Casale Contessa Porto — Hotel in Polignano a Mare

Unfortunately, this place was not as described or as pictured in the photos. I’m sorry to the lovely host, who took ill on the last day so I didn’t say anything to her directly, but we spent nearly €1000 to stay here for three nights and it wasn’t at all as expected. Based on the photos, descriptions on online reviews (Google, Trip Advisor and Booking.com) I thought that we were coming to a resort-style location close to the beach (if you wanted to walk to the beach it was over a kilometre away and partly on a main road with no sidewalk). I deliberately booked a “suite” to suit three young adults because it was specifically described as having “Bedroom 1” and “Bedroom 2”. “Bedroom 2” consisted of bunk beds (which was fine and as stated) but these were located in the corner of the open kitchen/dining space, so there was no privacy at all for the third guest. I would absolutely not have chosen this place had I known that, even though I double checked that this was a “separate room” before we arrived. There was a sliding door between the kitchen/dining/bunk bed area and the main bedroom, but once this was closed for guests to sleep, it made that area very hot as there was no air conditioning or fan in there. Other relatively minor but disappointing things - the kitchen cupboard was broken so I had to use my head to hold it open to get out the crockery, and the kitchen curtain fell off and almost caught on fire because I was cooking at the time. The whole outdoor area of property was also quite bizarre, with broken things, unfinished walls and pipes, and discarded items everywhere. You were also greeted by overflowing garbage bins at the entry gate. The bed base was peeling off and the outdoor furniture was falling apart. I have loads of photos but can’t seem to add them all here. I hate giving bad reviews, but I can’t tell you how disappointed we were with this property- we even double checked the photos to compare what we saw in real life to see if we had imagined it. I’m not sure how long ago the website images were taken, but it is nothing like this now. I do have to wonder if the reviews online are legitimate, because some were from the week before we arrived and described it very differently. It is absolutely not 5 star. It was an experience, but not the one we had planned or...

From the moment we arrived until the moment we left we were made to feel like old friends returning by Emilio, Mariella and their family. This wonderful and genuine family ensured that we had a fantastic few days stay with them. The room was delightful with the most comfortable of beds. At night, there is total silence and we slept really well. The center of Polignano is just a few minutes drive away and around 30 minutes from Bari airport. Now, dear reader, I come to the breakfast. We had read reports regarding Mariella's breakfast but nothing could have prepared us for what we received. It completely went beyond any expectations. On our delightful private terrace we were served delicious meats, cheeses (including fresh burrata, mozzarella & ricotta), Mariella's homemade caponata made with vegetables fresh from Emilio's garden, fresh fruits, croissants with pistachio cream, pasticiotti (a traditional Puglian sweet delicacy. But the highlight was Mariella's fresh baked breads and savory items served warm from the oven. So delicate and very delicious. My one regret is that I have such a poor command of the Italian language as I would have loved to have spent more time in conversation with this adorable family. We have traveled extensively in Italy (more than 30 times) and this structure was up there with the best of them. The family are passionate about their business and genuinely want to ensure that you have a wonderful stay. We have already booked our flights for next June and we will once again return to the Casale Porto Contessa. Until then, Emilio, Mariella and family, stay safe and God bless. Much love and hugs from June-Dawn and...

The place was incredible. Mariella and Emilio went well out of their way to make you feel at ease. They know everybody and everything in Polignano and were more than willing to help you and guide you to make everything easy for you. Casale Porto Contessa is in the outskirts of Polignano, surrounded by fields and away from the noise. The apartment was large and comfortable. It had a couple terraces, one in the front and one in the back, where we could have breakfast every day. Breakfast was fresh and homemade and everyday we had a different offer. Everything was prepared with local produce. Cheese, tomatoes, pastries, sweets, the works! The room had two separate spaces, the main room and another with bunk beds a kitchen, refrigerator, and an inside breakfast table (there were two more in the terraces where we had breakfast). The bathroom was of a good size and fully equipped. It had ample parking in the premises.||If I have to say something that could be better, it would be the water heater. Even though it has a large water heater, it can run empty if everybody decides to have a...