We stayed at Merlo Nero for a week surrounding our son's wedding and (with family and friends) occupied all of the accommodations at the Villa. The villa was amazing, and the location was perfect. Our guests loved being able to easily walk to Florence. The villa's accommodations were perfect. We hosted the rehearsal party for the wedding (with over 100 guests) and the venue was perfect for the party.
We hardily recommend the villa, the location, and the host and her team for assisting us with everything from transportation to restaurants to finding a private chef.
Note that Villa Merlo Nero is a private residence and has some rooms not open to the public, but this was not a hinderance to us as the Villa has a large number of common areas for congregating. There are kitchens in each area of the Villa; we found the kitchen in the Lodge to be most conducive to large meal preparation and its ease of access from the pool area. The professional kitchen is only accessible if you hire a private chef (which we did for 2 of our nights).
The Villa is beautiful, all of our guests were very pleased with their accommodations, and the host and her team were indispensable, hospitable, and lovely. We highly recommend the Villa Merlo Nero.