Il Vicolo

Hotel Description

You know what struck me first about Il Vicolo? The name actually makes perfect sense once you’re standing there – it really is tucked into this narrow little vicolo (that’s “alley” for those rusty on Italian) in Buti, which honestly, most people zip right past on their way to Pisa or the coast. But that’s exactly why this place works so well. The building itself has that weathered Tuscan stone thing going on, and when you walk through the entrance, there’s this immediate sense of stepping back in time – but not in a stuffy museum way, more like your sophisticated Italian aunt’s house, if you’re lucky enough to have one.

The rooms are what you’d expect from a solid 4-star in this part of Tuscany, but it’s the details that get you. The owners clearly know their stuff – I mean, you can tell they’ve actually thought about what travelers need. The Wi-Fi actually works (revolutionary concept, I know), and they’ve somehow managed to keep the old-world charm without making you feel like you’re roughing it. The beds are proper comfortable, which matters more than people admit, and the bathrooms have that perfect balance of modern fixtures in old stone walls. What really got me was how quiet it is at night – you’re in this medieval town center, but somehow it’s peaceful once the evening settles in.

Here’s the thing about Buti that most guidebooks won’t tell you: it’s perfectly positioned for day trips, but it’s also worth exploring on its own. You can walk to the old castle ruins (well, what’s left of them) in about ten minutes, and there’s this little osteria down the street that serves the kind of ribollita that makes you understand why Tuscans are so proud of their simple ingredients. The staff at Il Vicolo seem to know everyone in town – they’ll point you toward the good stuff without being pushy about it. And honestly, after staying in too many cookie-cutter hotels in bigger cities, there’s something refreshing about a place where the person at the front desk actually remembers your name and asks how your day in Volterra went. The parking situation is better than you’d expect for a historic center location, though I’d still recommend not bringing a massive SUV if you can help it. It’s the kind of place where you end up extending your stay by a day because you realize you’re not quite ready to leave – which, let’s be honest, is probably the best compliment you can give a hotel.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $141. Two-Bedroom Apartment with 1 large double bed and 2 single beds for Max persons: 4

Reviews

• Beautiful stay in Buti – Stephen from United Kingdom – 28 June 2025 (10/10)

  Kris and Wyslane, fantastic hosts.
  
  We would all like to return, Buti is 25-30 mins from Pisa Airport or city by car, and similar to Lucca, Buti was friendly with many places to eat and drink.
  
  The apartment has 3 A/c pumps and a terrace to sit and socialise, we found a coffee shop with bakery less than 100m away, so friendly, full of great treats and food, coffee was good and very good prices too…
  
  The whole visit was perfect 👌

• Beautiful town – Amazing Hosts!! – Jgg2112 from United States – 29 May 2025 (10/10)

  Super amazing hosts were so helpful! They met us with the keys & helped us when my granddaughter locked us out of the room. Such a beautiful little town with lots of great restaurants.
  
  What could be improved: Just as with everywhere in Italy – finding parking can be hit or miss 😉

• Lovely stay in the centre of Buti with amazing host! – Chiara from Luxembourg – 1 September 2024 (10/10)

  Lovely place, well furnished and equipped. Great host very attentive to details and caring. Definitely recommended!
  
  What could be improved: Nothing, everything was great.

• Out of scale place to stay (20/10) and get in love with Tuscany! – Pawel from Poland – 15 August 2024 (10/10)

  Best host we ever had and best place we ever stayed!! Location, Tuscan house style, space inside the house, all the small details to make the guest feel like home (even a Nintendo Wii for the kids!). Super friendly and helpful host (I know I repeat myself, but that's on purpose) 😀

• great place to stay 👍 – Jacek from Poland – 18 August 2023 (10/10)

  great owners, good location and very spacious apartment
  
  What could be improved: no private parking place

• Exceptional – Milena from Czech Republic – 3 August 2023 (10/10)

  Children loved the picture of a house mate- a little mouse picture on the stairs:-) We spent a very comfortable overnight! Thank you!

• The Charming Vicolo – Robert from United Kingdom – 14 July 2023 (10/10)

  'Il Vicolo' welcome is charming and perfect.
  The owners have the prompt solution to any request, and the welcome bottle of house wine is a lovely family touch. Their hospitality is kind and generous, I will be back! 🥂
  
  What could be improved: Nothing, only regret is not staying longer…

• Very good location, comfortable, clean – Gabriel from United Kingdom – 4 September 2024 (9/10)

  Cleanliness, close to the town centre, quiet location, owners were friendly and available in an emergency
  
  What could be improved: No air-con in the second bedroom, not much natural light

• Great apartment and location for a vacation in Tuscany (if you have a car). – Imre from Hungary – 13 August 2024 (10/10)

  Buti is a very lovely little town and the apartment met all our expectations. If you travel by car, and especially with kids – Il Vicolo is a great place either for a short stay, or as a base to roam around in Tuscany. (We stayed for an extended period of time, me doing some work in the vicinity and the family making a vacation.) And Kris and his family are great hosts!
  
  What could be improved: The mosquitos are a bummer – but you can't help it during the summer in Tuscany and the apartment has mosquito nets on multiple windows(!) as well as AC(!). (Neither of which is a given in Italy, as we learned the hard way in the past.) Also, the parking can be a bit challenging in Buti – you _will_ be able to find a spot for at most 5 minutes walk from the apartment, but Friday-Sunday evenings it can be a bit of a hunt (due to the various "sagra"-s in town, or people simply coming up to Buti to visit one of the restaurants). But it's really not that big of a deal – and parking is free where it's allowed.

• Very authentic and warm homestay with lovely hosts and good value for money. – Anonymous from Singapore – 6 December 2023 (10/10)

  Very lovely home with a well-stocked kitchen and welcoming hosts. Decor was very cute and thoughtful.
  
  What could be improved: A lot of stairs so might not be suitable for older guests. My 60+ year old parents were fine though!

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities