"We stayed for a long weekend at Hotel Villa Marta and the experience was characterized more by shadows than by lights.
The main villa is set in a truly delightful location, in the valley of the beautiful Lucca hills and just over ten minutes by car from the fantastic city center and not much further from Pisa. The outdoor spaces are very well-maintained, with a beautiful garden that also features a pleasant swimming pool with a relaxation area and an elegant veranda that houses the restaurant and breakfast room. The private chapel located in front of the villa is also striking, as are the interiors, such as the reception area, which is welcoming and charming.
Specifically, we stayed in a Deluxe room, where, in addition to a good quality of sleep, we appreciated the comfortable size, with a particularly large and functional bathroom.
However, there are some aspects that, in our opinion, deserve attention. Some furnishing elements in the room, such as the table lamps, chandelier, nightstands, and mirror, appear inconsistent with the context of the property. Furthermore, in the bathroom, we found the lack of a shelf in the shower to be impractical; it was probably present in the past and subsequently removed, as the still-visible wall plugs seem to testify. We would have also appreciated the presence of a handheld showerhead in addition to the fixed showerhead.
Another intervention that we believe is important concerns the installation of window screens. The location surrounded by greenery is undoubtedly one of the property's strengths, but during our stay, the presence of stink bugs, especially given the season, did not allow us to keep the windows open on several occasions.
With a view toward greater sustainability, we would also suggest replacing the single-use shampoo and body wash samples with practical dispensers, a solution now adopted by many high-level properties.
Another aspect that we found not very in line with the general care of the hotel was the storage of a nightstand, a cardboard box, and a vacuum cleaner on the stairs adjacent to our room. These are certainly details, but in a facility of this type, it would be preferable for such materials to be kept in dedicated service areas.
The judgment on breakfast is more mixed. Although varied, we would have expected a greater emphasis on the local area. Most of the offerings, both sweet and savory, seemed to us to be traceable to industrial or mass-market products, whereas we would have appreciated the presence of local specialties and farm-to-table products, capable of better conveying the gastronomic culture of the Lucca area or, more generally, Tuscany. The paid off-menu items also seemed excessive.
The most critical note concerns the dinner at the Botton d'Oro restaurant inside the facility. During the kitchen's welcome dish, served as a vegetable purée, my wife found a foreign object clearly perceptible both by sight and touch. The aspect that struck us most was that no one on the staff was able to identify its nature with certainty. In our opinion, this is a serious incident, even more significant than finding a hair.
The dinner then continued without further incidents, but without leaving a particular impression from a gastronomic and presentation standpoint. In fact, the dishes were executed correctly, but lacked that identity and personality one would expect from a restaurant located in such a charming facility. The wine list could also be expanded, especially regarding local labels, which we found to be present in too limited a measure.
Most of these observations were presented in the proper manner at the time of check-out. We would have expected greater attention and understanding regarding what was reported; instead, we perceived a certain surprise and limited empathy toward the issues highlighted.
In conclusion, Villa Marta remains a facility of undoubted charm, set in a splendid context, and for this very reason, we believe that some aspects related to details, hospitality, and especially the restaurant offering deserve reflection, so that the experience can be fully worthy of the beauty of the place."
