We love the hotel! The pool, the restaurant's room! All impeccable!

This hotel is more of an agriturismo, with many acres of flowers, a small vineyard, and fruit trees all around, and several renovated buildings on site. As you drive up to the hotel, you are greeted by a driveway lined with flowers and cypress trees. The hotel itself is cozy, immaculately clean, and invitingly decorated with warm Tuscan colors and fabrics. The bedrooms are well-appointed and very comfortable,and the bathrooms are spacious and immaculate. There are two sitting areas in the reception area, for lounging, chatting, reading a book, or using the computer for guests. The staff will provide coffee, tea, wine, light snacks, upon request anytime of day.

The staff is friendly, helpful, and informative. We found Tony to be particularly accommodating and enthusiastic to assist us with directions, recommendations of sights in the area, or just serving us in the sitting area.

The grounds are expansive, very well maintained, and breath-takingly beautiful. There are patches of fragrant lavender and roses. There are potted lemon trees near the entry walk. The outdoor pool is very large, so that you don't feel like you are on top of anyone when you swim or when you find a lounge chair along the side. While swimming or lounging, you are surrounded again by beautiful plantings and a view of the Tuscan hills around the area.

The breakfast offered is substantial and delicious. Upon request, you can order eggs and bacon to have with the pastries, cheeses, and cereals that are offered.

The restuarant on site is an excellent choice for dinner in particular. The decor and ambience is very warm and inviting. The cuisine features Tuscan specialties. Our waiter was very well informed on the selections on the menu, and graciously guided us in our choices. He also chatted with us about our stay in Italy and in Tuscany and offered some ideas for sightseeing in the area. We found the food to be very well prepared and presented and enjoyed every mouthful.

After touring through several regions of Italy, we especially enjoyed our stay at Borgo Il Melone. I would come back to Italy just to stay at this hotel/agriturismo.

We did not have a good experience at Borgo il Melone. Part of it was due to coincidence and our unfamiliarity with conditions in the region. If it had been just that, I would have rated this property higher despite our experience. However, I also don't think we were treated particularly well and so I think others should know more about this property.

First of all, don't even think about choosing a location outside of Cortona if you do not have your own transportation. Rick Steves give the impression that public transportation is readily available to Cortona from sites in the valley. We also thought that, since Cortona is the main reason to visit, that transportation from the hotel might be available. However that was not the case at all. Our only real option was to take taxis. However, there are only 4 or 5 taxi drivers in the entire Cortona-Tarantola region. Often the taxis were 20-40 minutes late and you had to be available for the return trip pickup on their schedule, not yours. On Sunday, most of the cabs were not available at all. Plus the charge was 20-25 Eros for each round trip (for a 5 min drive). As a result, we spent only 4 hours in Cortona over our 3-day stay.

Another reviewer mentioned some seemingly deceptive advertising concerning activities available at il Melone. We found this to be the case as well. On their website, under the heading of "Wellness & Activiies", they show a picture of a smiling woman receiving a massage or some type of spa treatment. This was the primary reason for my wife's wanting to stay at this hotel. The text reads: "For those who love to visit Tuscany, but also love to relax with massages and yoga or love to dedicate their time to art activities and courses, then Borgo Il Melone is the right choice. " However, the reality was that the "massage service" consisted of a xeroxed paper with the name and number of someone in town who might be contacted to come to your room--or not, no one was really sure.
The prices on the menu for the restaurant that was left in your room was different than the prices listed on the menu at the restaurant (restaurant was higher).

The activities guide in the hotel information sheet implied that Monday night concerts and wine tastings were available for guests. However, upon arrival, we found there was a 10 Euro charge.

Maybe this was not intentional deceit, just sloppiness. But after a while it started to feel like a pattern.

Another insult was the breakfast buffet. There was a standard selection of items, but eggs and orange juice was 3 Euros extra. This was the most expensive hotel we chose during our 2 week Italian trip, but the food was noticeably lower quality than Rome or Florence.

Two of the three primary desk people were friendly, but no one seemed interested in taking a real interest in making our stay more comfortable. When we expressed our frustration at not being able to get anywhere, the only repsonse was a shrug and a suggestion we rent a car next time. We did not make a scene, but it was obvious we were unhappy--yet no one expressed much empathy, nor make any special effort to find a solution. To me the final "moment of truth" came when we checked out. The woman at the desk did not say a word to us, except to say 'thank you" when I returned the signed credit card receipt. No thank you for staying, no "sorry things didn't work out". Just silence.

To be fair, the rooms were very attractive and well-equipped. They offer free wi-fi. However, the overall performance was so substandard, I cannot give a higher rating.

Borgo Il Melone was one of the better places we have stayed in our 20 years of traveling in Europe. It felt a little like we were guests at someone's private estate. The beautiful buildings and grounds and pool were clean and modern, but one could also sense the deep past of a property that has been around for a long time and has been developed with a sense of harmony and style that are sensitive to the rolling terrain it occupies. The staff were without exception charming, friendly, and helpful. Breakfasts were a cut above the usual, and our one meal at the restaurant was superb, as was the very personal service. Our room was, modern, comfortable, and pleasant. Climate control was easy to adjust speedily. We usually have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude about hotel pools, but Il Melone's is so appealing, so comfortable and well-cared for, and in such a beautiful setting that we found ourselves headed for it twice a day, even when we were off sight-seeing for large parts of the day. The more-than-reasonable cost of the stay made it one of the greatest bargains we have experienced in our travels. We would certainly urge all our friends to stay at Borgo Il Melone if they are visiting the Cortona area.