior furnishings are magnificent antiques. The kitchen is modern, well equipped and large enough for all who wish to take part in preparing the dinner or just drink the French wines and chat. The bathrooms are all very modern and spacious. Surrounding Area: The chateau is located on 350 acres. Great for walking, hiking, running, etcBikes are available, and some outdoor games are provided in the activities room of the chateau.Small charming nearby towns to visit. Nearby Events or Locales: The very near town of Courtomer, (one could walk to town) was small but had a well-stocked grocery store, (Carrfour grocery chain) two bakeries, a butcher and one restaurant. The store owners are very pleasant. The owner of the restaurant closed his small restaurant so that on Sunday evening he could cook dinner for our group in a private dining room. Tips or Restaurants: Nothing to bring, very well-equipped We wanted to go to the beaches at Normandy and that is a two hour drive. Well worth the drive but set out early because it is a whole day trip to see all the beaches and monuments. Quite touching and not to be missed. We loved the chateau so much that it was a wonderful place to come home to after being out all day sightseeing. The Loire Valley is an hour and a half away but again worth the time if you like to sample the wines of the Loire Valley. Directions: When traveling we all used a GPS system. They are great and will take you straight to the center of town, Courtomer, or directly to the entrance of the chateau. The written directions from the center of town were easy to understand and they also took you straight to the chateau. Very, very dark so we suggest you arrive in the day light Check In Out: Check in and check out are wonderful--no problems. Just enjoy and relax because you will be overwhelmed by the size and grandeur of the chateau. Check in with Francine the caretaker was smooth and pleasant. She does not speak a word of English but because of her warm smile and friendly, helpful personality we understood everything. I loved her because she is "part of the chateau experience". When we left she came out to say goodbye, "Bonne route". So nice.”

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(Chateau Magnifique) - Posted 11 years ago

“Overall: The chateau was beautiful and we had a great time. It was large enough for everyone. Enjoyed Most: The grounds are beautifully kept, the managers were very friendly and helpful. It was very large for a large number of people, plenty of room to spread out. There were many amenities (swimming pool, gym, table tennis, bikes). Enjoyed Least: There were not enough lounge chairs by the swimming pool for such a large group. The WiFi was unreliable - it could only be used in the living room which smelled so smoky it was hard to stay in that room. The sauna could not be used without simultaneously heating the pool, which cost extra. The chateau is 40 minutes from Montpellier--further than we anticipated. We were disappointed that we could not have an in depth tour of the wine making facilities and wine cellar because the wine person was on holiday. Note that most bedrooms do not have an en suite bathroom. Some bedrooms that were listed with private bathrooms actually were not en suite; one has to walk out of the bedroom to the bathroom. Surrounding Area: Surprisingly, outside the chateau there was a church with a bull ring attached to it! We were fortunate that there was a bull fight (non violent) while we were there. It was very interesting for us to see this slice of native life. The region is a bull and camargue (white horse) raising area. Nearby Events or Locales: We were in the village of Saint Laurent D'Aigouze. We could walk outside and there was a pharmacy, a small tobacco shop, and a couple of restaurants. We ate at one of the restaurants which was one of the best meals we had during our 3 weeks in France. Unfortunately, one had to drive to a small supermarket as there was none within walking distance. Nearby towns, only 10 to 15 minutes away were very nice. Tips or Restaurants: The restaurant outside the chateau with a green awning was delicious. You need to rent a car, any sites and grocery shopping you need to drive. Directions: The managers (Leeloo and Chris) are very friendly and helped us, and they were a highlight of renting this chateau. Check In Out: We did not need to have the rental voucher or copies of our passports. It was really simple and stress free to check in and out.”

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(Chateau Lorraine) - Posted 9 years ago

“Overall: We had a wonderful week at Certaldo 4. The villa was lovely, comfortable and immaculate. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and maintained. Sylvia, the property manager, took wonderful care of us and was always extremely helpful. Enjoyed Most: The property was large with incredible landscaping, flowers, trees etc. The path to the large pool and the pool itself was lovely. The view from this villa high in the hills was spectacular. Enjoyed Least: There was a long unpaved, winding and hilly road to get to the villa that was filled with deep potholes and blinding curves. The couch in this villa was really a daybed and very uncomfortable for sitting. Surrounding Area: The villa is located between Florence and Siena and is within reasonable driving distance to both of these cities as well as to other Tuscany towns. Nearby Events or Locales: Fiano was the closest town. It was very small and offered very little and is not in walking distance. Certaldo, a much larger city, was about 4 miles away. It has a wonderful large market (COOP) where you can get whatever you need. The city itself has shops and restaurants as well as an old walled city that has a few lovely restaurants. Directions: We came from Florence to Certaldo. Directions given by the villa were good. Unfortunately we used our GPS, which was not working properly-- and that prolonged our trip.”

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(Certaldo 4) - Posted 10 years ago

“Overall: Loved the property and view. It was great to have this experience in a villa for two people. Enjoyed Most: View, location. Surrounding Area: Landscaping of the property was beautiful. Loved the proximity to other hill towns like San Gimignano and Siena. Nearby Events or Locales: Fiano. No, it was not within walking distance. Directions: Used iPhone to navigate to property.”

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(Certaldo 1) - Posted 10 years ago

“Overall: It was great. We did not have a car, but were a 10-minute walk from the bus station. Enjoyed Most: We enjoyed the view from the roof top and being in a medieval walled city. Enjoyed Least: The steps, but we were aware of them beforehand, so there were no surprises. Surrounding Area: The views were awesome and we also enjoyed the cooking classes and a driving tour of the area. Nearby Events or Locales: We were within a walled city. Directions: We didn't have directions to the property--but were picked up at the bus station by the owners--excellent service. Check In Out: Quick and easy.”

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(Cavalliere 2) - Posted 12 years ago

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