Bagni di Pisa Palace and Thermal Spa - Tuscany

We had a wonderful, truly unforgettable stay at Bagni di Pisa in the Deluxe Double Room. The hotel and its grounds are absolutely beautiful. They are not in the least bit "tired" as I've seen in some reviews - the palace is clearly old, but that is what makes it so unique; it is in outstanding condition with its original character very much maintained. The hotel is full of comfortable, plush furniture, beautiful pictures and a warm, pastel decor. The room was of a good size and lighting was ample with both sets of shutters open. The bed was very comfortable and large. We found the hotel to be very quiet in general, both in terms of noise and the amount of people you would see around. That being said, at breakfast you could see there were a lot of people staying. The jewels of this hotel are of course the spa pools. I was a bit worried about there only being warm pools given the high August temperatures outside, but they were extremely refreshing and felt much cooler than walking around outside! We particularly enjoyed the jacuzzi, which was probably the most powerfully "bubbly" we'd ever seen, and the salt pool, which allows you just to float around and close your eyes. We often had these pools to ourselves as well. The hotel provide your own dressing gown, shower cap and slippers. We also twice had the complimentary salt scrub and mud treatment which you apply yourself, this left our skin feeling very nice and it's a fun thing to do. We didn't try the cave as, although it looked very romantic and cosy, we felt the additional charge (35€ each) to be unmerited when there were no fewer than five other very relaxing and often empty spa pools included in the stay. We also didn't have a massage or other treatment as we found the prices a little too high for us, so can't comment on those. Breakfast was an excellent spread featuring a range of Italian cold meats and cheeses, fruit, cakes and pastries. Some cooked breakfast elements are also available. We didn't dine in the restaurant as we preferred to do so out and about but we found the food and staff at breakfast to be excellent. The staff in general were very helpful and friendly, and we really appreciated the birthday gift for my girlfriend - grazie! We frequented the Bar Shelley which was beautifully decorated, especially the ceiling, and was a nice place to have a drink in the evening. Again, pretty quiet - we were usually the only ones there in what was a very large room! Do not worry about the location, it is perfect in between Pisa and Lucca and is a 10-15 minute train to each. The train will cost you 2€ a time. San Guiliano Terme is a small residential town, but it has a couple of nice, very reasonably priced restaurants a stones throw from the hotel which did great food and were clearly predominantly for the locals. A nice canal runs through the town and this makes for a nice short walk to round off the day. To offer our tuppence on comments from other reviews, we didn't find the hotel at all difficult to navigate, maybe it takes a night or two to know your way around everything but it's a large hotel. As for air conditioning, it was a bit hot on the second night but I called down to reception and it was soon sorted. We didn't have any other problems with it - it worked fine in general. We truly felt that we had a five star experience at Bagni di Pisa and would definitely return. It was the most beautiful hotel either of us have ever stayed at and we miss it very much!

The thermal baths are fab. The hotel has a faded grandeur which is impressive albeit the decor is a little dated. The food for dinner in the restaurant was unexpectedly great. The lobster pasta was incredible and I was introduced to Franciacorta which is an amazing Italian sparkling wine. The staff are lovely.

The staff at this hotel is very accommodating and friendly. They made our stay very comfortable. The hotel does need a makeover. The AC is marginal at best and the showers are less than adequate.