Borgo Egnazia

Fasano, Puglia & Basilicata, Italy
Book from GBP Book from £314 per night

An upscale family-friendly retreat in the heel of Italy, with sumptuous design, great local food, a superb spa and no end of activities on offer

An upscale family-friendly retreat in the heel of Italy, with sumptuous design, great local food, a superb spa and no end of activities on offer

This classy hotel on the olive-studded Puglian coast is one of the best equipped – and largest – on i-escape. It's also the only 5* in Puglia. If you can get past the size (over 180 rooms and villas, though you would never guess it) and the expense (which, actually, is reasonable), there's tons to recommend it.

We loved the vast swimming pools (indoor and outdoor) and the superbly run creche (with Puglian and English staff, all of them charming and unflappable). Other guests rave about the delicious seafood at the gourmet restaurant (there are several others to choose from too – from plant-based to Puglian traditional) or the perfectly manicured 18-hole golf course washed by sea breezes. In summer, you'll bless the al fresco pizzeria and the 2 beach clubs (one – rocky – within walking distance, the other – sandy – reached by shuttle). In winter, the no-expense-spared Vair spa comes into its own. Or, if you happen to be scouting for a large scale meeting or wedding venue, there are few better in this part of the world.

In terms of accommodation, you can choose anything from a cosy double room to a supervilla for 6-20, so have a read of our Rooms page and take your pick.

Highs

  • Flawless interior design, with creamy limestone interiors, quirky decorative touches and literally thousands of flickering candles and oversized lanterns
  • The spa appears to be run by Roman goddesses: my wife's 2-hour massage-facial combo left her (but sadly not my bank manager) blissed out for days
  • The Casettas (townhouses) in the Borgo are beautifully rustic-chic, perfectly sized for a family, and decent value, too
  • You can book your kids into the creche or teens' club without guilt: they'll have a whale of a time, and if you don't believe us, bag a lounger by the sleek kids' pool and keep a sunglassed eye on them
  • Puglia feels authentic and charming – yet it's so easy to reach. Discover its ornate Baroque hilltowns, freshly unearthed Roman ruins, cliff-ringed sea coves and gnarled olive groves

Lows

  • It's a pricey place, and extras can mount up, especially if you end up eating in all the time (though it's nice to see a free creche, kids' club, beach shuttle, WiFi and bikes)
  • Puglia can get very hot in summer, and crowded with Italians in August
  • It's big and some might find it all a bit too perfect – you'll be in a beautiful bubble rather than the real Puglia
  • In winter, the dining options are limited (especially for families), and the clientele is largely corporate
  • In July and August, couples might find it overrun with excited little ones

Best time to go

The summer holidays are prime time for families, with plenty of kids activities, dining options, and great swimming in warm seas. But it does get very hot and crowded in July-August, so don't rule out the May/October half terms, or other dates if you can manage it.

September and October are great, especially as the sea has warmed up over the summer. Puglia is lovely in spring (April-May): wild flowers run riot (though the sea is chilly). Winter (Nov-March) is popular with the conference market, so "leisure guests" might feel slightly out of place.

Our top tips

Consider bringing a few favourite films on USB stick or iPad for in-room cinema evenings: the huge multimedia TV in your room has USB / HDMI / video inputs (or you can raid the pay-to-view film bank). Like many internet-connected systems, it had its problems browsing the web, so if you plan to work, bring a laptop.

Great for...

Beach
Family
Great Outdoors
Spa
  • Boutique Retreat
  • 64 rooms, 92 townhouses, 28 villas
  • 7 restaurants (3 seasonal); self-catering available
  • All ages welcome
  • Open all year
  • Pools
  • Spa Treatments
  • Beach Nearby
  • Pet Friendly
  • Disabled Access
  • Car recommended
  • Parking
  • Restaurants Nearby
  • WiFi
  • Air Conditioning
  • Guest Lounge
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gym
  • Daily Maid Service
  • Towels & Bedlinen
  • Concierge Service
  • Tennis Court
  • Pool Table
  • Bicycles Available
  • Cigar room
Room:

Rooms

The accommodation offering is complex and wide ranging, so listen up, I'll say this only once.

LA CORTE (HOTEL)
With 64 rooms spread over 2 floors, couples should book a room here (adults only 15 June-15 Sept). An entry-level La Corte Bella is more than adequate for most; Vista Mare options give sea views. We stayed in one of the larger La Corte Splendida rooms, which have space for an extra bed (handy for parents with 1 child). We loved the vast terrace and creamy marbled interiors, with their neat quartets of candled niches offset by quirky urns of salt crystals. Beds are sink-right-in comfy, with 6 pillows and a bewildering array of lights. Bathrooms are big and beautiful, with chunky limestone basins (his'n'hers, of course), an ample wetroom (and separate bath), plus waffled robes and slippers (even for our 4 year old).

THE BORGO
This is a kind of remodelled Puglian village complete with piazza, cafe and bell tower, which - though it may sound cheesy - is actually beautifully executed. Situated next to the hotel and linked by narrow alleys, it offers 92 rooms and Casettas (townhouses). The latter are an excellent family option, compact but charming. Spread over 2 storeys, they have 1 or 2 bedrooms, a rustic-chic living area with a tiny but serviceable kitchenette, and a pretty walled garden with citrus-shaded table and chairs. The look is less affected than the hotel rooms: think straw hats and dove-grey-painted taverna chairs. There's also a roof terrace which you won't use as it's so hot in summer. The Borgo Splendida rooms are the best option for a couple with 1 younger child coming in summer.

LE CASE (sleeping 6)
Still with me? OK, if you have cash to splash and are coming with the family (and/or nanny and/or grandparents), go for a villa. Arranged in 7 clusters of 4 (so that's 27 in all, well done) with five configurations to choose from (Bella, Deliziosa, Magnifica, Meravgiliosa, Stupenda) plus the knock-out Casa Padronale (which is twice the size), each villa has its own walled garden bursting with colourful flowers, aromatic rosemary beds and a pool. Spread over 3 floors, they each have 3 ensuite double/twin bedrooms. We loved the wraparound balconies with marble stairways down to the pool. You get 2 living rooms (one up, one down - with a whopping home ents system) and a full kitchen and diner (not that you'll use it much). Expect basic starters (tea, coffee etc) and a washing machine (handy for avoiding astronomical laundry bills); a private cook is also available. The decor is more colonial and perhaps less chic than the other options, but it's spacious and comfy and you’ll spend most of your stay by the tantalising private pool right outside. Extended family groups can even book 4 adjoining villas to make a supervilla.

Features include:

  • Air conditioning
  • Bathrobes
  • Central heating
  • Cots available
  • Hairdryer
  • Minibar
  • Safe box
  • Toiletries
  • TV
  • WiFi

Eating

There's an equally wide range of dining options on site, but bear in mind that some only open in summer (May-September).

Michelin-starred Due Camini (open all year) is the fine-dining à la carte restaurant, which doubles as the breakfast room. Sleek tables sit under a white vault hung with illuminated bottles, while outside is a covered terrace for summer. We enjoyed our marinated seabass carpaccio and artichoke flan starters, and the cavatelli pasta with scorpion fish and tarragon too. Of the mains, my wife's huge slab of bream with braised lentils and fennel seeds was faultless. Three caveats: it's not cheap, desserts are average (as often in Puglia), and diners must be 12 years old or over.

Alternatively, there's an all-seasons Puglian seafood restaurant, Cala Masciola, right on the beachfront. And for something even less formal, A Pizzeri (summer only) offers pizzas straight from the wood-fired oven, served on a shaded terrace overlooking the pools and olive groves. Children can also create their own pizza toppings.

Or La Frasca is a laid-back traditional restaurant with occasional barbecues on the terrace overlooking the kids' pool. Next to this is Mia Cucina, an open kitchen serving traditional recipes and offering seasonal cooking lessons (book in advance). Here, we enjoyed a wonderful aubergine and parmesan starter and Orecchiette pasta with beef ragu – fresh, light and beautifully rich. There's also a lovely space for kids to eat; and even in winter, simple but healthy kids' lunches are offered inside the Trullalleri club.

The latest addition is plant-based La Calce, which highlights traditional Puglian flavours in new combinations and inventions.

At night, a groovily lit cocktail bar (open all year) offers a vast range, including a superb signature mix of apple vodka, galliano, mint syrup and pink grapefruit. Plus you've several outdoor bars in summer, including 2 by the pools, whose attendants will appear as if by magic when you look up from your book.

In short, you could spend a week here without leaving the grounds, and still not run out of things to try; but if you want a change, it's only 2km to Savelletri (several fish restaurants, including Umberto which we enjoyed); and within a short drive there are local towns with fantastic restaurants. Top tips include La Sommita in Ostuni (Michelin star at a snip), Al Fornello da Ricci in Ceglie Messapica (some say it deserves 2), and Pasha on the square in Conversano (more rustic but no less delicious).

Back in the hotel, breakfast is a rich buffet of sweets and savouries, from wholegrain croissants to superb chocolate cake, from child-pleasing cocoa puffs to parent-pleasing muesli with yoghurt and prunes. Our favourite start to the day was succulent cherry tomatoes with tangy pecorino and prosciutto. There's an egg station too, and dietary needs are well catered for (rice milk, soya milk, gluten-free bread on request). Just don't expect caviar and prosecco, and you won't be disappointed!

Features include:

  • Bar
  • Chef on request
  • Kids' meals
  • Organic produce
  • Restaurant
  • Vegetarian options
Eating:
Activity:

Activities

  • Have a swim in one of the pools, including an outdoor pool that is heated until November or a heated indoor one in winter; book a tennis session on one of the 7 grass / astroturf / paddle courts, or ask about their summer tennis academy
  • Choose from an almost bewildering array of treatments at the Vair spa
  • There's an 18-hole golf course on your doorstep (San Domenico) which gives preferential tee times and fees to guests
  • Walk or cycle 10 mins to the rocky beach club of Cala Masciola behind the golf course, or take the free shuttle to a sandy one at La Fonte; note though the best beaches are a half-hour drive away at Torre Guaceto nature reserve
  • Rent a bike and explore the walled lanes which bissect the age-old olive groves around
  • Head for is the ruined Roman town of Egnazia (1km away), with its ancient Via Traiana and knee-high patchwork of walls plus extensive museum exhibits (including a saucy mosaic of 3 ladies)
  • The nearest village, Savelletri (2km), has a fishing harbour with bobbing boats, simple seafood eateries, and trays of fresh caught sea urchins and sardines at the market
  • Jump in the car and head to Ostuni or Martina Franca, 2 of our favourite Puglian hilltowns, with ornate Baroque churches, shiny flagged piazzas, shady public gardens and wonderful la dolce vita; or up the coast to Polignano a Mare, with its cliff-ringed cove and Cycladic whitewashed lanes
  • You can't miss the region's famous trulli: small, conical, stone-and-slate houses dotted among the olive groves, (give Alberobello a miss, though - it's trulli gone Disney)
  • The Grotte Castellana, north of Alberobello, offers 3km of stalactites and -mites, atmospherically lit

Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Boat trips
  • Cooking classes
  • Cycling
  • Fishing
  • Golf
  • Historical sites
  • Horse riding
  • Kitesurfing
  • Museums / galleries
  • Pool table
  • Private guided tours
  • Sailing
  • Shopping / markets
  • Swimming
  • Table tennis
  • Tennis
  • Tennis coaching
  • Well being
  • Wine tasting
  • Yoga

Kids

This is a great place to come with kids of any age: the accommodation is extremely flexible, there's a creche and kids' club which covers the whole range from 8 months to teens (free for all except under 3s, because of the extra cost of qualified nannies), and plenty of things to do on and off-site, from tennis lessons to kite-surfing to making pasta or pottery. Best of all, in school holidays, there are plenty of other children to play with, from the UK, Italy and elsewhere.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

We think the Borgo Casettas are the best family option, with either 1 bedroom (a couple + 1 child) or 2 bedrooms (a couple + 2 children). You also get a small kitchenette, sitting room, compact but safe walled garden, and 2 bathrooms (one upstairs, one downstairs). Both options can fit an additional baby cot at a squeeze. The Le Case villas are fabulous too with 3 bedrooms and a pool apiece. If you are a couple + 1 baby, the Borgo Splendida rooms should be adequate for all but long stays; go for a ground-floor one if possible.

An alternative to the Borgo - especially in winter when it closes down - is a pair of communicating rooms in the main hotel. One or both can be set up as twins, and older children will like the additional independence, though it costs more (note hotel rooms include breakfast only, while Borgo accommodations include dinner too). For a couple + 1 child, a La Corte Splendida with extra single bed should be adequate for short stays (as you're all in one space); ours had a huge, walled terrace for our 4 year old to play on while we lazed, and clever fold-out lights by the bed so we could read at night without waking him up.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

Babysitting:

English-speaking babysitters can be arranged (though the teens' club is open quite late in summer, so you may not have to)

Baby listening:

Baby listening equipment available on request

Baby equipment:

  • Cots and bed guards
  • Changing tables
  • Sterilisers
  • Bottle warming
  • Highchairs in all restaurants
  • Hotel shuttle has car seats available
  • Child seats can be put on push bikes (book ahead of time)

Remember  baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking

Creche/Kid's Club:

There's a fantastic kids' club, split into the Trullaleri (for 6 months - 12 years) and Tarantari and Marinai for teens up to 16 (though actually it tends to be just the younger teens). It's open from 9am-6pm and gets very busy; book ahead. Best of all, it's free for all except the under 3s who pay a small charge. Younger ones can get stuck into drawing, crafts, Lego and soft play; teens might be taken on treasure hunts, ceramic painting classes or cooking lessons; and all ages will enjoy the kids' pool (a huge one, with shallow section and plenty of space for parents who prefer to be near their charges). The staff - a mix of Italians and Brits - are all charmingly competent. They will change babies' nappies, lull them to sleep (in a separate room), apply suncream and supervise lunch

Children's meals:

If your child is in the kids' club, lunch will be provided - either at the kids' restaurant by Puccetta with low chairs and tables, or (in winter) in the main playroom. Our son gobbled up 2 portions of his orechiette pasta with ragu, and asked for it again at dinner. If you book half-board, it includes supervised dinner for over 3s, available from 6.30-8.30pm

Kids Activities on site:

  • Tennis: 3 courts, plus tuition if required
  • A choice of swimming pools
  • Playground (slide, climbing frame, trampoline)
  • Occasional football matches
  • 2 beach clubs within a short drive or 10-minute walk
  • A teens' games room: Wii, Playstation, multimedia, billiards, ping pong

Kids Activities nearby:

  • Windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing and fishing trips
  • Horse riding and go-kart racing nearby
  • Cycling
  • Carrisiland Acquapark: pools, flumes & pirates - near Lecce (1 hr)
  • Indiana Park: rope ladders, tree-climbing, cable slides...
  • Zoo Safari: 50 species, from hippos to penguins, plus dolphin displays and amusement rides; gets rave reviews

Families Should Know:

From 15 June to 15 September children under 13 are not permitted in La Corte rooms. The nearest big, sandy beaches are 20+ minutes' drive away. The outdoor pools are not heated.

Distances:

  • Airport: 45-50 minutes
  • Hospital/doctor: 10 minutes
  • Shop: 10 minutes
Kid Friendly:

Location

Borgo Egnazia is 1km outside the small town of Savelletri di Fasano in the southern Italian region of Puglia, midway between Bari and Brindisi (both around 50km away).

By Air
Brindisi and Bari (both around 50km away) are the nearest airports. Both are served by some international flights, as well as numerous domestic services from Rome and Milan, Italy's main air hubs. Click on the links below for more information on airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
We recommend hiring a car (see below), as you'll need a vehicle to explore the region. Or book a transfer.

By Car
For car hire see our car rental recommendations. There's secure car parking at the hotel.

By Train
If you'd prefer to travel overland from the UK or elsewhere in Europe, see the excellent Seat 61. The nearest railway station is at Fasano, about 5km away from Borgo Egnazia on the route Lecce-Bari-Roma/Bologna.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com

Read our guide to getting to Italy and getting around

Airports:

  • Brindisi 50.0 km BDS
  • Bari 55.0 km BRI

Other:

  • Beach 0.5 km
  • Shops 7.0 km
  • Restaurant 2.0 km

Our guests' ratings...

Based on 1 independent review from i-escape guests

8/10
Room
8/10
Food
10/10
Service
8/10
Value
9/10
Overall

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Rates for Borgo Egnazia

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