Palace Hotel San Michele

The dramatic setting, expansive terrace, and great views are real highlights. Our room was disappointing, though, with no view and a tiny shower. Wi-Fi kept cutting out for everyone in our group. Some of the usual 4-star touches are missing, and the buffets and meals on the -1 level weren't anything special. The bar is small and noisy, with music playing all the time for no good reason. The "gym" is pretty sad and costs 15 euros to use. Maybe you'll have a better stay, but we probably wouldn't pick this place next time.

Our room was large and had a nice terrace, though it was shared with other rooms. Small things kept going wrong: the closet lights didn't work, the shower was scorching hot and we couldn't get another temperature despite googling and asking staff, the toilet kept running, and the curtains wouldn't close and were hanging off. For all 4 nights we were placed among cis tour groups, and twice we woke to knocks on our door. Breakfast service was good, but the food was mediocre. It was adequate overall.

The pool area was a highlight, though there was no Wi-Fi there. We also had several connection problems during our stay, and the mini fridge in our room didn’t work. The property and rooms feel very dated, and breakfast was well below par. It seemed geared mostly toward tour groups passing through the area.

The hotel has plenty of parking, a lovely pool with a splendid view, and even offers access to a private beach about a 20-minute drive away. We really liked the beach. Its setting high above Monte SantʼAngelo is beautiful too, with a gorgeous view over the Puglia coastline. The place must once have been very grand, but now feels worn and dated, and the rooms could use a makeover. We found the room clean and the air conditioning worked very well, but the shower was tiny. The towels were thin and rough, more like bedsheets, and the Wi-Fi was very slow. We were surprised to learn the small water bottles in the minibar cost two euros rather than being complimentary. Breakfast had lots to choose from, though the queue-and-ask system was inefficient. There was also a noticeable language barrier, since most staff couldn’t speak English. The breakfast room’s view was excellent. We tried the hotel restaurant once. The food was good, if not exceptional, but the service was inattentive despite the elegant setting. The waiter didn’t bring a cooler for our sparkling wine. After my first course, my cutlery was taken away and none was brought back for the main dish, so I had to borrow some from a nearby table. The wellness area looked lovely at first, but several features didn’t work, and some small pool tiles had come loose and were lying on the bottom.