FoodieMoo
Google
I am really struggling with this review. Our arrival didn’t start off too well. We had been traveling around all day in a chilly rain, we got lost multiple times close to the resort trying to find the entrance because the signage is NOT obvious until you’ve already seen it once and Google Maps can’t find it. Then we got to reception, and the screen door was open but there was no one there, no note (we are thinking that we must have gotten buzzed through the gate by someone). Finally after almost 15 minutes, Giovanni arrived. He walked us to our trullo (oregano), then said he’d drive our car around. It was about another 20 minutes when he arrived with the car and helped us bring our luggage in. We travel pretty light-a rollaboard and secondary bag each, but the paths around the trullo are narrow and fairly overgrown (given the rain, we were brushing against wet foliage to get through the path-not a huge deal, but not a resort sort of experience). The trullo is small, which we expected, but very cool, with nice linens and reasonably comfortable bed but no place to sit other than the bed (it was too cold and wet to take advantage of the loungers nicely placed outside of the trullo). Nice electric pot for hot water. The room was clean and serviced well. Two quibbles with the room, though-one, it’s very poorly lit. If you need to do makeup, you’re essentially doing it in the dark. I realize there’s an atmosphere to be created, but this is a little too much. The second quibble is personal — the front door has full length hanging chains all the way across it. I have no idea what purpose they are supposed to serve, but they can’t be retracted, and getting out the door with a backpack or suitcase is a little ridiculous.||Giovanni was the only managing staff member we met during our entire 3 night stay, so the frequent comments in the reviews about owner Rasalba drew a blank. We did have two wonderful cooking classes with Chef Francesco, and also worked with Stefania and Leone from the restaurant, and they were all very good. ||It was difficult to resolve some discrepancies in the package we bought and paid for a year ago with management. We are not typically demanding guests, but feel like services offered and paid for should be provided (the first dinner was four courses and not the six paid for), or notice should be given that they can’t be. We went back and forth via WhatsApp with Giovanni to try to get closer to what we had previously confirmed (starting times, duration, purpose of the lessons) after we were told the day we arrived that plan had changed. Ultimately, we left relatively satisfied (the second dinner was seven courses 😎), the chef clearly stepped up the second lesson, which was excellent, but we had a fair bit of stress before that about scheduling our classes (we had day-long trips planned during those days; activities we had also already paid for and, frankly, did not want to miss). To us, it seemed that there was some disorganization at the management level.||Finally, if you are staying in one of the trulli, it’s more like glamping, as you will be walking through overgrown shrubbery to the restaurant for dinner and breakfast (both of which are lovely). There doesn’t seem to be any place in the main area like a lounge or sitting room, where one could relax or have a cocktail (if there is one, we weren’t made aware of it). There’s nothing wrong about this, of course, but people should be aware that this may not be what they think of as a luxury/exclusive resort. ||That said, with a few bumps along the way that some staff training in customer service and hospitality could resolve, it’s a unique and lovely experience.
