Villa La Borghetta Resort

We used a gift voucher at Villa Borghetta that included a couples massage, but the visit was poorly organized from the start. We weren't given clear information when booking, so ask in advance about parking, timings, and what's included. The property looks nice in the photos and at first glance, but it isn't well maintained. At reception we waited about 30 minutes while the receptionist was on a phone call, which made us late for our spa appointment through no fault of our own. Nobody told us we needed to bring towels and slippers or that we could rent a spa kit for €10 per person. After a quick light lunch, an Italian staff member at the spa sent us back to reception for the kit, where we waited another 15-20 minutes. The male staff member helping us was very slow and very rude, and blamed us for being late despite the delays coming from staff. He also questioned where we'd parked. We had used the parking at the entrance, which he said was “for their clients.” We were clients. There are two parking areas, but nobody had told us spa guests should use a different one. Since it's one property with lots of spaces at the entrance, his reaction felt unnecessary and unprofessional. As a hotel owner myself, I think guests should be treated much better. Because of the delay, spa staff told us to skip the changing rooms and change in the massage room, leaving our clothes and bags there. The staff member rushed us while we were changing, which made us uncomfortable. The hammam lasted only about two minutes per person and didn't cover the whole body. Afterward, we found lockers cost €1, something we also hadn't been told. I had to leave mine open, and the changing room itself was very small and uncomfortable. The Turkish bath smelled strongly unpleasant, and my skin started itching soon after I sat on the bench. Steam made it hard to see, but it seemed poorly cleaned. The showers smelled strongly of urine, which was unacceptable. We stayed in the sauna for only about five minutes because there was a line. Then we went to the indoor hydromassage pool, but it was so small and felt so crowded, even with only a few people there, that we chose not to get in. The whole experience felt unhygienic and unprofessional, with poor communication and customer service. Clear information, cleanliness, and respectful service all matter, and Villa Borghetta fell short on each.

The room was larger than expected, the bed was comfortable, and the property and pool area looked nice. That's where the positives ended for me. We stayed in June with family for a wedding trip, and the service was horrendous. It felt like staff thought they were doing us a favor just by helping at all. At breakfast nobody cleared plates. After two hours, we were sitting beside a mountain of them. The selection was tiny even by continental standards, and the coffee was lukewarm. The pool bar was barely staffed, so to get a drink you had to go to the restaurant, wait 20 minutes by the kitchen, then carry it back to the pool yourself. I couldn't get ice cream for my boy because you could only pick one up after 2:30 PM. The pool area was untidy, and guests had to clean their own loungers. Pool towels had to be collected from reception, but nobody told you where to find them beforehand. Reception staff did the bare minimum, and the daytime man was about as unfriendly as you can get. They were very keen to enforce the 12 check-out time, though. My wife once ate at the restaurant without a reservation and got the worst table inside, even though the balcony was empty. It was probably because she had a toddler with her. The property had a lot of wear and tear and looked stuck in the 1990s design-wise. It also felt like kids weren't welcome, but they didn't have the nerve to make the place adults-only. Don't order a taxi. They use a company called ‚Franco‘ that sends unlicensed private drivers who try to rip off tourists. They wanted EUR 60 for five miles during the day, and of course I didn't pay that. They also charged me for drinks I hadn't had. I disputed it with AMEX, but they never provided a receipt. Says it all. For this price, what's offered is simply unacceptable. The service was the worst I've seen in years. You pay Ritz Carlton prices and get Residence Inn value. We won't be back. Avoid this place. It's not a four-star property and isn't worth the money.

The staff were pleasantly friendly, and we enjoyed the room we moved to on our second day, even though its bathroom was extremely small. We didn't like the first room as much. It was a good size with a spacious bathroom, but the finish was modest compared with the advertised pictures, and I didn't like the handicap sink. The villa is romantic, with lovely views of the valley and a pool among the olive trees. It isn't luxurious or spotlessly clean, and much of it is worn and could use repairs and updates, though it was still in tolerable condition. The pool is on the small side but big enough for a little swim. There aren't many loungers right beside it, but there are plenty farther out among the olive trees. Horseflies could be quite active at times, especially when you got out of the pool wet, though that's a problem throughout rural areas. There's also a small spa with an indoor pool and saunas, but the pool isn't big enough for swimming. Breakfast had both sweet and savory food, but the selection was limited. The better pastries were gone after the first people and weren't replenished. The ready-made pot coffee was poor. You could order freshly made machine coffee too, but that wasn't the best either. Dinner was good, though I expected more after reading such positive reviews. The parking is in the garden below, and carrying suitcases up the narrow hillside stairs is inconvenient. It helps to drive up to the reception door first, unload your bags, then park below. The property is about a 15-minute drive from the highway and from the famous The Mall outlet. It would've been nice to have drinking water in the room, and there was no way to make tea or coffee there.

The best part was the jacuzzi room overlooking the hills. I went with a friend for a morning at the spa after buying day entry online. The spa service itself was great, and one of the masseuses gave us a lovely full-body scrub and made us feel comfortable. At arrival, though, we weren't welcomed very warmly, and reception was dismissive and incredibly slow getting us in. The facilities could use a clean too. For example, the sauna ceiling was covered in spiderwebs.