Masseria Montevergine — Hotel in Otranto

I originally made a booking here in Sept. of 2020, having researched dozens of masserie in Puglia. After Covid thwarted our travel plans for almost two years, we were finally able to stay here in June of 2022. It was all I hoped it would be and more! ||||As soon as we saw the property, we knew we had made the right choice. The large, beautiful grounds contain olive trees, cactus, flowers and plenty of places to sit and enjoy the surroundings. The lovely, immaculate pool was wonderful to come back to every evening after a long, hot day of sightseeing or beach going.||||We stayed in a superior suite. They are located on the second floor. (No elevator, but the staff will carry your luggage up the stairs.) The suite was spacious, consisting of three rooms - the bedroom, bathroom, and a separate sitting room with a second closet and mini fridge. In addition, we had a huge balcony overlooking the pool and picturesque views. The balcony even included a drying rack (so handy) for wet bathing suits and laundry. The only negatives were that the shower was quite compact and the hot water unreliable.||||There is an excellent breakfast buffet with a large, changing selection of sweet and savory items. It was also nice to have an on-site restaurant (also with a changing menu) for nights when we didn’t have the energy to go out. The charming city of Otranto is only about a 15-minute drive and has numerous restaurants.||||Giuseppe and his staff are friendly and laidback. We loved everything about this masseria and would...

This 3-/5 hotel could use some renovation/clean up/taken care of and better service. Too bad because it has a lot of potential.There are several low hanging fruits that could be improved. Feels like the staff don't really care about this beautiful place or the service.||||Pros: Nice garden with olive trees and pool. Nice terrace by the restaurant. The buildings exterior is beautiful. Good breakfast with a lot to choose from and nice Italian food (although coffee not the best I have had). Lovely having breakfast overlooking the garden. The restaurant is ok, feels like eating at someones home, so don't expect anything fancy. ||||Cons: Bathroom smells bad upon arrival and getting hot water in the shower takes forever. Our room was just by the 'machine park' of the farm and our way to the pool went across the hotel's back side, which definitely felt like an area someone forgotten about several years ago. Also they were unloading things to the hotel just outside our door. This rooms should probably not be used at all for guests. Pool area is nice, but pool needs to be cleaned from debris. Service was poor at check in; no info about breakfast (hours or location), exit and entrance during evenings or access to the pool. The minibar was empty, except two...

This was our first stop in our southern Italian road trip. We liked the balconies off our spacious rooms and the breakfast was outstanding. The wine and evening meal were also excellent. You are staying at a place that is the family home so you need to be prepared to share your space with the family. When we asked for help finding info about Lecce, the owner was very helpful in drawing us a map to follow or when we asked to have a tour of the olive grove and a tasting, he accommodated us. The weather was windy and cool when we were there so we did not make use of the pool area. If we returned, I think we would be more inclined to stay in Lecce or Otranto so we could have wandered around the town before and after evening meals. This location seemed a little remote since we had to drive to get anywhere, but if you want to be away from the city, this is a...