9.5
Jane, Harrow
Checked in Wed 31 Dec 2014
This was a last minute booking made 3 days before the stay, through Trivago who redirected it to TravelRepublic. It is a stunning hotel in an equally stunning location, set in open coutryside with fabulous views to the sea. We booked a superior room but somewhere along the line, there was an error and we ended up in a standard room. The room was nice but on the ground floor of a new block away from the masseria, with a very limited sea view. The owner was very apologetic but as it was New Year’s Eve he was fully booked and could not change it. However to make up for it, he allowed us to choose a complementary bottle of wine from their cellar to go with our dinner and gave us an extra free course with our meal. We were happy with this and the Amativo wine can be thoroughly recommended! The food was very impressive and all guests received a special free course as it was NYE.
The only minor negative was although we knew the outdoor pool was closed for the winter, the water had been allowed to go stagnant and was green. This wasn’t an issue other than visually, why didn’t they put a cover over it?
Breakfast was way, way above average. It was a buffet with all the normal, juices, coffee, cereals, cold meats and cheese, but in addition were delicious foods made by the chef/owner. These included, omelette, Italian ham and cheese rolled up and sliced, mini savoury and sweet pastries and pies, cakes and a divine chocolate and hazelnut tart, heaven!
The masseria used to be a ruin and has been completely restored, so feels more like a luxury hotel than a working farmhouse.
We would thoroughly recommend a visit.