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Tuscany and Umbria, August 2011
"My family and I recently returned from a wonderful two week holiday in Tuscany and Umbria. We stayed in two different villas that we booked through Merrion Charles. The holiday was memorable for all the right reasons, and it is a testimony to the experience that our three daughters-aged 20, 17 and 15- really began to relax and discover the joys of slowness which is pretty alien to them coming from a fast-track London environment. It was such a lovely opportunity for us to spend time together over leisurely meals and evening drinks and get to know each other again. This is perhaps best exemplified by the fact that at no time were they agiatating to go and find the local night-life-just as well because the only 'action' was a drink the the piazza of a local village. "
Read more of this great review
Kim & Family, UK
Casa Glyn - September 2011
"My husband and I stayed at Casa Glyn this September and for two weeks I was in Heaven. Casa Glyn itself gives you a sense of being at home with its charming and tasteful style and the views all around give you a feeling of peace and of being at one with the world. We had great fun exploring the many charming villages and towns that give Italy its magic charm. Even though Merrion lives next door she is very tactful and discreet and in fact we loved having her nearby and she gave us lots of useful tips on places to visit that we would never have found without her. Thank you Merrion and I can't wait to return."
Sarah Hardy, Arundel, UK
Sicily Tailor Made Tour September 2011
"Well ... you excelled yourself for us and I was going to email you today. Everything worked perfectly ... from our arrival in Palermo (and wonderful restaurant recommendation from our taxi driver ) to final lift off in Catania. Having known little about Sicily beforehand, we were impressed that after a conversation with us on the phone, you ascertained our needs and built a package for us that really worked. All the accommodation was very comfortable and you took into account our need for spacious rooms. We appreciated not having to carry hotel vouchers around with us to book in at each hotel, as one often has to do on package deal holidays. It's always an added chore to have to keep documentation safe when travelling. Also, we liked the people and it was great to feel safe and not to be 'watching one's back' all the time.
Thank you so much for organising it all for us. You have been terribly efficient all the way through and your attention to detail has been superb. We appreciated your message at our hotel half-way through the holiday. It was kind of you to think of us. I hope you received our reply via the receptionist.
Thank you again for working so hard for us. Nothing went wrong, but we were aware that you were only a phone call away if it did. This was a great advantage compared with booking with a large travel firm. We also thought you gave us very good value for money."
Mr & Mrs David Wharton, Oxfordshire, UK
Casello, Tuscany September 2011
"Our holiday in Casello was fantastic, wonderful and all the superlatives you could think of. It is a magical place with oceans of room, beautiful views and a sense of tranquility. We all loved it and all had different favourite rooms and places. Jon and Leanne loved the pool, Anthony and Alice the Loggia and Glenys and I the verandah. George, who has just learned to walk, loved the long corridors of uninterrupted exploration. He worked so hard during the day he slept really well at night making it a doubly good holiday for his Mum and Dad.
Alfio, the cook, was brilliant. He even managed to defeat Jon who has a large appetite. At the end of the Friday extravaganza main course Jon held up a white flag pleading for mercy before Alfio produced a another splendid dessert. The two vegetarians have never eaten so well either. Anton the cleaner was very friendly and helpful too. Barbara was lovely, very welcoming and helpful………You have provided an excellent service. You recommended the right villa for us. It is great but not so lavish that we would be on tenterhooks in case George knocked over a priceless objet d'art. Your willingness to follow up on my queries and rapid responses made me confident that everything would go well. …..You exceeded my expectations thank you.
As you know we celebrated our ruby wedding anniversary on September 11th. We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on THE September 11th in Alaska. As you can imagine that was memorable! However our fortieth anniversary is more memorable because of the sheer joy watching our children and grandchild in raptures at Casello.
In summary I would say that we had high hopes of a fabulous holiday. Everything about Casello exceeded our expectations tenfold."
Malcolm Barnett and Family, Chesterfield, UK
Villa Tombolino, Val d'Orcia, Tuscany August 2011
"Thanks again for organising such a great holiday for the Champions, they all had a great time."
Will Champion & Family, UK
Casello, nr Siena, Tuscany August 2011
We had a fabulous week staying at Casello, Vico d'Arbia. Barbara and her family were excellent hosts…. special mention must go to Anton, the Indonesian house keeper, who was cheerful, helpful, extraordinarily polite and a real hard worker, his tomatoes were historic. The house itself was wonderful, stunning views, loads of space (both inside and out) and with excellent facilities, the pool is beautiful and the gardens, especially the fresh plums, perfect. Sitting in the loggia watching the ever moving light on the lovely Tuscan landscape is something we wont forget in a hurry. I would thoroughly recommend Alfio the chef who Barbara arranged to cook for us one evening, he was brilliant, just go easy on lunch. Location wise the spot just East of Siena is remote enough to be very private but close enough to Siena…..Your help in booking the property was second to none, I would recommend your service to anyone, fast informative and really understanding of our particular requirements – even at the short notice we gave you….As you can probably tell we had a marvellous time and will definitely be calling on your services again the next time we travel to Italy-if you'll have us. Thanks from all of us.
Ashley Kirk and Family, Chesterfield, UK
Casa Glyn, Tuscany July 2011
“Thank you for a wonderful stay in Casa Glyn which we shall both treasure. The view from the bedroom in the morning is imprinted in my mind as if it were a dream – I have never woken up to anything more beautiful. Thank you also for taking me on our sun worshipping trip to Eco del Mare – I was very glad to be there with you. We hope to return some day soon.”
Nikki & James, London
Palazzetto, Tuscany July 2011
“Firstly, your services were outstanding. I was very impressed by the speed of your responses and would definitely recommend you to friends looking for somewhere in Italy. Turning to the house, we generally had a great time and would also recommend it to friends. The setting and proximity to Siena were perfect.”
Mr David Hudd and Family, London, U.K.
La Collina del Sole, Garfagnana, Tuscany – July 2011
“Villa was charming, clean, fantastic views and pool, nice touches like toiletries, free wine and a meal, in fact the additional catering was brilliant in quality, quantity and value.”
Rihll Family, Devon, UK.
Palazetto (Siena), Londra Palace (Venice) and JK Place (Florence)
"It is a rare event indeed to organise a trip where the reality is better than the anticipation. But so it was for our family when we set out on a three week trip to Italy that started and finished in Rome over the busy June/July Australian school holidays. We booked all our accommodation, transfers, car hire,chefs and even birthday cakes(!) through Merrion and literally nothing was too much trouble. Our fantastic holiday included a week at the unimaginably beautiful and relaxing Palazetto- a Villa situated just outside Sienna in magnificent countryside that you could just feast your eyes on all day ( when you weren't distracted on the literal feast that was presented before us every day by our very own local Italian chef, Alfio). No over dried flower arrangements in sight at this Villa, it was Italian charm and style at its best - just as Merrion had promised. Not only was the Villa picturesque it came with a wonderful pool and great bedrooms and bathrooms, terrific living areas, kitchen and the added bonus of the wonderful owner Barbera who was readily available with great local advice, her very own local wine and fabulous restaurant recommendations, and the charming housekeeper Bouidin who kept us comfortable and smiling. Merrion also selected and arranged fabulous accommodation for us at JK Place in Florence, which is hotel you have to stay in before you die, the wonderful Londra Palace in Venice where you literally watched the boats glide by from your bed with St Mark's as the backdrop and the hip Locarno Hotel in Rome where you felt you really were experiencing Rome as the Romans would. Thank you so much Merrion. We will definitely be booking all our Italian holidays with you again and hope that you expand into France, Britain and America post haste so you can cover all our holiday plans."
Georgina, Peter, Sam and Sebastian Braham. Sydney. July 2011
Villa Quercia, Umbria
“… thank you very much for all of your help with the villa, and arranging dinner for my husband's birthday.Villa Quercia was fabulous - and the chefs who cooked us dinner produced a terrific traditional Tuscan meal - and were incredibly friendly. We really appreciate all of your help, and would definitely use your service again.”
Greg & Jennifer McMahon, July 2011
Casa Glyn June 2011
"We cannot recommend highly enough the villa of Casa Glyn if you want to get away from it all and find your own little spot of paradise up in Northern Tuscany. You have all the benefits of being up in the mountains and yet are only an hour or so away from the sea as well. The location is far enough off the tourist track to make you feel like one of the locals yet close enough to key attractions such as Pisa, Lucca, Cinque Terre and The Apennines that you can do as much or as little as you want! We certainly made as much use as we could from the wonderful pool but also ventured further afield and headed for some of the more traditional tourist haunts as well as some slightly more energetic activities including a couple of walks around the villa itself plus an excursion into The Apennines!
Merrion is an absolute font of all knowledge when it comes to places to visit and restaurants to eat in and was just so helpful and patient with all our questions - each restaurant just seemed to get better and better. However, Casa Glyn is such a beautiful and peaceful place to be that we often just ate in having bought all our food from Fivizzano. This is certainly not a tourist trap but a wonderful example of local Italian life! We bought all we needed in the Alimentari, ate as much Gelati as we could and just soaked up the atmosphere of the local Italians going about their everyday lives. The villa has its own pizza oven and we even managed to make our own using dough bought from the local bakery – absolutely delicious and so much fun to cook as well – everyone should have a go!!
We can certainly see why Merrion fell in love with this part of Tuscany – if you want a relaxed holiday in a wonderful villa with Merrion just next door to help you out as much or as little as you need, then you really can't go wrong with Casa Glyn. The crowning glory – a fabulous little Border Terrier called MoJo who is, without doubt, absolutely adorable and is a little taste of home from home!! "
David & Anne-Laure Green & David & An De Ganck from UK & France
Honeymoon Palazzolaccio April 2011
"As the sun sets over Palazzolaccio on our final night, Marischa and I are in your debt for selecting the most idyllic paradise we could possibly imagine for our honeymoon. We truly had the most memorable stay. Every morning waking to the spectacular view, with such a sense of quiet and peace, we could not have imagined a more perfect sanctuary.
And Christina's food! We are on crash diets starting tomorrow. Elsia was also exceptional in her welcome and in totally dealing with our car fiasco. It would have been a nightmare without her. Great thanks to Ilaria and Giorgio for such a wonderful stay, and for our lovely and memorable lunch in Montalcino.
We are coming back. The only question is when!"
Riccardo & Marischa Mestres, California, USA
Hotel Hermitage, Elba September 2010
"We loved Elba and the Hotel Hermitage – the food was absolutely delicious and the staff were so friendly and kind. We loved our stay it was a real break and a treat - I am not addicted to Hendrick's Gin and tonic with a wedge of lime and slice of cucumber! I could not fault a thing we all had a great time.
Until the next holiday
Fiona”
Rawlinson Family, Hampshire, UK
Florence, Siena & Sant Andrea del Carpine October 2010
"Our trip to Italy was truly magical and made so much easier because of Merrion's terrific planning and recommendations!
We had asked for Merrion to find an old church in Northern Tuscany that had been converted into a villa ... and ... she did! It was absolutely spectacular and complete with a summer home where I spent some wonderful hours doing yoga and looking out over the Tuscan hills.
The attached pictures show the incredible view and foliage ....couldn't have asked for anything more!
Merrion also helped us to find 2 lovely hotels in Florence and Sienna, both within walking distance of everything we wanted to see and do! Hotel Hermitage in Florence overlooked the Ponte Vecchio and the Hotel Duomo in Sienna had incredible views of Sienna and the countryside
Merrion, Pietro and Mojo made our time in Italy a wonderful and memorable experience !”
Linda & David, Toronto, Canada
Palazzetto, Tuscany July 2010
"We had the most unbelievable time at Palazzetto, the house and its situation lived up to and beyond my expections, I could not believe how near to Siena we were but so totally in the countryside surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills. We had many driving excursions to see many of the beautiful hill towns, Thank heaves for the beautiful swimming pool as we arrived over the hottest week of the year so far!!!. Pisa airport was a bit of a crazy busy nightmare! The owners/manager were unbelievable and so helpful and friendly and welcoming. The Tuscan food - all I can say is thank heavens for elastic!!, was out of this world, Alfeo did us proud, our italian was somewhat lacking but we managed to get by!!. Last but not least Merrion thank you so much for all your expert help and advice in finding this idyllic place to stay with my family and friends to make our 10th Anniversary truly memorable.
Our very best wishes and thanks to you, i can't thank you enough for your help and easy to deal with manner.."
Jo and Ian Thomson, BC, Canada
Col di Casale, Umbria August 2010
"Merrion listened to our requirements and we felt we had a very personalised holiday to meet the needs of our family. The house and location were stunning and definately the most impressive place we have stayed to date, having stayed in some amazing places through her competitors. Every need was met, we had a well stocked fridge upon our arrival and Thomas, the property manager, even suggested we did not cook on the first night, on a public holiday and with everything closed he still managed to bring up a freshly prepared two course meal and wine for dinner. The house and pool were spotless. We had a chef, Barbara cook for us for two nights during our stay and the food was superb. Highly recommend the Col di Casale if you are looking for tranquility and luxury… we had an amazing time and very much look forward to booking our next holiday through you."
Mr & Mrs Farries, Buckinghamshire, UK
Villa Spada, nr Lucca - June 2010
"Dear Merrion, We did enjoy our stay at Villa Spada immensely. Thank you for arranging everything so well for us - everyone really loved the week and we were very lucky with the weather too. Thanks for your e-mail. Hope you had a good time on Elba. Best Wishes Caroline"
Mr & Mrs J. Mackay-Lewis & friends - Northern Ireland, U.K
Vico Basso, Casa della Quercia, Londra Palace, Villa Fiordaliso,
Villa d’Este – July 2010
"Thanks very much for taking such good care of us. Your personalized interest in our trip to Italy was terrific! Your knowledge of great places to stay, and small intimate "off the beaten track" attractions and restaurants were most enjoyable. Most impressive was your personal interest in our wants and needs and timely response to any request. Thanks for making our Italian trip enjoyable, troublefree and unforgettable. Kindest regards, John Patterson."
John Patterson & family, USA
Podere La Serra, Lunigiana , Tuscany July 2010
"The villa was just what we hoped for - very spacious with six bedrooms and six bathrooms. There was a well equipped kitchen though the coffee machine gave a bit of trouble on occasions! The view from the pool was magnificent and the pool itself was large and beautiful. I liked the fact that it was a short walk to the village - altogether it is a lovely place for a family or friends to get together... It was just right and thank you again for helping us to sort out the villa to suit... Well, to finish, we loved meeting you and would love to come to that part of Tuscany again."
Wardell-Yerburgh family, Berkshire, UK
Podere Isabella July 2010
"Everyone in our group had a great time. We had a lot of foodies in our group, and no one was disappointed by the food experiences. I'm so glad that Stefano recommended La Porta, because it turned out to be our single best dinner. The owner there is extremely friendly and gracious. …. Anna prepared some great meals for us. Her pork roast and deep-friend aubergines were amazing, as was her lasagna! You were a pleasure to deal with, and I never felt that you were reluctant to assist us with anything. I would not hesitate to enlist your help in planning our next Italian vacation, and hope to get some suggestions as to other great places in Italy to explore."
Unsu Lee & family, Singapore
Casa Glyn May 2010
“"A couple of friends along with ourselves, wanted to find somewhere special in Tuscany to celebrate both our 25th wedding anniversaries. Having come across Casa Glynn on the internet we chose to spend our first week in
Tuscany in this is idyllic sounding place.
We were not to be disappointed, Merrion could not have been more helpful sharing with us her passion for Italy and knowledge of Tuscany and the local area. On her recommendation we found down in Fivivizzano a wonderful café that provided us with the most fabulous homemade ice cream and also a general shop which was a treasure trove of local produce which made our meals into culinary delights. The couple of walks Merrion suggested we took when we could tear ourselves away from those magnificent views were very enjoyable.
Our stay could not have been more comfortable in the very tastefully decorated Casa Glyn, everything you could possibly need, Merrion, had thought of right down to her home made olive oil and the lovely red wine locally produced in the village of Cotto.
Our wedding anniversary was made into a memorable evening by Pietro cooking us feast of local dishes and finishing off the night entertaining us with his singing while Merrion played the piano. Memories of the deers coming down to the river to drink in front of the terrace, the cows been led off in the mornings with the farmer, their bells ringing across the valley than returning of an evening, the shooting stars, the pool where we whiled away the afternoons views of very dramatic Apuane mountains and of course Mojo, Merrion's trusty companion. Truly wonderful memories to take away with us. Thank you for sharing such a special place."”
Best wishes Gilly, Malcolm, Elizabeth and Christopher – Jersey, Channel Islands.
Villa Bianca & Masseria Torre Maizza – Puglia
“Just to say that we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Leuca at Villa Bianca which has one of the nicest swimming pools we have seen anywhere. Its such a good area and found some great restaurants. The 3 days in Torre Maizza were excellent – a very good hotel and beach and beach restaurant. So thank you for organising everything , and Maizza is a real find!
We could not have chosen a better person to book our Italian holiday. Merrion always answered my questions immediately by email - the efficiency was 100%. Perfect in summing up what type of holiday we wanted. A true specialist in all directions.”
Bartholomew family - Wiltshire
Mas St Joseph , Provence July 2009
“Our 2009 trip to Provence was truly memorable! Following our fabulous week at Palazzetto in Tuscany last year, our expectations were already quite high but nothing could have prepared us for the "Wow" factor of Mas St Joseph. The house was truly charming and the 5 acres of garden were amazing. The children managed to discover something new in the garden every day, a tree house, veg garden, table tennis and the Thai Pavillion was quite a surprise as well and a great place for evening drinks! Paul and Mariejoe (not sure of spelling) could not have been more helpful and were very welcoming. The only thing we would do differently next time is go for two weeks instead of one.……thank you again for arranging two very special holidays both of which more than matched our expectations!”
Collins Family, London
August 2009 - Sant Andrea del Carpine, Lunigiana
“We had a lovely time in Italy and thanks again for organising it all and for the lovely lunch, it was all much appreciated………We would definitely say your services were great, the website is very good and the follow up excellent… The villa itself was in a lovely location, it was nice to be close to a village although we only used the pub once, it is a good option to have it close by for the odd meal if needed…. Giorgio was lovely, very helpful and friendly and we appreciated him taking us to the supermarket our first night and for sorting out the internet which did work really well once all the switches were on. All in all we had a wonderful time and enjoyed exploring the area and the weather was perfect too. Many thanks again."
Lulu & Jim Dubai
July 2009 - Casa Glyn & Sant Andrea
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Casa Glyn:
Fantastic scenery, particularly the view from the terrace where we whiled our time away listening to Sarah play your piano (a big plus for her - just heard that she gained a distinction in her grade 8 flute exam!). We usually do quite a lot of day trips on our holidays but this place was just perfect for us to wind down/recuperate. Villa accommodation was ‘home from home’; internal furnishings, pool and terrace area, all contributing to relaxing and had everything we needed. It was also a bonus to have yourself and Mojo on site helping us to make the most of the location - your information folder was also very useful.
Sant Andrea del Carpine was fun:
Kept losing each other and having to make arrangements to meet up in certain parts of the accommodation. Great place for Steve to read his ‘Millenium’ book. Pietro’s meal was a highlight. Location of both villas were ideal for us - we could have visited a lot more places but couldn’t drag ourselves away from the villas!
Thanks again for your help. We will definitely recommend you to anyone else thinking of going to Italy .
Best wishes - it was a real pleasure to meet you."
Taylor Family from Dubai
June 2009 Casa Glyn
"Casa Glyn is a wonderful, peaceful and relaxing place to stay. The house is well equipped and very comfortable. Merrion, the owner, is very welcoming and helpful and has a great knowledge of the area. The view from the terrace is wonderful. It's a real pleasure to just sit and gaze at the mesmerising view down the valley to Fivizzano and over to the Apuan Alps. The town of Fivizzano is small but has great food shops. We shopped at the butcher, baker and Alimentari recommended by Merrion. It was great to be able to make the most of the wonderful food that was available. The staff at the shops were very friendly and helpful even though they didn't speak english and out Italian was extremely basic! We never went to a supermarket as it was such a pleasure to shop at these shops.
Casa Glyn has a wood fired pizza oven on the terrace which produces great tasting pizza. We bought the dough for the pizzas from the baker which made things much easier. It takes a while for the oven to get hot so while you're waiting you can sit on the terrace with a glass of wine and enjoy the view.
Many of the sites of Tuscany are easy to do for a day trip. The Cinque Terre is a good day out and the scenery is beautiful. But sometimes it's hard to drag yourself away from the peacefulness of Casa Glyn. It's nice just to go down to Fivizzano, enjoy a coffee and pastry by the fountain in the piazza, shop for your food supplies and then head back to Casa Glyn and relax on the terrace or by the pool. If you are feeling energetic there are good walks from the house.
Fivizzano is definitely not a tourist town which for us helped make our stay more enjoyable. To us it was a taste of 'real' Italy. I would recommend staying at Casa Glyn to anybody who enjoys getting away from it all while still having the option to venture out to the sites of Tuscany."
Hewitt Family Michigan USA
Puglia June 2009
“Merrion found us our dream holiday villa. That's skill itself without the personal, helpful and efficient advice and organisation which enabled 2 families coming from different directions to end up in a remote and idyllic spot, housed in a blissful white washed trulli style home with all mod cons. Just big enough for six of us adults and toddler, with a wonderful aspect and large white swimming pool, not a mosaic tile in sight, we were wonderfully rested, indulged with delicious food from the local markets and stimulated and fascinated by the beautiful towns all quite nearby.
As near perfect a week as you could hope for”.
Howard Family, London
Casa Glyn - June 2009
“Merrion Charles is a delight to work with. She is personable, professional, knowledgeable, cheerful, and a terrific human being. With great care, Merrion will cater her recommendations to your personal taste, interests and budget. I highly recommend Merrion's services without hesitation.”
Linda I, Toronto
Casellaccia, Tuscany
Just a note of thanks to you both from Dominic and I. Thank you, Merrion, for introducing us to Casellaccia on our initial trip to Italy in December last year, it was well worth the visit then and we are so thrilled with our final decision – not a single regret.
Elisa, the staff at Casellaccia are just amazing, Marcella and Loridonna (not sure of the spelling of her name), were particularly awesome. But in saying that, every one of the ladies we came into contact with during our stay were helpful, accommodating and very pleasant.
The wedding day itself was just beautiful, from the weather to the food to the friendly, wonderful priest, to the church (our guests LOVED that church!), and the Italian music duo. It was perfect.
All in all, our entire party had such an amazing wedding holiday. The setting, the food and the atmosphere all lent themselves towards creating an experience for Dominic and I that truly exceeded our expectations.
Many thanks and I hope that we can do this again in the future.
Take care and may you continue to create happy holidays for many, many more customers.
Dominic & Eloise Giampaolo from South Africa June 2009
Casa Glyn.
“What can we say…we knew that Casa Glyn would be beautiful but, it exceeded all expectations. Our photos & my (lame) painting cannot begin to capture the magic. We thank you very much for your hospitality – meeting you has made our trip even better. We understand why you love it so much. We love it too! Our last evening with Pietro as chef was truly perfect!! Thank you so very much for everything. We will be back. Kind regards Diane, Jim, Jamie & Mike Dondero. We loved meeting MoJo too!!
Dondero family USA - May 2009
Casa Glyn.
"The most important thing to remember when you rent Casa Glyn is that you're not going to feel like a tourist. All of my prior experiences in Europe were centered on major cities and this was the antithesis of those trips. The town of Cotto where the villa is located and the nearby town of Fivizzano are both warm and delightfully small. If there are tourists in the area they're so well dispersed you wont even know it. And with all that being said, Casa Glyn is still just a stones throw from most of the attractions you'll want to visit while in Tuscany .
The villa itself is a remarkable property. Merrion has managed to maintain it's old world appeal while updating it beautifully to meet more modern expectations. But what stood out for my family and me was the setting. Even though it's nestled up against the town, most parts of the property give you the feeling that you're all alone in paradise. The views of the surrounding hills and valley, back dropped by majestic alpine mountains are now etched in my permanent memory bank. Coming from the U.S. with such a daunting exchange rate to overcome, the lovely kitchen and cooking facilities proved a Godsend. And, even though the home isn't huge, all of our 9 party members had a very comfortable place to sleep.
Casa Glyn is for those who want to be near enough to the traditional allures of Tuscany , with the option to pass on them entirely and still have a wonderful time. For us it was perfect."
Doug Tarter June 2008.
Tuscany
Thank you for a glorious autumn break in Tuscany at Zingoni. A superbly understated yet elegant hideaway in the hills with a view which encourages hours of sitting on the terrace. Our wonderful housekeeper, Graziella, couldn't have made our stay more comfortable and her cooking was perfect. Fresh salad from the garden, figs from the poolside trees and a log fire at night....we didn't want for anything.
Sarah - October 2008 - Zingoni, Tuscany.
Hi Merrion
La Limonaia was a fabulous villa for our two families totaling 11 people. We had the most relaxing holiday in the spacious and very comfortable villa set in the grounds of Castello di Celsa. The staff, Fico and Kameja, and Lara, were delightful and very accommodating, and we had many funny charades to get past the language barrier! The little children had a great time on the estate, exploring, swimming and playing tennis in the hot Italian sunshine. Every second day or so we would venture out on a day trip to one of many local villages, climbing bell towers, eating, drinking and taking in the fabulous culture. San Gamigniano, Monteriggioni, Siena, the Chianti towns, and of course Florence are all within easy reach of La Limonaia. We explored little local restaurants nearly every day, and when we didn’t go out we would have a delicious feast laid out on the table under the grape vines. We learnt much about Italian wines by tasting many! All in all, the perfect getaway!
Fiona Donnelly – July 2008 – La Limonaia, Tuscany
The Pheasantry Hascombe Surrey - 22 January 2008
Comments on trips arranged for us by Merrion Charles
Malta.
‘Couldn’t have been better. Everything went as planned.’
‘A week in January is not the easiest thing to get right but she did it perfectly. The briefing, schedule, flights, hotel and local information could not have been better. Very impressive.’
The Dolomites
‘Last minute decision but went without a hitch.’
‘Super service. Super planning. Super hotel. Full marks Merrion’
‘We could not decide where to go or how to arrange it. Merrion’s great knowledge of the area came to our rescue and she sorted it all out quickly and efficiently.’
General
‘When you deal with Merrion you get the best service, her extensive knowledge, her efficiency and her lovely personality. Can’t beat that’
‘Merrion knows her world of travel and is very good at what she does.’
‘Her attention to detail means that she gets it right’
Mike & Joan McLeod -
Surrey 2008’
Dolomites
'Last year we decided we wanted to ski in the Dolomites but needed advice on the resorts. Having read all the press reports and brochures we decided there was too much choice, we needed help. After one call to Merrion explaining what we wanted and our level of skiing she came up with Arabba and the Sport Hotel, where we spent Christmas and New Year. Merrion organised everything for us: flights, taxi, hotel and the best ski instructor. A fantastic holiday which we are about to repeat. We would not hesitate in recommending Merrion, nothing seems too much for her.'
A very happy customer. Sussex.
Family trip to Italy
'Merrion organized a family trip to Italy for us (my daughter 5 my son 9 and my husband) I asked for something that was not going to be ‘touristy’ she understood my needs exactly and spent some time making sure that it all went smoothly for us, it really helped that she speaks fluent Italian and there were no misunderstandings or disappointments on the other end. I would not travel to Italy without using Merrion.'
Fiona Rawlinson - January 2008
Hi Merrion, Happy New Year to you too!
'We could not have been more pleased with the villa, and Latif is a treasure. Thank you so much for the recommendation and please convey our thanks to the (lucky) owner. Do keep in touch.'
Best wishes Nick & Deveren – December 2007