Castello di Bibbione

Hotel Description

You know what? I’ve stayed at plenty of “castle hotels” in Tuscany, and honestly, most of them try way too hard to be fancy. But Castello di Bibbione – tucked away on Via Collina in San Casciano – actually gets it right. When you pull up that winding drive (and yes, it’s properly winding, so take it slow), you’re not greeted by some over-the-top entrance with marble everything. Instead, it’s this beautifully restored medieval fortress that feels… well, lived-in. The stone walls still have that slight coolness even in summer, and the staff genuinely seems to care about the place rather than just going through the motions.

What really won me over was how they’ve managed to keep the authenticity without sacrificing comfort. The rooms – I mean, you’re literally sleeping in a castle, so don’t expect cookie-cutter layouts – have these thick stone walls that keep everything blissfully quiet. No road noise, no tourist buses rumbling past at dawn. The WiFi actually works (thank god), and the beds are properly comfortable, not just antique-looking torture devices. The restaurant uses ingredients from farms you can practically see from your window, and the sommelier knows his stuff about local Chianti Classico producers. I actually ended up buying a few bottles to take home after he introduced me to this small vineyard down in Greve.

Here’s the thing though – San Casciano isn’t exactly Florence, and that’s precisely why it works. You’re about twenty minutes from the chaos of the city center, but you’re right in the heart of proper wine country. The Saturday market in the main piazza is where locals actually shop, not just a tourist show. If you rent a car (which, honestly, you should), you can hit three or four wineries in an afternoon and still make it back for dinner. The parking situation at the castle is straightforward – no hunting for spots or dealing with ZTL restrictions like you would in town. Check-in was smooth, the woman at reception actually remembered my name the next morning, and they sorted out dinner reservations without making it feel like a huge favor. That 9.2 rating? Yeah, I can see why. It’s not perfect – the elevator is tiny and a bit temperamental – but it’s the kind of place that makes you want to plan your next Tuscan trip around coming back.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $117. Standard Apartment with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $173. Superior One-Bedroom Apartment with 1 sofa bed and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $596. Villa with Private Pool with 2 single beds, 1 double bed, 2 × 1 large double bed and 2 × 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $268. Executive Two-Bedroom Apartment with 2 single beds, 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 3
• Estimated price from: $224. Deluxe One-Bedroom Apartment with 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 4

Reviews

• Superb – Nichk from United Kingdom – 26 June 2025 (9/10)

  Lovely location, the pool is amazing and even though it was really hot when we visited the powerful fans did a great job keeping us cool at night. Such a stunning location and very easy to chat to staff about anything we needed or issues we had
  
  What could be improved: Lots of issues with the door and accidentally locking people in or out of the apartment. We were advised we could drive down to our apartment but wished we hadn't as it was a short walk or a very steep drive and the hire car didn't cope well trying to come back up the hill again. After that we didn't park there again – all minor though. Still would go back because the location and facilities were lovely

• Exceptional – Elena from France – 5 June 2025 (10/10)

  Amazing location in the heart of the Tuscany

• What a find! – Susan from United States – 22 May 2025 (10/10)

  Absolutely beautiful!! Breakfast was excellent.
  
  What could be improved: Not a thing.

• Martina was extremely helpful throughout our stay. They were able to let us drop off our luggage early and check in earl – Erin from United States – 29 April 2025 (10/10)

  Location was amazing. Apartment was clean, spacious and well equipped.
  
  What could be improved: The stairs were difficult when bringing luggage up/down and we had our grandma with us. Despite that, I would definitely stay there again… it really was a fabulous location and that is common in Florence.

• Perfect Tuscany stay. Would definitely come back – Ilias from Greece – 21 April 2025 (10/10)

  Great hospitality / great location / wonderful staff

• Exceptional – Charmagne from United Arab Emirates – 20 March 2025 (10/10)

  Staying in a place full of history was the reason we picked the place. The location suited is since it s not too far from Florence and a good home base for exploring the rest of the Tuscany region. The castello was beautiful with a breathtaking view and immaculate grounds. Our room was clean, spacious and charming. The staff are so kind and helpful, Ana and Cristina were lovely!

• Very good – Joao from Brazil – 12 March 2025 (10/10)

  It´s a hotel in a castle, with very good accomodations.

• nice castle stay in the heart of Tuscany. – Decha from Thailand – 3 February 2025 (10/10)

  the hotel is in a great location, we love everything especially the in room heating was so effective during winter I could easily get up and go to shower straight away without any hersitation. Breakfast was great and the staffs were very helpful.
  
  What could be improved: we wanted to have a look inside the main building or may be doing a little tour of the castle but we couldn't and didn't have time to ask for that.

• Exceptional – Jon from United States – 31 December 2024 (10/10)

  The property is beautiful. The staff was great. Highly recommend.

• The perfect start point to visit Tuscany or just enjoy a lazy quiet holiday – Diana from Romania – 15 November 2024 (10/10)

  Definitely the most amazing place we ever booked. Charming castle in the heart of Tuscany, close to everything we wanted to visit (35min away from Florence), but far from the noise of the crowded cities (1.3km of uphill road to the castle from the main road, a total delight for the eyes). Quiet mornings and evenings at the castle completely recharged our batteries. The rooms are huge, very clean and elegant, the moment you enter the door you get transported to another era. Every morning we opened the windows to see the hot air balloons flying over Tuscany, right before we went to the delicious breakfast served in “La cantina di Machiavelli”. We had free parking, great breakfast, lovely and very helpful staff always there to help us and a huge castle domain to walk and admire every day. The small lizards, friendly cats and the trees loaded with fruits where just the bonus 🙂 10 min drive from the castle you can find supermarkets & restaurants.
  We would definitely book again and we left with our hearts broken that we couldn’t stay more.
  
  What could be improved: Everything was absolutely perfect

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities