Homestays in Apulia, Italy

Unfortunately this was a stay of two halves, and I wish I'd heeded other people's low reviews about the host's attitude before booking. The place itself was lovely. A cute, clean little room that seemed authentic and had some nice finishing touches. The area around was beautiful and it's a great location. I was excited to see the room description, stating a spa, billiards room and other amenities that would account for the higher cost of this place. I saw the warning that the booking was non-refundable but took a punt.... I was wrong for doing this. Soon after booking, I received the first of many messages stating the jacuzzi in the photo was an extra 209 euros, which was apparently written in very small print, the large fridge in the photos was just for show and alongside this were given a set of house rules including not being allowed to eat in the room! I didn't like the attitude from the messages and I tried to cancel, over 2 weeks before our stay, but was refused. Cut to the day of stay I was sent another set of rules, this time warning us that if we change the temperature of the air conditioner or any other settings then ”the consequences will be on us”, it also told us to re-read the rules carefully and reminded us we couldn't eat or drink in the room. Self-check in was simple, although on the website it states there's a front desk and luggage storage on site... There isn't. It was 39 degrees outside and 27 inside. I messaged saying that in the heat setting, 24 degrees, was too warm and asked if we could lower the temperature, she refused, I asked for a fan, she pretty much accused me of lying, saying it WASN'T too warm, and after a long and draining conversation she ”allowed” us to change it to 18 degrees. After this, I tried to be civil and she responded with some suggestions of places to eat and visit. We ”respected the people who work for you” as she demanded in the messages. The apartment was equipped with basics but for the price, would have expected extras like small toiletries or glasses for water. It all went well until the last day on check out, I suggested some things to make the stay better such as a friendlier manner, trash cans in the room and more toiletries, as this was quite an expensive stay. I suggested she revisit the description of the hotel and that she didn't send ”the rules.” She didn't like this. In all honesty, the woman, I believe, is a narcissist, and can't take responsibility for her mistakes. She wouldn't accept there were areas for improvement and when it came to asking for help that linked to her apartment, she took it as a criticism on her part and went on the attack. She sent a final message which was copied from one previously sent, so this suggests she's had similar issues before. I had to block her because she wouldn't stop messaging me! I have all the messages saved and complained to trip.com who have been extremely helpful. If you want to stay in a nice place, this is lovely, but there are similar ones out there with nicer hosts. Don't give this rude lady business. I never did get to play a game of billiards.

The room didn't quite look like some of the photos, but for the price we paid, the room was perfectly adequate and had the benefit of a fridge. It is perfectly situated for the train station and indeed the bus terminal for buses to Alberobello. We were a 15 minute walk to the seafront and historic centre, where there were plenty of restaurants. Like many areas close to train stations, it looked a little run down and was close to a fly-over, but actually, it was quiet in the apartment itself and felt safe. We were sent a link to access the outer doors of the property and given a key code to retrieve keys for the apartment itself. We had to contact Trip.com to prompt the owner for this information whilst on the train, initially getting an AI bot - but it worked out fine in the end, before we arrived at the property. We're just used to this information being sent via email or WhatsApp automatically. There were a few minor niggles with the property which previous guests have mentioned - a slightly loose door knob, a wobbly toilet seat and a super-slow shower drainage. These things didn't impact our stay greatly and really, you get what you pay for. We need a clean room, a comfy bed and a property close to the train station. On that score, we got what we needed.

Overall, the hotel left a good impression: recently renovated, clean, and very conveniently located between the central railway station and the Old Town, close to one of the main entrances to the historic center. The mattress, pillows, bed linen and towels were of good quality, and the sleep comfort was excellent. However, there are some significant downsides. First, there is an additional cleaning fee of €53 for two nights (€26.5 per day), which represents around 40% of the accommodation cost. The cleaning was limited to making the bed; the minibar was not refilled and the towels were not changed. This fee was not clearly included in the total price at the time of booking. Second, there is no natural daylight in the room. My room, like most rooms in the hotel, does not have windows facing outside — all windows (a glass door, a large window and a small window) face the internal hall and reception area. As a result, no daylight enters the room and the curtains have to remain closed for privacy. Third, complimentary water is not provided. Although the three bottles of water in the minibar were not charged at check-out, which I appreciated, the absence of free bottled water as a standard amenity was surprising. Check-in is only possible between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and check-out is from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, which is much more limited than standard international practice. The room was also quite cold, and the heating system was not intuitive to operate. Additionally, since the hotel is located in a residential building, noise from upstairs (footsteps, conversations) was clearly audible, even late at night. The hotel is good in terms of quality and location, but the additional charges and organizational aspects significantly affect the overall experience.

What a truly amazing stay a Masseria Della Piana! I can’t put into words what a special experience it was to stay at this beautiful Masseria!! Staff - the staff would go above and beyond for you, there was nothing they wouldn’t do for you. All incredibly friendly, warm and welcoming, with even the owner bringing us a traditional Puglian breakfast one morning! Every single staff member we interacted with was so kind and welcoming, special shout out to Seydou and Andre (we didn’t get everyone’s name, but I would be calling them out if we had!) and to all the cute doggos and kitties on site!! The grounds/rooms - a truly truly beautiful location. The main pool is a great size, the area in general is very peaceful and tranquil, makes for a perfect pool day! The rooms are quant and perfect for what we needed, more than enough space for three girls with lots of clothes, bags, shoes and make up! They were kept very clean by the staff, good aircon, refilled water in the fridge. Our room even had a private plunge pool which was very cute and perfect for a slow morning. Food - the breakfast selection is great, with homemade focaccia, croissants, cakes, as well as the usual things (bread, cereal etc). The Masseria also hosted a cooking class/dinner on our last night, almost all of the guests attended and we sat at a long table together, there was pizza, calzones and lots of wine! This was a very special experience and so glad we did it. If you want an intimate family run experience in the beautiful Italian countryside, this really is the place for you. I honestly cannot believe anyone would give this place anything but a 5, I would give it a 10 if I could! Thank you Masseria Della Piana for making our holiday so special ❤️

It is a room on the 3rd floor in the flat with 6 rooms and two shared bathrooms. I missed informatiin about shared bathrooms and please pay attention on it. I occupied room number 3 .It was not big, but clean and convenient. It consists of air conditioner, which works very good, tv, small fridge and shellfs for clothes, table, kettle and small coffee machines with few tea bags and coffee capsuled. Bed and pillows were comfortable. Window were opened in the inner yard, not to the outside. Bathrooms were clean, they were cleaned by cleaner on daily basis. I got pack of towels-3 pieces. I stayed in this flat for 7 nights, towels were changed once per the whole period, for free. They have reception on the other Street, not far from property, if you want to pay for something by cash. I came late at night, in the entrance day I got link, by which I opened entrance door and also door to the flat. Near my room there was a black bok with keyd from my room and also from entrance door and door to the flat. Helpdesk is avaulable from 9 to 21 every day, they are answering questions fast and friendly. I asked for late check out, but it is possible to order it only till 1.30 PM, if you need to leave later, need to purchase the full night. Thanks a lot for owner and staff, all was perfect! Shared bathroom for me is not the best choice, but it was my mistake that I missed it in deception ... Location is very convenient, near old town and centrun. 10 mins on foot to reach Basilica of St Nicola. Many thanks 🙏

What an amazing experience to stay in a Trullo at this property! My husband and I booked our stay in mid-Nov., which is the beginning of the off-season in Puglia. When we arrived, the concierge/manager, Ugo, graciously upgraded us to a loft/superior accommodation. It was fantastic! He personally walked us to our charming, Trullo, which was not only impeccably clean, but also completely modernized despite being an historic, antiquated structure. We arrived on a chilly day to find that the marble floors are heated and very toasty! The queen bed was comfy, and the updated bathroom was enormous, with a huge shower. The little dwelling even had a very well-equipped, modern kitchen if one were to stay for a longer period. Finally, I left my small jewelry box in bathroom when we checked out. We took a 20 minute taxi ride to a train station, and apparently, during the ride Ugo tried to contact the driver to inform us that they'd found the box. Ultimately, when I discovered my oversight at the next hotel and contacted Ugo, he kindly express-shipped my jewelry back to my home in the U.S. I can't praise this property or its management highly enough. Don't hesitate to stay here!

The host gave me his WhatsApp number and was very helpful and friendly throughout my stay which was only one night. The room was very clean and modern and also had a balcony , the location was also good just a bit out of the city centre of Bari . I did struggle to find it and the codes for the outer door and inner doors did get annoying, but again the host answered me straight away and helped, he also gave me information on local restaurants and bars as well as directions to the Ferry Port and local taxis, I thought he was excellent and went out of his way to help me and insure I had a great stay! Thank you!! I do understand the door codes are for security purposes and wasn’t a big deal it was just a slight quibble. I would definitely stay here again💯 if I was in Bari and needed accommodation! Great value for money considering I found Bari expensive for hotels and accommodation. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🙂

Very happy with my stay in the balcony residence. The room is very large with a beautiful view of the streets of Lecce. It was very calm, and I've spent a pleasant evening I recommend

The apartment is very new and clean. The bed is comfortable and a good size. The bathroom was spacious and nice. The host was very responsive and helpful. The only drawback is the far distance to the station especially if you have luggages. The walk to and from is quite difficult and tiring. The local bus rarely came around and no schedule was available. The sidewalks to get to the place is not easy to walk on. The supermarket and cafes are also very hard to get to and they are closed on Sunday afternoon and evening. Be sure to bring and stock up with food and buy them before you return to the apartment.

This hotel was the highlight of our trip. Despite arriving 30 mins early to check in, a staff member was immediately sent to help us and arrived within 10 minutes to get us settled. The room was immaculately kept and had really fresh crisp sheets. We loved wandering the grounds in the morning, and the trees were bursting with citrus, figs, grapes and olives. Despite a small language barrier, we felt so welcome and the food was incredible. The vending machines were also a nice touch for fresh cold water. We couldn’t recommend this place enough for a more secluded, peaceful and serene stay near Ostuni.