What an amazing time we had in Amandola with Pauline Betts owner of B & B La Mela Rosa.
The accommodations were 5 star excellent. Each room fantastic. Comfortable beds and the best quality linen made for a very comfortable sleep after a day exploring the fairy tale like surrounds of the region. The light filled rooms were delightful and waking up in the morning to sunshine and birdsong was like a balm to the weary soul. If you're looking for the true Italian experience - the real Italy - then this is the place to stay. Pauline is a wealth of local information. She organised bookings with local restaurants who cooked us traditional cuisine of the area - all delicious and she also organised for cars to ferry us to and from these restaurants. Pauline supplied us with the most delicious breakfasts each day using fresh local seasonal fruits, crusty toast, local eggs and yogurt and mountain honey to die for. We felt free to wander the property and made great use of the pool facilities enjoying the fantastical views of the surrounding area. At night, we experienced the beautiful fireflies that were buzzing around in their incandescent glory. We were very sad to leave when the day came for us to move on but exceedingly happy to have experienced the sense of being at home while abroad. Thank you Pauline for the best stay of our trip and we look forward to returning with friend's next time.

We came to La Mela Rosa for a week at the end of May and it has been nothing short of fantastic. A beautiful and tastefully restored farmhouse in the foothills of the Sibillini Mountains. The house is large and comfortable, appointed with everything you might need and nothing you don't. There are no near neighbours so the house feels very secluded and private. The area as a whole is simply beautiful and non - touristy. I'm not sure why because the scenery is as stunning as any in italy as is the food and hospitality. Can't recommend La Mela Rosa and the region highly enough.

Just by coincidence we found this fantastic place next to Amandola where the 3 of us spent 2 nights (a couple and a daughter of 8 years). A good starting point to explore Monte Sibillini by foot, mountain bike or jeep. What distinguishes La Mela Rosa from other places are in particular the hosts: Pauline and Robert. The swimming pool has a nice temperature and is a good refreshment after a warm day in the mountains. Even though the outside temperatures did reach, during our visit, almost 35 degrees Celsius, the house and the rooms stayed fresh and cool. The breakfast is more than complete with only home made food. We would have loved to stay longer.

La Mela Rosa is everything that one could wish for. Lovely comfortable rooms with views, showers that one can only dream of, the best soap we have had on any hotel round Europe. Comfortable places to read, amazingly thoughtful hosts in Pauline and Rob. The young dog Polly is friendly and playfull, almost crasy. The best B&B in Marche!?

Mela Rosa is a wonderful bed and breakfast located a few minutes outside of Amandola and at the foot of the Sibillini Mountains. The house and grounds overlook the surrounding countryside, providing beautiful vistas of farms and fields. Rooms are attractively decorated, comfortable and inviting. The proprietors, Rob and Pauline, are warm and welcoming. They made us feel like we were visiting old friends. They are extremely knowledgeable about the area and made terrific recommendations for restaurants and nearby hikes in the mountains. This is a must if you are staying in the area.

We spent a weekend at La Mela Rosa. The place was fantastic. Rooms, reception, amenities, comfort, are of the highest qualify. The peaceful surroundings and the high quality features of the rooms, are perfect for a relaxing break. Our hosts, Pauline and Rob, were available beyond expectations and did anything possible to make us comfortable. We highly recommend La Mela Rosa to couples and families.

My wife and I are professionals in our late 30s from the Northeast US. We visited Italy for a family reunion in Tuscany in late May. With four extra days to ourselves, we wanted to find a location where we could do vigorous day hikes and relax in the evenings. Some research on the internet led us to Sibillini National Park, and we found La Mela Rosa on TripAdvisor. It worked out better than we could have hoped. The positive reviews below are accurate: Pauline and Rob are wonderful hosts, the setting is beautiful, breakfasts were tasty.

We stayed here because I'd heard how beautiful the Sibillini mountain range was and La Mela Rosa is ideally situated for visiting. Pauline and Rob were great hosts, warm and very knowledgeable about this beautiful area. Rooms were beautifully decorated, very clean with a massive shower and handmade soap.

Breakfast was a delight! Homemade muesli, compote and jams - mmmm. I can't fault it and with l definitely return, it's top class!

Such a beautiful place to stay. We were warmly welcomed on arrival by Pauline and Rob, given good coffee and delicious cake and spent the next few hours chatting and laughing.

Our room, the one with french doors and a patio was spotlessly clean, large and very tastefully decorated. Loved opening the doors in the morning to let the outdoors in, and even saw a deer nearby at dawn one morning. Very nice bed linen and a great bathroom with handmade toiletries was a treat.

We were only there for two nights but managed to see enough of the area to see how beautiful and interesting it is, even though not touristy at all, which is a blessing.

We ate at La Mela Rosa on our first evening and the food was very good. Breakfasts were too. We especially loved Pauline's homemade granola, along with the bacon and eggs, plenty of toast, preserves and very good coffee. Our second evening was our wedding anniversary and Pauline booked a restaurant for us in a village a short drive away. The meal was so lovely, as were the staff. So glad we went there.

During our stay, Pauline and Rob were more than perfect hosts in their beautifully appointed rural B&B where nothing was too much trouble. Rooms and common areas are spacious, comfortable and tastefully decorated. And although a roast dinner for breakfast was refused, any reasonable request for breakfast fare was happily provided. Swimming in the pool while enjoying the stunning scenery, was just wonderful. Polly, the young German Shepherd cross, is a delightfully exuberant member of the host family.

We had the pleasure of staying at La Mela Rosa this pas September for 9 nights...which was nearly not enough. Our last visit to the B&B was September 2011 and when we were returning to Le Marche there was no question where we would stay. I can't say enough about this absolutely beautiful B&B.. the setting is out of this world, Pauline & Rob's home is totally stunning and the attention to detail in everything they do is remarkable. I know my husband and I have never been to another B & B that has made us feel so welcome...from the afternoon tea and homemade treats to all the help Pauline & Rob go to with every request you can imagine. I could go on and on...but if you're travelling to Le Marche La Mela Rosa is a definite stop.

We are hoteliers and by and large we never stay in hotels for obvious reasons, instead, choosing to stay in small B&Bs or self catering. We never expect perfection but there is always a secret hope that one day one will stumble upon our Shangri-la. Well, this is it ! A hidden part of Italy, in the mountains of Sibillini seemingly isolated from the outside world. La Mela Rosa is everything that one could wish for. Lovely comfortable rooms with views, showers that one can only dream of, comfortable places to read, amazingly thoughtful hosts in Pauline and Rob ( wicked senses of humour ! ) who are able to read your needs in a flash.....Pauline cooks REALLY well. Local ingredients whizzed up in the local idiom. Good local restaurants are also in abundance. Walks to remember for the rest of your life....Trout fishing for the pot, or to release, can be arranged locally as with cooking classes.

If you are looking for a holiday that is perfect, then this is it. The scrambled eggs are wondrous to behold....Rob is the breakfast chef!

We will be back. Thank you Mela Rosa for being who you are and where you are.

My wife and I spent 5 nights at La Mela Rosa as a base for day hikes in the Sibillini mountains. From La Mela Rosa a variety of gorges, lakes and mountains can be accessed within a 30 to 40 minute car drive - our favourites being Mount Sibillini, Lago Pilato and the Finestrone Gorge.

La Mela Rosa ticks all the boxes and more:

• large rooms with excellent showers

• hearty breakfasts

• packed lunch options

• an idyllic and relaxing location

• a knowledgeable and friendly host and hostess

One of Pauline's big pluses, apart from her willingness to help in any way, was her knowledge of the restaurants in the surrounding area and the obvious regard she is held by the restauranteurs. The restaurants and trattorias of Le Marche offer outstanding value and customer service when compared to their Umbrian neighbours.

Pauline and Rob have a large restored house in lovely countryside near Amandola. Our room was large by any standards but we also had our own sitting room with books to browse. Breakfast on the patio was excellent- even including bacon and eggs! And the pool was all you needed. In case we couldn't find the place Rob met us in town and guided us to La Mela Rosa. What more could you want? Make sure you make the pleasant walk to the nearby lake.

It was good to find such a gem so close to the charming town of Amandola. Pauline and Rob were perfect hosts, always offering us a glass of wine after a long day out in the countryside. The place itself is immaculate and really beautifully restored, with nice spots to chill out and a great pool area. We were both quite jealous of their life there... If you're looking for a place that has charm and people who can give you tips on everything there is to do around, go there. Pauline and Rob were like locals, except they spoke perfect English! Oh, and they know where all the good restaurants are too!

Rob and Pauline are just the best hosts. The B&B is the most comfortable and the position magnificent. We just loved being there, away in the beautiful hills and without the tourist. For once I felt I experienced a place rather than seen! Can't recommend enough

We only had two nights at la Mela Rosa but it was an excellent experience. The breakfast was perfect with the home made ingredients. The room and bathroom are perfect and large and the bed is perfect to sleep in like home!

We had perfect weather to enjoy the swimming pool and the pleasure of hearing nothing but the animals around the house. The house is not near any village or city so it's very quiet, we loved it! The hosts are perfect and can give a you lot of information.

In the surroundings you will find those old towns where it's like time has been standing still for years and everybody seems to know each other.

I hope this region will long stay as it is, and not be spoiled by many tourists! So don't tell anyone about it but go and see it yourself.