This is an extremely unusual year for us. We have always had guests from March until the end of November, more or less non-stop. This year, our season didn’t pick up until the end of March and Casina di Rosa, our vacation house in Tuscany, has remained empty several weeks in April and May, due to cancellations or just because we were never asked for those weeks.
We were not used to seeing the house empty during some of the best weeks of the year. Up until this year, I would have said that there were no good reasons to consider May mid season rather than high season. May weeks would be fully rented by the end of September of the previous year usually.
I am not sure what has changed. Maybe it’s the competition (lots of lovely holiday homes in the Siena area out there). Maybe the people who used to like Tuscany and self-catering are not travelling as much. Maybe the people who do come our way like some other type of accommodation.
Anyway, we hear more or less everybody is in our same situation. We don’t live on the rentals, luckily, but having people in our rentals helps keep the properties in the family, cover the expenses and most importantly, keep the buildings alive. Empty houses just crumble down eventually. Well, not literally (for the most part), but you can always tell when a home is an “empty shell”.
I love seeing my greatgrandparents’ home being kept alive and loved by people from many different places around the world. I am sure nonna Rosa would have been amazed! Maybe she actually is: I like to think she still keeps an eye on the people living in her home.
After years of renting out, there is also another funny feeling when you don’t have guests one week: if it’s a really nice week, I always end up thinking what a pity it is people are missing out on the great beauty and pleasantness of this little corner of Tuscany. It’s weird, I know. But when we have guests, it feels like we were sharing our own private piece of paradise, and sometimes it seems impossible that part we are happy to share will have to go to “waste”.
When this happens we always try to make some special offers. But last minute offers don’t really work, do they? Maybe not in smaller places like ours. We have never ever had a guest book last minute over the years. Anyway, here is what we still have available this summer, in case you like to read our blog and are looking to spend some time in southern Tuscany. Or you know somebody who does. We have lovely reviews and always have had: the house is truly a cute stone cottage in a non-touristy village which is a perfect base to explore picture perfect Tuscany.
Our Tuscany last minute offers
If you want to visit Tuscany in June, Casina di Rosa is available from June 20 to 27. The rental price we offer for the week, inclusive of taxes, final cleaning, wifi, airconditioning, parking space, etc. (see the vacation house’s website) is 420 euros.
If you want to visit Tuscany in July, Casina di Rosa is available from July 11 to 18. The rental price we offer for the week, inclusive of taxes, final cleaning, wifi, airconditioning, parking space, etc. (see the vacation house’s website) is 470 euros.
Contact us if you are interested in different weeks. We still have a few more available weeks for the season.
We also have a holiday apartment in Pisa (just saying… LOL).
