I heavily endorse the villa rental way to go. It's different than the hotel approach, but I often prefer a mode of travel where you settle into a single area for a while, enjoy the simple things nearby, and try to appreciate the local life -- buying the local groceries, walking the passagiatta in the town square with a cone of gelato, etc. Some villa rental companies (there are many on the Web) offer hotel amenities in addition, but I prefer doing without for the change of pace. It's generally my preferred way to travel now. Tuscany has a massive supply of rentals compared with the rest of Italy, so you shouldn't have any problems. Plan on staying at least a week or two and not venturing too far from your home base too often. I'm envious.