Grand Hotel Masseria Santa Lucia

“Good locatioin”

This hotel is in a lovely setting and the grounds are large and well maintained . The room was good for the price we paid and bathroom was fairly new . However the towels were very old and it lacked any water , coffee or tea after the first day as they were never replenished . Breakfast was very … more

This hotel is in a lovely setting and the grounds are large and well maintained . The room was good for the price we paid and bathroom was fairly new . However the towels were very old and it lacked any water , coffee or tea after the first day as they were never replenished . Breakfast was very busy, lots of food choices . The pool and beach areas were good with lots of sunbeds , however the sandy beach was a portioned off area of a public beach and not very easy to access. The beach club and areas near the rocky beach were much better with good food and drinks from the 2 beach club bars . All of the staff were very polite and helpful . We used it as a base and visited Lecce, Ostuni and Alberobello which were all very easy drives

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“Beautiful setting but poor service, bad food, neglect, and sad stray cats made the stay disappointing.”

Here’s a faithful English translation of your text: --- We arrived at the hotel at the end of May, which was probably too early for the area. The drive from Bari airport was pleasantly short. At the hotel reception, staff were not particularly friendly. The double room seemed relatively new and f… more

Here’s a faithful English translation of your text: --- We arrived at the hotel at the end of May, which was probably too early for the area. The drive from Bari airport was pleasantly short. At the hotel reception, staff were not particularly friendly. The double room seemed relatively new and fine. Free water was only provided once, as were coffee capsules. The tap water was not drinkable—there were signs in the bathroom warning against it. Therefore, we had to buy water at the bar, which was relatively expensive. There was no shop within walking distance. Without a car, you’re at a loss at midday during that season. Twice we went to Ostuni from the hotel in a rickety minibus for €10 each, where you can spend three hours (in the morning) before the bus takes you back. That was nice, because the weather was still quite cool. At the bar, you could order drinks, and my companion twice had a sandwich—more out of lack of other options nearby than desire (they were unimaginatively made). We didn’t want to have lunch in the hotel restaurant as well. Dinner was below average and dragged on forever. We had a table in the passageway of the back dining area, which looked like a canteen. The first course was pasta or soup (pasta always with the same tomato sauce, with slight variations of added ingredients; the soup was more or less pureed vegetables). The main course was dry meat or dry fish. On a side plate, vegetables with butter. For dessert, you could choose every day between cheesecake, ice cream, or fruit. Drinks were separate (wine was expensive). It took ages until the courses were served, because orders were always taken first. The waiters rushed around rather stressed and aimless. Often one waiter would take the order, and then a different one brought each course. Even though we were Italians, every time we were asked what language we spoke, and often addressed in English, even though the waiters themselves barely spoke it. That was strange. They also seemed to get on each other’s nerves and radiated stress. In the nicer, airier dining area, tour groups were seated. Only breakfast was culinarily acceptable, because you sat in an open hall leading out to the terrace and could help yourself at the buffet. Coffee and juice came from the typical machines (a pity, since in Italy one expects good coffee), but at least you didn’t have to wait. The pool area is nice, and so is the beach, but if you wandered a bit off the path or outside the resort, there was quite a lot of trash lying around. On the tennis court, the entire time we were there, a broken plastic ball basket lay across the court, and the net was not tightened—it made a neglected impression, as did the hotel’s congress center, where apparently nothing had ever taken place, as one could see through the windows. In good weather, and when the campsite about 30 minutes from the hotel is fully in operation, you can have a pleasant stay—the nature and sea are beautiful, the rooms clean, and the building (if better maintained) interesting and historic. Food: better look for alternatives, if possible. One sad thing in the otherwise beautiful part of the hotel grounds: there were some stray, very emaciated cats. It would be very nice if the hotel could care for them. Surely it wouldn’t break the budget to have the cats, who waited around every day (probably for scraps from the kitchen), neutered and given a bit of food. It was heartbreaking to see the misery of these animals.

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