Hotel Astoria is a lovely hotel with great service, a wonderful cuisine and a fantastic traditional flair. The rooms have been renovated lately and offer a fantastic comfort. The receptionist Signore Arturo is always very helpful and friendly. The owners Mr. and Mrs. Taddei are very friendly and always at your disposal.
But the best Hotel Astoria has to offer is its cuisine! This is true Italian cuisine at its best. The "spaghetti alla Signora Maria" are simply the best spaghetti in the world! Three Michelin stars to the cooks!

We found this hotel to be delightful and very convenient for our stay in Montecatini. It is close to the funicular that goes to Montecatini Alto yet close to the many spas and within easy walking distance to the main town and railway station. We were greeted by Arturo, a kindly gentleman who escorted us to our room. This was decorated in traditional style in pastel colours with ample wardrobes and drawers and a charming balcony overlooking the park. The bathroom was fully tiled with a large shower area and spotlessly clean throughout. Several areas are set aside in which to relax, including the bar and television/audio room. The dining room is rather grand with chandeliers and high ceilings giving a light and airy feel. The food is excellent with plenty of choice and served by friendly and efficient staff. Breakfast served outside surrounded by pink Oleander was a treat and the tables laid to the same high standard as in the dining room with beautiful table linen. What other reviews seem to neglect is the lovely swimming pool and changing rooms situated in the garden with many private areas in which to relax. A light lunch is served by the pool if desired. This family owned and run hotel is a real pleasure and one to which we shall return.

What I took to be the family that owns and runs the hotel, appears to be too old and lacks the necessary vitality to give the place the required vibrancy and atmosphere. They display no energy and this reflects in the way many, not all, of the employees go about their work. To give you a few examples – the bar was never open before dinner; little attempt was made by the sommelier to offer or recommend wine; dinner was always a rushed affair with courses forced upon you before you were ready; salad had to be chosen at table rather than provided at a separate serving area where you could select; on many occasions at breakfast the cutlery and crockery was not clean; the Perspex food cover for the cheese and ham was very badly cracked and needed replacing; irritation was displayed on one day when guests wanted to sit inside at breakfast rather than be ushered on to the terrace; sometimes off-duty staff sat amongst guests to take meals. The evening meal was average by Italian standards with veal a constant so a bit more variety would have been welcome to go with the vegetables that were usually overcooked. As for our personal accommodation in room 114, the corridor carpets leading to the room were dirty and stained and in need of renewal. Inside the room the bathroom was in poor condition with an antiquated slow-filling cistern, a large number of cracked tiles, towel-handrail almost detached from the wall and an old bath that was chipped and with no glaze, the convenience trolley was rusting. We received a disturbing note about security problems that the building had experienced and we were asked by the owner in person to keep the shutters closed when leaving the room only to find them left open by the chambermaids the next day. I left a polite note in Italian pointing this out and returned to find the bathroom window open instead. This did not inspire confidence. To summarise, the brochure recommended as “select” a tired, run down hotel run by a limp family who pay little attention to detail and training of staff – not at all typical of Italy, a country I have visited about 30 times.

What a gem of an hotel this is. Located in its own grounds in a park. Family run, the staff were very friendly and helpful, which made a most relaxing holiday, nothing was too much trouble. The hotel has bags of charm, and could easily be in a time warp from the past when life was much less hectic. Our room was at the back overlooking the park, and was quiet and cool. The food served by the waitresses in their "Lyons corner house outfits" was wonderful. When we return to this part of Tuscany again, this will be the hotel we will stay at.