Apartments in Residence with swimming pool, not far from the sea in Santa Caterina Nardò-Dimora 3 |Cava Li Santi

We had several problems that made this a deeply disappointing stay. Hot water was unreliable, the advertised Wi-Fi wasn’t available, so we couldn’t take calls, and the apartment wasn’t clean when we arrived, with grimy surfaces and a condition well below what I’d expect from a four-star stay. Some facilities didn’t work either, including a washing machine that kept our clothes trapped overnight. I understand that families make noise, but screaming children at 8am made it impossible to rest in a place presented as a “hotel.” Most worrying, the receptionist left our passports unattended on an outside table at 11pm. That’s a serious failure of basic security and responsibility. This is a basic, poorly managed apartment, not a four-star hotel as the listing claims. It might be passable if advertised honestly as a budget apartment rental, but calling it a four-star hotel is misleading at best and dishonest at worst. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

If you’re expecting a hotel, look elsewhere. This is a self-catering apartment at best, and should be marketed and priced accordingly. The listing gives the impression of a fully serviced four-star hotel, but that isn’t what you get. There was no housekeeping, no onsite reception or staff, and no breakfast or even basic coffee or tea. The Wi-Fi was unreliable and kept asking us to sign in again, which was frustrating. Essential services you’d normally expect during a hotel stay were missing. The listing is misleading.

The pool is simply amazing, and the resort is peaceful and very well built. Its location makes it easy to reach all the main beaches quickly. Serena was fantastic and available whenever we had an emergency or needed anything. Highly recommended!

We booked in mid May, before the season started, so we had lots of space to ourselves. We were really happy with both the apartment and its location. The pool was great, the staff were nice, and it’s a really lovely little town.