La Gustea Hotel & Cucina

Hotel Description

You know what? I stumbled onto La Gustea Hotel & Cucina almost by accident when I was exploring Sarteano, and honestly, it turned out to be one of those happy travel discoveries you actually remember years later. The place sits right on Via Adige, which sounds fancy but is actually just this quiet residential street that locals use as a shortcut to the old town center. What I loved immediately was how it felt like staying in someone’s thoughtfully renovated home rather than a cookie-cutter hotel – there’s this warm, lived-in quality that you don’t get at those sterile chain places.

The “Cucina” part of the name isn’t just marketing fluff, either. They actually know their way around food here, and I mean really know it. The breakfast setup alone convinced me these people take eating seriously – fresh cornetti that were clearly made that morning, local pecorino that probably came from farms you can see from the terrace, and coffee that didn’t taste like it sat around for hours. The dining room has these big windows that catch the morning light just right, and you can watch Sarteano wake up while you’re planning your day. Speaking of which, the staff actually gives useful advice about the area – not just the obvious tourist stuff, but like, which hiking trails aren’t too crowded or where to find parking near the fortress (spoiler: it’s trickier than it looks).

What really sealed the deal for me was the attention to details that matter when you’re actually living somewhere for a few days. The rooms are properly quiet – no thin walls or street noise that keeps you up, which is honestly rare in Italian town centers. The Wi-Fi actually works throughout the building, there’s decent water pressure in the showers, and they have this smart setup where you can control the room temperature without playing guessing games with some ancient thermostat. The whole place has this relaxed, unpretentious vibe that makes you want to linger over dinner or just sit on the terrace with a glass of wine from the Montepulciano vineyards down the road. And look, Sarteano itself is still pretty under the radar compared to its flashier neighbors, which means you get that authentic Tuscan hill town experience without fighting crowds for every photo. La Gustea gets that balance right – comfortable enough that you don’t feel like you’re roughing it, but authentic enough that you remember why you came to Italy in the first place.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $153. Superior Double Room with 1 large double bed and 2 single beds for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $248. Family Room with 1 single bed, 1 large double bed and 4 single beds for Max persons: 4

Reviews

• Great value for money – Flavia from Romania – 10 June 2025 (10/10)

  Great location
  Very good breakfast
  Kind host
  Comfortable bed
  Very nice room
  Good views
  
  What could be improved: The room was a bit hot

• Exceptional – Molly from United States – 26 May 2025 (10/10)

  The breakfast and pizza were wonderful – far exceeded typical breakfast and dinner quality.

• Chianti – David from United Kingdom – 20 May 2025 (10/10)

  Lovely, small hotel. Devoted caring owners. Fabulous Italian restaurant food at reasonable price .
  
  What could be improved: Nothing

• Very nice hotel with a warm welcome. – Beverly from United Kingdom – 19 October 2024 (8/10)

  A very nice hotel for a short stay, lovely welcome for ourselves and our dog. The room was comfortable, well equipped and we were able to have room service for dinner which suited us very well after a long journey with our pet dog. We had the most delicious home made bean and vegetable soup, lovely wine and the menu was extensive and looked wonderful.

• Exceptional – תמם from Israel – 14 June 2024 (10/10)

  The restaurant is excellent with great and delicious food. Dinner is very reasonably priced, offering full value for money.
  
  The breakfast is excellent, and the coffee is very tasty.

• Very comfortable and well located hotel. – Frances from United Kingdom – 11 June 2024 (9/10)

  So friendly. Very comfortable bed.

• Good hotel with nice staff – Kelvin from Netherlands – 22 May 2024 (10/10)

  Clean and large room, good location and very nice staff.
  
  What could be improved: The breakfast is nice but not too much choice.

• Exceptional – Ákos from Hungary – 11 May 2024 (10/10)

  Excellent hospitality, friendly and great staff, perfect location, outstanding breakfast. Pizza at the restaurant is a miracle!
  
  What could be improved: Nothing

• Exceptional – Donchanka from Israel – 10 May 2024 (10/10)

  Everything was wonderful
  
  What could be improved: Nothing

• Excellent stay in welcoming hotel – Niina from Italy – 5 October 2023 (10/10)

  We had a good 1-night stopover at La Gustea Hotel on our way from Sicily to Milan. The hotel is very nice and clean and the hosts are such friendly and nice people, who gave us, and our dogs, a warm welcome upon arrival. The room is spacious, with a contemporary design and the bed was very comfortable. The view from the balcony towards the castle is beautiful. The room comes with a nice and big bathroom. Location is good, only a short walk to the historical village centre. The hotel offers good and safe parking.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities