Sarmenti Agri Resort

The grounds were beautiful, surrounded by lots of nature, and the room cleaning was consistently excellent. The pool lifeguard, shuttle driver, and cleaning women were all very friendly. Some other staff were rude or unfriendly. The restaurant chef Alessandro got off to a very poor start: he told our friends we had to speak English when they asked whether he spoke English or German because they don't speak Italian. After we reprimanded him right away, he made some effort to be friendlier on the following days. The barista was often stressed and rude, especially on days when he was alone at breakfast and couldn't keep up with demand. We booked breakfast, which was an okay buffet, but the food was the same every day. We ate dinner at the restaurant once. The à la carte food was delicious, though too expensive in our opinion. The hotel had assured us by email that it was quiet and that we'd have quiet bungalows. We booked deluxe bungalows because calm was very important to us. The hotel itself was quiet, but the bungalows were poorly insulated, so noise from a neighbouring hotel carried loudly into our room until after midnight, and on some nights until 2 a.m. We could hear the music and entertainment even with the windows closed. We complained and the hotel called the other place, but the volume only changed for one or two nights before going back to how it was. If you're sensitive to noise, it’s unbearable. They offered us a smaller room with a lower standard, but health reasons meant we couldn't move, so we had to put up with the night noise. So frustrating. If we'd known, we could just as easily have booked closer to the city. The beach was a few kilometres away, so you need a car or motorbike. Bicycles weren't ideal with the traffic and very hot daytime weather. Otherwise, you have to take the shuttle, which doesn't run on Sundays. Sunbeds and an umbrella cost extra, although the hotel website and email offer made them seem included. That's very borderline. We won't return.

The pool area was beautiful, and the water seemed much cleaner than at other pools I've been to. Our room was spacious, with a stove, fridge, freezer, and a nice balcony where we could sit outside and hang our clothes to dry. Pina made everything by hand for breakfast, and the colazione was delicious. Her focaccia and desserts were ottimi! I don't usually eat those carbs in the morning, but I couldn't resist during the two days I was there. She's so sweet, too. It was a pleasure seeing her each morning, and when she knew how much I loved the focaccia, she came to tell me the next morning when a fresh batch was ready 🥹. Those little touches made the place special. They also have soy milk, vegetables, and eggs for anyone who can't have dairy.

The rooms were fairly spacious and had a nice garden. The location was pleasant, with a beach about a 10-minute drive away. Breakfast service, though, was very messy.

The pool was huge, and breakfast was very good. Everything else was good too, apart from a strange thing in our room: a security motion detector blinked green, orange, or red whenever you moved, even with the lights off. Reception couldn't explain why it was there. The next night it had been turned off, but nobody knew how or why.