Guest User
October 10, 2021
Before I write a review I always read the previous few reviews and then check their dates to see how far removed my recent experience was compared to the last reviewers'. The most recent reviews for this property were dated July and May of 2019. With adjectives like "idyllic" and "captivating", I found myself wondering how much this B&B might have changed in the past two years, since those descriptions are certainly not ones I would use to describe the Castello. My wife and I stayed here because we wanted to break up a six hour drive into more manageable segments and we couldn't find what we deemed as suitable hotel accommodations in the area. On paper the Castello looked inviting. We stayed two nights. First of all, it's not a castle. It's the country villa of some wealthy Italian family, constructed at some point in the 1800's. The first floor is essentially vacant, seemingly used for indoor special events like weddings. The second floor is a time capsule of what the Castello looked like when the family was in residence. The third floor is where you'll find the guest rooms. The accommodations are spartan and certainly best described as 'rustic', absent any redemptive charm. The floor is carpet-less, gritty, terra cotta tiles. The mattress is thin without a box spring. The bathroom was marginal, at best, with a slow draining, three foot square shower, a pedestal sink, and a toilet. Understand that you won't be staying in accommodations fit for the Castello's original owner, but that family's service staff, instead. Overall the property looks a little run down and tired. I had to smile seeing the fountain depicted on Trip Advisor's home page for the Castello. Upon arriving what you'll find in its place is a fetid, stagnant, 'pond' full of algae and dirty water. It's maintenance things like that, that you'll repeatedly notice throughout your stay that impart an overall feeling that the Castello could certainly use refreshing. As for service, staying at the Castello Di Serragiumenta is a lot like visiting a long lost, distant, relative in Italy, meeting him or her upon arrival, and then never seeing him again. Beyond the two maids we saw daily, and the grounds staff landscaping or setting up for an event, there is no staff, to speak of. That you might be able to avail yourself of the various agriculturally related tours that are promoted on the Castello's website, unlike in most similar places, you're going to have to work to set that up. Once there, nothing is promoted. And understand that this is not some idyllic Tuscan family farm. The Castello Di Serragiumenta property is first and foremost a large, modern, agricultural enterprise. The Castello is surrounded by expansive acres of olive trees, grape vines, and orchards devoted to commercial production. I saved the biggest disappointment for last: the restaurant. I saw some previous reviewer cite the 'Michelin Star' worthy cuisine and couldn't help but wonder if he or she had ever bee