Giottiline, founded in 2004, is Italian by origin, although since 2016 it has been part of the French Rapido Group. It’s had relatively little presence in the British market in recent years, although it currently has five dealers spread across the UK.

The Giottiline Siena Premiere 397 sits on a Fiat Ducato and could be a contender for those after the best motorhome with an island bed.

The vehicle I saw was a Premiere Edition, which means you get, among other things, a colour-matched bumper and motorhome alloy wheels on the outside, and a reversing camera, multimedia system with a 6.8in screen and steering wheel controls in the standard Fiat cab with two drinks holders.

The Fiat Ducato cab
Central cupholders in the familiar and perfectly functional Fiat Ducato cab

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The lounge in the Giottiline Siena Premiere 397

The two parallel settees in the front lounge immediately behind this can be made easily into two forward-facing travel seats, although the one behind the driver’s seat doesn’t get much of a view or legroom.

Coming in from the habitation door, there is a useful switch you can reach from outside to turn on all the lights, as well as a large mirror above the grab handle and some coat hooks.

The front lounge in the Giottiline
Lounge accommodation is sober but comfortable. Table seats four with ease

If you equate Italian style with a bit of glitz, you might be a bit surprised at how minimalist the interior is in the Giottiline Siena Premiere 397, with a yellowish tint to the woodwork and plain, mid-grey cupboard doors.

Plenty of light comes in through the sunroof, however, and there’s good night lighting in the panel under the drop-down bed. But there are no spotlights for reading in the lounge, or any USB ports here.

One of the overhead lockers at the front of the 'van
There are two big overhead lockers in the front of the ’van as well as storage under the seats

Fortunately the large table can be moved in all directions and could easily accommodate eating places for the four (possibly five) people who might be sleeping in this motorhome.

The kitchen in the Giottiline Siena Premiere 397

There’s no extension in the kitchen due to it being a bit boxed in. But there is a bit of workspace to the right of the sink in front of the hob which, unusually for a Continental mid-market motorhome, has three burners. There’s a handy mains socket nearby, and a spice rack, as well as a little rail with hooks for tea towels. Quite neat, really.

The compact kitchen
Kitchen is tucked away and quite compact, but you do get a three-burner hob

On the other side there is a Thetford fridge with a separate freezer, and above this (possibly a little high up for shorter motorhomers) a small oven – on Continental models this would be another locker.

The washroom in the Giottiline Siena Premiere 397

There is quite a step up to the washroom, which only has one partition door, so you don’t get a completely sealed-off dressing room here.

There is then (unusually) a bit of a step down into the shower cubicle, on the door side. As a result it has great headroom, not to mention two plug holes, a nice light, a shelf for shampoos, and a roof vent, although the wheel arch does intrude.

The shower (left) and main washroom (right)
The shower has a step down but is a good height with double drain holes and a roof vent (left); Offset sink is tucked away but there’s a large mirror and a handy mains socket

The built-in basin on the other side is positioned slightly askew, possibly for greater privacy, and sits in front of a large mirror, with a handy mains socket and the motorhome toilet nearby.

Sleeping in the Giottiline Siena Premiere 397

Unusually the island bed doesn’t have an option of being rolled back to become a day bed, but it does come with adjustable spotlights with USB ports in them, as well as a switch from which you can turn off the rest of the ample bedroom lighting.

The island bed
The island bed is fixed but it’s well served with USB charge points and ambient lighting

The drop-down bed over the lounge has another spotlight with a USB socket. The bed does partially block the door when it comes down, although the door is still accessible.

Our test model came with an optional night bed that you can easily make up by manually lowering the table and adding a couple of infill cushions.

Storage in the Giottiline Siena Premiere 397

This is a motorhome with a garage, and as a result, your storage options start with the large double door garage at the rear. Inside at the back you can also lift up the bed to reveal another large storage area.

The storage beneath the island bed
Lift the island bed and there’s a decent size cubbyhole locker under it for bedding and more

Giottiline has helpfully provided a stay so you can keep this open without having to hold it. (This arrangement does mean the mattress folds, but I didn’t notice any compromise on comfort as a result.)

Back here you also get two half-height wardrobes and two overhead lockers, which will come in useful when loading your motorhome, plus a small cupboard in the corner – a bit too small to be called a dresser. There’s one cubbyhole in the steps up to the bed, because the other side gives you access to the water tank.

The kitchen drawers (left) and washroom storage (right)
Grey finish with satin handles in the kitchen drawers, where there is plenty of useful space (left); Main washroom cupboard is big enough for toiletries, loo rolls and cleaning products (right)

In the front lounge there are two overhead lockers, and they do at least give you access to the areas under the settees, even with the travel seats there.

One of the overhead lockers at the front of the 'van
There are two big overhead lockers in the front of the ’van as well as storage under the seats

The kitchen comes with three drawers in a column, a shelved cupboard, and an overhead locker. You do lose a bit of possible dry food storage by having the oven. The main washroom includes two cupboards.

Alternatives to consider

The Bürstner Signature SFT7.5 was a highly rated motorhome when we reviewed it recently, achieving a rating of 4.5/5. The innovative motorhome has plenty of customisation and a good kitchen.

Or, if there are only two of you, you could take a look at the Joa by Pilote 75 TB, a 2027 motorhome which comes with fixed single beds at the rear.

Technical specification

  • Price: £69,995
  • Sleeps: 4
  • Belts: 4
  • Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
  • Engine: 2.2-litre, 140bhp turbodiesel
  • Length/width/height: 7.2/2.32/2.92m
  • MTPLM: 3500kg
  • MiRO: 2976kg
  • Payload: 339kg
  • Water (fresh/waste): 100/100 litres
  • Leisure battery: Dealer fits
  • Gas: 2 x 13kg
  • Web: giottiline.com

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