Relais San Maurizio is probably the only luxury hotel in this beautiful part of Italy, which is often neglected in favour of the more touristy Tuscany but that in my view offers a far better overall experience. The property enjoys a fabulous location, perched on top of a hill. Its grounds are serene and the environment very peaceful.
While it aims at being a 5-star luxury property, it doesn't quite get there. I stayed in one of the "Villa San Luigi" suites, which are the more modern ones. The room suffered from cheap finishings and questionable choices, which I am finding somehow typical of Italian "wannabe luxury" hotels. Take the shower for example: featuring mood lighting (useless and kitsch), but with rather poor faucets. Or a very awkward square bathtub dumped inside the bedroom (again, kitsch and rather tasteless).
What really doesn't make the cut is the service in parts of the hotel. Above all, the swimming pool. We arrived late in the afternoon and there were dirty towels everywhere. Two attendants were chatting behind a bar. As I couldn't get their attention, I walked over to one of them and asked if we could have a couple of towels (I speak Italian, so no language barrier here). With a lot of huffing and puffing, the lady eventually handed me the towels. She made no offer of coming over and clearing the mess around the sunbeds left by previous occupiers. The whole area stayed in dire state for almost two hours (while the attendants were happily chatting). It is rather simple, really: in a luxury property, one would expect attendants to keep the area tidy (and, since there is a bar, why not ask guests if they would like to order something?).
Another example. The main building has a bar, right beside reception. However, most of the time nobody is there. There is a phone and a sign advising to dial "XYZ" to get service. If you dial, expect to wait at least 10 minutes for someone to appear. Really?!
The restaurant (Guido da Costigliole) on the other hand was excellent and service absolutely wonderful. Their cellar is certainly worth a visit.