Castello Bonaria Wine & Spa Resort

We came to this castle for a destination wedding. They have an excelent restaurant, a pool and a SPA, the personnel is very friendly and helpful. The view and the surroundings are truly beautiful. The organization of the wedding itself was also top notch. But for some reason there is no gym (disappointing given there is no place anywhere near, to safely run or do other kinds of sports). The place is a bit in the middle of nowhere, with no sidewalk to get to the nearest town. The rooms are generally comfy, but in my opinion, their quality does not justify the price. Water pressure and temperature in the shower could be much better. Our room was also pretty dark (ground floor with a tiny veranda). They also warn you, you can use the main SPA facilities for free for up to two hours, which I think should not be limited given the price. To sum up, it was a great place to come as wedding guests, mostly due to excellent organization of the event and kindness of the personnel, but I would never pay the price they want for just staying there for holidays.

We chose this beautiful castle for our wedding and are so happy for it. Long distance wedding from Norway, without a wedding planner, and therefore we were dependent on good collaboration with the staff. Everyone always took us seriously, and we managed good communication on English, as we don’t speak any Italian. We thank everyone for our wonderful wedding, it was breathtaking to see the castle on top of hill for the first time - it was even more spectacular than we thought. We did feel the love every day and all our guests enjoyed the venue. We look forward to come back some time ❤️

We stayed at Castello Bonaria for 2 nights during our time in Bolgheri. It was a lovely hotel, with an amazing view from the restaurant & overall the location was lovely. However, the staff during dinner were a bit short in terms of understanding what we were trying to say & made it slightly difficult to take our order. We understand that there is a language barrier sometimes and did our best to be understanding and respectful of that, but we felt a little attitude from the staff at dinner. The morning staff during breakfast was much nicer and friendlier. That’s the only comment I had. Otherwise, great place if you’re in Bolgheri :)

A Frustrating and Unacceptable Experience at Castello Boniare We booked a week-long stay at Castello Boniare on the recommendation of a local friend, specifying that we would be traveling with two young children, one aged three years and one aged three months. However, what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation turned into a nightmare due to serious service failures and staff arrogance. Inadequate and Disorganized Staff: From the outset, we had to deal with poorly trained and rude staff. Most of the staff spoke only Italian, and I even had to teach them how to open a bottle of wine because they didn’t know how! The language barrier was simply ridiculous: only two people in the entire facility spoke English, leading to a series of unacceptable misunderstandings. During a dinner in Piombino, I was forced to return to the hotel because they couldn’t prepare a simple pasta dish for my wife, simply because they didn’t understand English. Lack of Respect and Professionalism: Discovering that some staff members were speaking poorly of me, my wife, and our children in Italian, thinking we couldn’t understand, was humiliating and unacceptable. When we tried to point out the problems, they treated us with condescension and arrogantly told us to “calm down.” The staff doesn’t even clear the tables, and despite serving only four tables each evening, the waits are interminable. Experience with the Director: To make matters worse, I had a call with the hotel director, who criticized me and my family for bringing groceries from the supermarket because my three-year-old child wouldn’t eat anything and they couldn’t even prepare a simple french fry. When I pointed out that I had seen a woman in her 40s eating french fries on previous days, he responded that “that was an exception.” Additionally, the director tried to justify the 45-minute wait for a pasta dish from room service by claiming that “pasta cooks in 10 minutes,” as if this were an acceptable timeframe. Final Considerations: If you’re used to staying in high-level hotels like the Four Seasons or any other four-star hotel, you can consider Castello Boniare as a two-star hotel. The only positive aspect is the view of the structure from a distance. If you decide to stay, I recommend getting wine from the small wine fridge to the right of the restaurant: since they don’t even know the prices, you might get wines worth 100 euros for just 35 euros, as they are not properly priced. Message to the Director: The director probably won’t even read this review, as his belief that he’s running a luxury four-star hotel is immense and overshadows everything. However, he should consider traveling more to understand what it truly means to offer quality service. A four-star superior hotel must meet specific standards, including: • Qualified and Multilingual Staff: The staff should be able to communicate effectively in multiple languages, especially English, and be well-trained in basic hospitality skills, such as opening a bottle of wine or accommodating guest requests professionally. • High-Quality Dining Service: A varied and high-quality menu is essential, as well as prompt and courteous service. Waits of an hour and a half for a simple dish like ham or long delays for room service are unacceptable. • Adequate In-Room Services: Room service should be top-notch, paying attention to details such as providing glasses with drinks and ensuring that every request is fulfilled in a reasonable time. • Luxury and Comfort Standards: A four-star superior hotel should offer impeccable rooms, high-level services, and constant attention to guest needs, ensuring a comfortable and problem-free stay. Conclusion: Castello Boniare is far from delivering the luxury experience it promises. The staff is arrogant, incompetent, and deceitful, the language barrier is ridiculous, and the service is well below expectations. If you seek professionalism, quality, and respect, I strongly advise looking elsewhere. Our vacation was ruined, and I can only strongly recommend avoiding this hotel.

I spent many months looking for the PERFECT wedding venue and Castello Bonaria checked all boxes on paper from having a winery, Italian cypress trees, olive groves, amazing views and enough guest rooms to fit my wedding guests. Little did I know the offered SOOOO much more. Since my first contact and video call with Chiara from the Castello Bonaria’s events team I knew this was it. Planning was seamless and Chiara and Giorgia and the were able to assist with all my special requests. Outside of just holding our wedding at the Castello we had many events throughout the week and the team really went above and beyond here. The day of the arrival we had a welcome dinner with the most exceptional food and service. Following a cooking class, spa day, dinner at the winery, wedding day and also a farewell brunch all throughout the wedding week. All the events exceeded my expectations with the offerings and variety of food (they were able to accommodate a vegetarian in our party) and there was always delicious wine from Monte Solaio. The front desk staff is super helpful, the restaurant staff and chefs provide top notch service, the spa is a zen oasis, the events team will be sure all your events run smoothly, and the bartender Ivana makes some of the BEST drinks and espresso martinis I’ve ever had. The staff and service are what really give this place the special touch, but they also have the most amazing views of the Tuscan rolling hills, winery, and you can even see the water! If you are local, or looking to have a destination wedding Castello Bonaria will outdo themselves in every way to be sure you have a dream wedding and all your guests enjoys themselves. I would highly recommend Castello Bonaria and I hope to be back soon.