Salento Winerty Lodge

The hotel looks much better in the photos than it does in person. A strong, awful sweet chemical smell in our rooms made all of us nauseous, and the finishes feel very cheap. Aside from the property manager, the people working there weren't Italian. It comes across as a Russian-owned business without much soul or authenticity. I'd avoid it.

The pool looked inviting at first, but most of the loungers were dirty and needed fixing, and the music was so loud that it made the area uncomfortable for many guests. The bathroom also had a strong drain smell, and the bath slippers weren't clean. We'd booked with high hopes and paid extra for a room with a private whirlpool. It hadn't been properly cleaned or filled, and after we asked the hotel to sort it out, we found out the heating system wasn't working. Their answer was to fit a basic tap so we could add hot water ourselves. At this price, that felt very unprofessional. Breakfast was a letdown too, with hardly any choice and extra charges for basic things, including €8 for freshly squeezed orange juice. The hygiene and staff training were especially concerning. One staff member preparing a ham and cheese omelette took the ham and cheese straight from the buffet with their hands and tore them up in front of guests. Completely unacceptable. It seemed clear the staff weren't well trained, and management appeared inexperienced with hotel operations. The hotel may look appealing online, but the cleanliness and service fell far short of Central European standards. For high-season prices, the quality and professionalism were nowhere near what we'd expected. It's overpriced, poorly maintained, and lacks proper management. I wouldn't recommend it.

Fabio, the hotel manager, was always available and handled all sorts of requests. Thanks to his good contacts, we got into some of the best Beach Clubs even though they were fully booked. We spent a week at the beautiful Salento Winery Lodge, a lovely luxury hotel for relaxing in a peaceful environment. We'd recommend it to anyone looking for a fabulous host, and dogs are more than welcome.

The room and pool were great, but there was basically no restaurant or lobby, and the service was poor. It didn't feel like the experience you'd expect from a 4 stars hotel, and at checkout they tried to charge us more than we owed. Overpriced, and I wouldn't recommend it.