The Villa Pia Experience
Ever wonder what it would be like to find a place that is great, no — perfect for a family vacation?
It wasn’t easy… It took many, many days… and happened very randomly.
But, guess what?! I believe I found it.
No, it’s not some upscale resort on the beach with the view you see everywhere. It is actually a villa in the mountains of Italy that is truly unforgettable.
Let’s take a step back and let me explain how we came upon this place.
A few months back, my husband and I decided to plan a vacation because we truly needed a getaway from the chaos that we live in.
So, after a few days of contemplating where to go we found amazing tickets to Italy and booked them.
Funny enough, we booked the tickets but had no plan of what we were going to actually do in Italy, all we knew is that we wanted to go somewhere a little bit non-touristic: somewhere where we can just relax and enjoy being a family without being on the go all the time, and trying to see all the ruins and historical things.
We thought about the fact that we were going to be traveling with Melody for the first time and our true goal was to find a place we can spend time together.
We researched everything… Google took us to all kinds of websites that showed us what to do and in how many days and it just all was too much.
I mean, we wanted to see a bit of Rome since we were landing in that airport but we wanted, well… more.
With all the research and YouTube surfing… all of a sudden by pure chance we found a small video made by a mommy vlogger about this little quaint place called Villa Pia.
She spoke about a few things that grabbed my attention
1- All inclusive (Foooooood)
a- Breakfast Buffet 8 -11 am
b- Lunch Buffet 1 pm
c- Snack 4 pm
d- Kids Dinner 6 pm
e- Adult Dinner 8 pm (will explain that later)
2- They accommodate to babies and kids
a- Baby Beds
b- Pureéd Food for Babies
c- Art and Cooking Classes to keep your toddlers occupied
3- Location
a- 2.5 hour drive from Rome
b- 1.5 hour drive to Florence
c- 1.5 hour drive to Sienna
4- Extras
a- You can do your laundry
b- Spa
c- Italian Cooking Classes
d- Italian Language Classes
After watching her video, we took a chance and booked the place for a week.
Now I am not going to lie, I was super excited but super nervous at the same time since I mean… we were taking a chance on this place based on a video online.
But let me make this very clear … this is a place that I would go back to year after year.
Okay, okay I need to explain…
Villa Pia is in a small little village in the middle of Italy, close to Umbria and Tuscany.
We drove all through the mountains to get to this beautiful villa that was built hundreds of years ago but the best part is that it is made for families.
They accommodated us in the outer home. (Since we booked so late… a month before we were lucky to have even found a room)
The room was large and had two separate rooms (one for the parents and one for the kids) plus a bathroom.
It had a crib for Melody to sleep in ready to be used with a twin bed on the side and a large queen-sized bed for us in the other room.
After settling in we went back down to the main area, there was fresh baked lemon cake ready for us to taste and let me tell you it was divine.
We then met all of the other families that were staying there and saw that in the main courtyard there is a play area for little toddlers to play together.
It had castles, forts and houses with slides and Little Tikes cars for everyone to share and play with.
There were also all kinds of different bikes that you could use to go around town.
If you walk to the side you find an indoor playroom with books and toys to play with if you desire. Things that basically every parent would dream to have available when away from home.
There was also a soft play room for babies and kids to play in with all kinds of cushions everywhere to keep the kids safe.
Wherever you look you see tables and chairs for you to sit and enjoy as you sip on a glass of wine and relax in the hills of Italy.
The staff was so nice and took us on more of a tour to show us what we they had to offer… a reading room with a piano for anyone who desired.
A large fridge with fruits, yogurt, juice, milk, wine, and beer to have at any time.
Next to that was a massive coffee machine that I couldn’t figure out for the life of me but made amazing coffee and hot chocolate for everyone to enjoy.
We then walked back outside and they showed us the garden, pools, sandpit, and park all around their land.
I felt like I had stepped into paradise.
They then reminded us of the fact that dinner is served at 8 pm for all the parents only.
Yes you heard right… if you are asking yourself what we did with Melody well here it is… this place provides you with either monitors or a babysitter depending on where your room is so that once you put your children to bed you can have a delicious 4 course dinner every night children free.
Every night we had a different menu and they cater to your specific diets… so for example if you don’t eat a certain type of food or you have allergies, they make sure you are taken care of.
I could tell you what we ate every night but I mean there were too many to even mention.
This place is somewhere you go and just enjoy life. It is a place you regain life in because its beauty is so serene and you actually get to relax and be present in your family life.
We live in a world that is all about work and social media and not being able to live that moment to what it’s worth… and to be honest this place made me stop and look around and taken in the scenery and actually enjoy being with my family worry free.
I truly and whole heartedly recommend this place for families, and cannot wait to go back.
Mama Shugar OUT!
