Hotel Salento Gold Beach

We'd booked two nights at Gold Beach, but ended up adding another because we felt so comfortable there. The family-run staff were genuinely nice and helpful, and even put together a late breakfast for us after we had a fishing trip one morning. The beach is close, and the water is absolutely gorgeous and clear. A very nice stay, highly recommend it if you're in the area.

The room was at least relatively clean, the mattress was okay, and the AC worked well. The coffee was good too, and one of the waitresses was particularly attentive and friendly. Those were the better parts of an otherwise disappointing stay. We'd read all the good reviews and expected much more. Check-in took about three minutes: a man checked our room on a list and showed us there. Nobody explained breakfast, the beach, parking, or that we needed to hand over our IDs. We had to ask where the beach and parking were, assuming they were included since no one told us otherwise. We got beach towels and returned them in the evening, expecting fresh ones the next morning. Only after we'd already hired them did a woman tell us they cost 6 euros each, plus 5 euros every time we wanted to exchange one. For a beach hotel, that was quite a surprise. The beach chairs weren't included either, and we only learned that at checkout when it appeared on the bill. Breakfast was limited and very sweet, with no ham or cheese, just sweet breads and sweet, not fresh, juices. At the end we found out eggs and fruit could be ordered, but nobody had mentioned it. When we asked, the waitress spoke so quietly you'd think it was meant to stay secret. It felt like a way to save money. The photos don't show how the rooms or beach really look. Our room was small and very dark, with dirty marks on the walls and really old furniture. The sand was fine but brown, and the sea was often full of dirt, not crystal clear as claimed. The pictures also show neatly aligned chairs, but the beach is much more than that, and it was packed even in July, with barely any space between people. For me, this isn't a beachfront hotel. We weren't especially impressed by the hosts' friendliness either. With all the extra charges, the stay wasn't worth the price. My advice is to ask about every service and whether it's included before you agree.

The staff were fantastic and made us feel very welcome. We had a great time here and were sad to leave. Hopefully we'll be back.

Best restaurant in the area. Sure, there are fancier places that cost more, but this one beats every other one by a long way.