Masseria Montepaolo Charming house — Local services in Conversano

Our stay at Masseria Montepaolo was disappointing, despite the place having a lot of potential. The photos online make it look like a luxurious and relaxing retreat, but poor management and maintenance prevent the hotel from delivering the experience it promises.

We arrived at 3:00 PM, only to be told that our room wasn't ready yet. Although they assured us it would take just 5-10 minutes, we ended up waiting for an hour and a half, with constant "just 10 more minutes" updates. Eventually, they claimed to have upgraded us to a larger room as compensation, but the room was still small, and we suspect this was not the case since the hotel was fully booked.

Adding to our frustration, we arrived on a rainy day and asked to use their "fully-equipped spa," which was advertised as a major feature on Expedia. Unfortunately, we found out that the spa was still under construction and unavailable. The receptionist offered to arrange access to a spa at their sister hotel in Alberobello, but despite repeated promises, nothing was arranged, and we left after three days without ever experiencing the spa. This felt like false advertising, as they promoted facilities that weren’t actually ready for use.

The hotel also suffers from poor maintenance. Taking a shower was unpredictable, with water temperature and pressure constantly fluctuating. On our first morning, the shower only had cold water. Reporting these issues to the staff resulted in more empty promises of immediate fixes, but the problems persisted throughout our stay.

Dining at Masseria Montepaolo could have been a highlight, given the charming garden, lovely lighting, and quality local products. However, the experience was ruined by loud beach bar techno music during dinner. Despite complaints from us and another couple, the staff's only response was to suggest sitting inside or slightly lowering the volume. Guests who choose this hotel are looking for peace and quiet, not an incongruous beach club atmosphere.

Overall, this place desperately needs a competent manager who can address these significant issues, take responsibility, and help the hotel live up to its potential. Instead, they lure guests with false promises and features that they can't deliver, which feels dishonest. Being upfront about what the hotel can and can't offer would be far better than misleading guests.

A word of caution: if you have heavy luggage or mobility issues, this hotel may not be for you. There are no elevators, and reaching our room on the second floor involved navigating several staircases...

Disappointing stay. The hotel is beautiful, with amazing views and scenery. The service subpar we ran into two major issues.

First, the hotel contacted me a just a few days before my check-in date to give me the option to cancel because they were going to have a party with a DJ. This is difficult when you have already travelling across an ocean hoping to enjoy the reservation you already made. Thankfully, the hotel we were already staying could accommodate us for one more night. Not to mention that it took multiple attempts by hotels.com to obtain the refund as the front desk was "unresponsive” and claimed they only spoke Italian when we spoke to them in English in person. Nevertheless, we went and the subsequent nights still had loud music playing into the night that was uncomfortably audible from the bedroom.

Secondly, there was no hot water throughout our stay, nor was there any running water for most of the stay either. We notified the front desk and hotels.com of this and nothing has come of it.

Weirdly enough, hotels.com are not letting me post a review on this property, I suspect it’s due to my negative experience that I’ve told customer service about since every other booking I’ve made with them I have been able to review. Multiple attempts with customer service send me to review here on google maps. So, beware of the validity ratings on their website. There may be fishy activity going on there. I probably won’t be booking through them ever again.

Otherwise, charming place....

I just returned from a one week yoga holiday in Conversano while staying at the amazing masseria Montepaolo. The masseria is located just outside the beautiful village on a quiet location. It s an fantastic building from the16th century, beautifully decorated with personal belongings from the family who lived here.It's got only 10 rooms which gives it a homely feeling. It s surrounded by a large garden and great swimmingpool. While laying in the sun the only sound you could hear were the twiitering birds. In the garden you will also find the smallest church I have ever seen with some frescos. A great place for meditation.The rooms are clean, spacious with good beds and a private bathroom. From my room I had a fantastic view on the countryside so don t close the curtains when sleeping if you want to enjoy the stars at night and the sun in the early morning! In the morning and excellent breakfast is served with croissants, fruit, cakes, juices and fresh made coffee. In the evenings you are served an excellent, delicious four course Italian dinner. Everyting is fresh made by the chefs. The staff was very kind and helpful to serve you in the best way possible. Bikes are availble for a ride to Conversano or to enjoy the countryside if you want to take a slower pace, just have a walk and realize there are still places where you can walk and be on you own! The only thing I did not like it that I had to leave to return home....But I will return! Thanks...