Baia Delle Zagare - Handwritten Collection

Half-board dinner was a real highlight, with lots of choices, and everything we tried was fresh, full of flavor and nicely presented. We also loved lunch right on the beach: quick service and simple, tasty food, just right between swims. Breakfast was generous every morning, with plenty to choose from. The staff made us feel welcome as soon as we arrived, and everything went smoothly. We honestly can't understand the complaints, we had a wonderful stay. We've been to other so-called five-star beach hotels, and this was easily the best. Great food, service and a relaxing atmosphere made the trip memorable. We're already looking forward to coming back!

We enjoyed the beautiful location despite the hotel's best efforts, but its natural setting doesn't mean the hotel can ignore problems. Ants were the main issue throughout our stay, along with the repeated response, "we are in the nature." There was an active nest by our balcony exit and on the roof, and the whole balcony was swarming every day. Reception gave us bug spray, leaving us to spend time spraying them just to reduce the problem. They didn't deal with the nests. The room had a nice view when it wasn't overrun by ants. Dinner brought a second insect problem, swarms of wasps around everyone. We and many others couldn't enjoy the meal, so we gave up the lovely view and moved indoors. Reception again said, "we are in the nature." There were no bug-repellent torches, citronella lamps, or other apparent measures, just guests left to cope. One person takes orders for the whole area, and sometimes even placing an order took over an hour. The problem seemed much less serious in the "premium" seating area. At the beach, the hotel's room hierarchy made for another needless distinction. We had a penthouse sea-view room, one of the more expensive categories, but because it's called "comfort" for some reason, we're put in the lowest room tier. That gave us access to just one of the two beaches with sunbeds. We negotiated a front-row spot, which should have been the minimum expectation, and it was nice despite the stones. Yet the other beach's sunbeds for more "premium" guests were exactly the same, only with cushions. It may sound petty, but excluding those cushions from the other beach felt ridiculous and showed the hotel's clear two-tier system. It's a beautiful place, but the hotel still needs to put effort into the guest experience.

Both beaches are beautiful and quiet, with chairs, umbrellas and a beach bar, and you can get down the cliff using either of two glass elevators. SUP and kayaks are included and available. Your room number determines which beach and chair you're assigned. The hotel is in a great spot, about 35 minutes south of Vieste, a bustling place in summer. Breakfast food at the restaurant was very good, though service and dinner were only fair.

The hotel is beautiful, very clean and in a lovely quiet spot, with the property in great shape. I had one of the best rooms. The beach is beautiful too, and service there was very attentive. Dinner was nicely served and good quality. My only suggestion to management is to make lunch fresh instead of serving it from a box. It shouldn't be a problem to let people stay at the beach after checkout, since guests spend more and appreciate that service. Some hotel staff seem not to understand that.