from 2011:
Hello,
Our holiday in Umbria has once again been superb and Il Ranco is a wonderful place. We do not have any comment.
And even though we do not speak a word of Italian, we have had very nice 'talks' with Claudia and Fausto who received ons in a lovely way.
Best wishes, Natalie & co
Dear Willemijn & Saskia,
our holiday in Il Ranco was great. Have have really had a very nice week. At a certain point the pool water turned green but it was solved the next day. No problems at all. We are looking forward to returning a next year.
Best wishes, Sylvie
from 2010:
We had rented apartment Fausto in the first two weeks of June 2010.
We are in general very pleased with the apartment and facilities offered. All is clean, nicely done, luxurious with the washing machine and tennis counrt, apart from the swimming pool.
There is even a small gym next to the garage.
Not described on the webiste is that Il Ranco has a big covered terrace back in the garden that can be used to do something together, like a bbq or games. It is like a big open shed.
Fausto or Claudia should have shown us the light switches for the outside lights on the first night, we only found out after a few days. Maybe this was due to us being the only people around at the time.
The first hill to take from the house is rather steep. You need to get a bit of speed and then it is not a problem to drive up.
Also it would be nice if the guests would be told about the cats. These are not wild cats, they are being taken care of.
Apart from this only positive remarks!
And .... in the beginning of June the cherries are ripe. "Mangiare, mangiare" Claudia was saying, meanwhile taking care of the garden.
Others who rented in the same period remarked the way in which the house is built, very well done and strong, resembles more a Dutch or Swiss style than Italian.
Anyway, I believe Fausto is a very handy person who can build anything himself, apart from the electrical part. He mentiones he always leaves that to the experts.
Both Fausto and Claudia are very proud of their apartments and the antiques inside.
Very best wishes, Ron & Francisca
Good afternoon,
Unfortunately end of our vacation in beautiful Umbria for us but we treasure our fantastic experience at Il Ranco. Fausto en Claudia are very pleasant people, extremely kind. We wanted to get some pizza's to eat in the grounds with other guests and she ordered the pizza's and accompanied us to the pizzeria, we were treated very well (free drinks for all).
The kids loved the kittens Romeo and Julietta . Our apartment was very clean and you could feel they did everything to make you feel at home. Unique to me was the possibility to use the washing machine which is very welcome with 3 children.
Only small detail is that when very hot an air-conditioning system might be welcome. We arrived the 17th of July and it wasn't too hot but I think people are willing to pay extra for air-conditioning. It is an ideal location and I think next year we'll stay one week at Fausto and one week a bit more south.
Thank you for your great service and we which you and your company all the best,
Familie S. - Kortrijk - België
Dear Saskia and Willemijn,
We have been back home for over a week but we can still have the Umbrian landscape on our minds. We had a great time. The appartment Giada in Il Ranco was much to our liking. We already recommended the place to some of our acquaintances. The visit to Montelabate was much worthwhile. Only after we came home we saw that you had sent an sms regarding our broken rear window screen! What a service that you immediately notified Fausto!
All in all a very successful holiday. Thank you very much for your efficient and sympathetic way in which you have organised everything.
Kind regards, Anouk M and family
Dear Saskia and Willemijn,
We had a splendid holiday in Umbria. Our accommodation was perfect and the grounds surrounding it (pool, tenniscourt,….) very well kept. The owners were incredibly helpful. If I may say so, it might be advisable to give some information regarding the shops in Umbertide. It was not straightforward finding the baker, butcher or supermarket. In the end we succeeded but a few names might be more practical. Oh and a higher fence surrounding the volleyball court might be nice as well, our ball in lying somewhere in an Umbrian 'abyss' but that might also be our fault :-).
Thanks for the great service.
Regards, Eddy, Marleen, Annelies en Mathias.
Hello Saskia and Willemijn,
I'm happy to report that we are extremely satisfied about our stay at Il Ranco. It was our second time and the accommodation and your service are fantastic!
So:
Extremely friendly owners, wonderful accommodation, beautiful surroundings, in short a place to come back to.
I feel a bit guilty I didn't write before because you really have a heart for your customers. Keep going this way, we had a tremendous time and if we are to return to Italy we'll make sure to do so via your organisation.
Very best wishes, Family de S.
From 2009
Dear willemijn!
we got back from italy 10 days ago and just wanted to thank you for beautiful - lovely "il ranco". the view was heavenly, the apartment was very nice and comfortable and the owners were really helpfull and nice. we enjoyed it a lot!
thanks again, rachel, josh and yahav (the baby)
Hello Saskia and Willemijn,
We spent a lovely holiday in the indeed green Umbria. We had good weather, always around 30C, so ideal, real summer yet not too hot.
On our way to our destiantion we slept in Rodero, just over the Swiss-Italian border. We paid 60 euros fo a room. But it had high quality finish. There was also a swimming pool. The owner speaks french. http://www.homelidays.com/rodero/chambres-hotes115902fr1.htm#descriptif
We liked our accomodation in Umbria. Everything needed was there. Only one thing. Sometimes some Italian youths came to the pool though they didn't stay in a house. Not all lodgings were rented out so I think the owner also rented his pool out to this group. The accomodation is very well situated, quite central, convenient to visit some towns, near the freeway yet still a few kilometers away smack dab in the green and nature.
We had a lovely holiday and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Kind regards, Philippe
Dear Willemijn and Saskia,
We can happily look back on our holiday !!!
Our stay in Il Ranco (Umbertide) gave every satisfaction.
I have to acknowledge that the last few kilometers I startled because of the remoteness.
But the ' in-the-middle-of-nowhere' feeling was made up for by the splendid location!
A hearthy welcome by Claudia and Fausto (no emancipation here as I was laid out the workings of the washing machine and Jeroen was taken to the tennis court, haha)
Our appartment was spotless and nothing was lacking.
You noticed the owners take care of the place with lots of love, the place radiated with it.
It was great to listen to the stories by Fausto about the area while enjoying a glass of homemade wine.
So no improvements to be made according to us but there is a big change we will combine Il Ranco with a stay somewhere else in Umbria next year.
Regards and thanks for your services, Conny
Dear Willemijn
We are back home in Warsaw. I would like to thank you very much and of course owners of beautiful Il Ranco for a wonderful vacations. Time we spend there was really great.
I am sure we will come again very soon and of course we will recommend Il Ranco to our friends
Best regards, Piotr
Hi Willemijn,
Thanks again for all your help in setting up a great vacation. We loved Il Ranco and had a fantastic time exploring the area. Your itineraries, restaurant, and wine suggestions were really helpful. Please pass on our thanks to Claudia.
We hope to return soon!
Ciao. Brian
Hello Willemijn and Saskia,
We once again had a splendid holday.
Il Ranco (Fausto) was great. Fantastic location.
The beds weren't great. Quite hard because of the boarding under the mattresses. We ended up sleeping on the settee-bed. A pity you couldn't take a shower only sit in the bath.
Very nice owner. Also nice that there was a bit of shadow near the house.
Pity you have no activities in Tuscany.
Maybe once again a bit more to the South of Umbria next summer.
Kind regards, Marian
Dear Willemijn,
We wish to thank you for all the help to gave us in finding a suitable place for our vacation in Umbria - in particular for encouraging us to look to Il Ranco! - and for all the remarkably detailed and helpful information you provided about daytrips, restaurants, markets, sources of wine, and other very practical matters. Il Ranco was perfect. The setting was quite beautiful - the views from the balcony of Fabio quite wonderful. Fabio itself was clean, well-equipped, very attractively appointed, a wonderful place to which to return after a day's touring to various spots in Umbria. And it was very well situated for the touring we wished to do (Orvieto the most distant location to which we travelled.) Of course the pool proved a delightful source of refereshment at the end of a day's touring. We shall not hesitate to recommend Il Ranco to friends - and shall envy any of them who do take our recommendation!
We met Claudia only briefly the day of our arrival, but we saw Fausto daily and very much enjoyed his lively, good-humored company, and his help when help was needed. I left a note on the kitchen table in Fabio, trying to thank both Claudia and Fausto for all they did to make our stay so pleasant - and to congratulate them on the attractions of Il Ranco. My Italian being so rudimentary, however, I have no confidence that my note will have conveyed how very pleased we were to have stayed in Fabio. And so I would ask you - when you have to opportunity - to convey to them our very warm and positive reactions.
With best wishes, Jack
Hello Willemijn,
We'd like to let you know we had a great week at Il Ranco. Amazingly situated. Nice owners. Well-equipped. Really splendid to be repeated. Unfortunately we were pestered by insects but maybe that was because of the heat.
Thaks for taking care of our booking.
Kind regards, Lia
Hello Willemijn,
We had a great time, wonderful house ideal location. As a tip I would like to mention that the bedding could do with some improvement because it isn't great. Furthermore it is recommended that you note on your website that the house is less suited for seekers of silence in the high seasons. The privacy is limited and the house noisy. But besides that is was delightful.
Thanks for the great service.
Kind regards, Stefan
Dear Willemijn,
In August we spent a lovely week at Il Ranco, appartment Fabio.
Everything was great, very clean, enough furniture and linens.
To be repeated!
Pity the owners only speak italian.
Also thanks for your guidance and information.
Claudine
Dear Willemijn,
We had a splendid holiday at Il Ranco. In real the house looks even better than in pictures!!
It was a pleasant way to get to know Umbria. To short of cours.... but we can change that in times to come.
We hope to be able to make use of your website once more !!
Kind regards, Katrien
Dear Willemijn,
First of all I would like to let you know that we had a wonderful holiday and were very happy with our apartments. They were all different and all had their own style.
Only drawback was the lack of a tennis court at Il Ranco. My daughter had set her hopes on it but we brought the tennis rackets along for nothing. I just make a note on this to be complete.
Comment Villa in Umbria: the tennis court is fully functional, even in the dark!
Hello Willemijn,
We would like to thank you and Claudia & Fausto once more for the amazing holiday we spent in Italy. All ingredients were there for a wonderful stay: the pristine apartment, the well cared for swimming pool, and a splendid surprise, the small pool for our children, the great environment and not in the least the kind owners.
We would like to repeat this holiday though one thing keeps us from that: the beds weren't that good.
We are convinced that we will return to Umbria next year.
Kind regards, Olivier, Eva, Arthur & Hadrian
Hello Willemijn,
There seemed to be some consternation regarding our time of arrival. However we arrived the 7th, were able to find everything and the place of the party. Claudia and Fausto are extremely benevolent people. If I'm ever to return I should at the least be able to speak some italian, it was communicating with our hands and feet, quite troublesome. I speak French well and English but that didn't work. No problem. It was lovely and exactly the place we were looking for. We have enjoyed pretty towns, spent the night a few times in other places to 'savour' the towns (Urbino, Siena) in short we were delighted with what we saw. + the kind Italians and the great food (Montone!) Just wanted to let you know.
Kind regards, Petra
The appartments were ok, but the communication with the owner is difficult. He doesn't really speak English and you shouldn't mention it. Despite that a good relationship existed.
Regards, Rob.
Dear Willemijn,
Sadly we have reached the end of our holiday in beautiful Umbria.
But we keep fond memories.
We would like to thank you for taking care of us and hope to work with you on one of following holidays....everything was picobello!!
Unfortunately we weren't able to se Fausto and Claudio before leaving.
Il Ranco really is a great location - i hope the owners can keep it that way.
Would you be so kind to convey our thanks for their hospitality?
Thanks again and till nect time!!
Bart
Hello Willemijn,
We have indeed spent a lovely holiday at Il Ranco with our friend Fausto. He was very happy I spoke italian, it allows him to drop by for a chat.
Regards, Michel