Ecoresort Le Sirenè - Caroli Hotels

Domenico, the shuttle driver, was the one real bright spot. He was always friendly and helpful, and brought a lot of positive energy to our trip. Even with the language barrier, we shared plenty of laughs. He deserves recognition for his dedication and attitude. I spent a week here with my best friend, and the stay left us disappointed. We’d booked half board but only used breakfast. We knew Italian breakfasts might be different from what we’re used to, but the quality was far below what we expected: very little choice, no fresh fruit or vegetables, and generally poor quality. The beach was beautiful and a definite highlight. Our room was acceptable, but the shower was extremely small and uncomfortable. The air conditioning kept turning on by itself, disturbing us and eventually affecting my health. At the bar, one staff member was friendly and professional, while the others often seemed unmotivated and unfriendly, as if guests were a burden. One bartender approached my friend inappropriately, and we left straight away. We also felt the hotel was more geared toward Italian guests, so international visitors may feel less welcome. We wouldn’t return.

The only bright spot in this awful trip was the shuttle driver, Domenio. He was friendly and reliable. The air conditioning kept switching on by itself, and I got sick during the holiday. The blanket was so thin it was almost like having no cover at all. The beach had loud music blasting the whole time, so relaxing there was out of the question. A shuttle to Gallipoli cost €10 per person round trip for a ride of only 17 minutes. Breakfast was a joke for something advertised as a hotel breakfast: dry bread, one kind of ham, one kind of cheese, and basically nothing else. The shower was so tiny that anyone even slightly bigger couldn’t fit, which is completely unacceptable. The bar staff were slow and arrogant, and made fun of me in Italian. That was seriously disrespectful. Worse, an older man at the bar harassed me in a disgusting way. No hotel that claims to care about guests should allow that.

The worst part was the cleaning. On our first night, my son's bed had sand in it, and there was dog mess still on the ground after breakfast, even though the owner had picked some up. Earlier, we’d found pee by the elevators that nobody had cleaned. I have nothing against pets and even have two myself, but a pet-friendly hotel needs to provide proper conditions. There were dogs everywhere. What if a small child fell and put their hands in that mess? The rooms are very old, and a lot of things didn’t seem to work. The fridge didn’t cool, the air conditioning couldn’t be adjusted, and the WC was camper-van sized in a room meant for three people. Breakfast outside under the trees was pleasant, but the food selection, quality, and variety were as cheap as you could find. We’re in southern Italy, yet there was no fruit. It’s presented as a resort, but you have to pay extra for everything, including kayaks, padel, and windsurfing. It wasn’t worth the money. Any nearby masseria is far better. I can’t recommend this place to anyone with higher standards.

I miss this cozy, nicely sized hotel already. The resort is beautiful, and it’s about 50 meters to the beach, with a large pool as another option for sun lovers. I spent a week on a bed and breakfast basis. My room was fine, and breakfast was served outside in a lovely garden under the trees. I also had lunch at the resort’s nice, very affordable pizza restaurant. The center is about 5 km away. You can walk there, first 500m along a road, then along the beach boulevard with lots of beach bars. The staff were very friendly and hospitable. Miss Frederica at reception can help arrange bicycle or car rental, and book excursions.