Masseria Le Mandorle

Domenico and Roberta were very available when we were looking to book for a week in July (we booked before the Pandemic) and take our deposit. Due to the Pandemic we had to cancel well in advance and they fully understood and promised us our refund of €1,144. I followed up in August and then again in September as no refund had been received and they apologised for their delay and said that the refund will be issued first week of October (see screenshots of emails attached). Second week in October there was no sign of the money so I emailed and called again. Domenico did respond at first and after multiple emails and calls he finally responded to simply say that they will not issue the refund yet. I sent more emails and finally received an answer going back on his word and offering us credit. They have now closed their phone lines for the winter and Domenico has not replied to my last several emails asking when funds will be sent. While I understand that the hospitality industry is struggling (we are also suffering financial and employment issues on our side), this was a deposit for a trip that was never taken and funds were promised to be returned to us several times; Domenico and Roberta have not honoured their word. For those interested, I will report back in a few days to update you on their response. It is always interesting to see how a hotel responds to live issues in real time. Thank you, Marie

Wonderful experience. The hotel was beautiful, clean and the staff was attentive to our every need. Hanging out by the pool in the afternoon sipping drinks is a memory that will last forever. The seaside resorts nearby were gorgeous with perfect water and excellent facilities. We will be back!

My partner and I visited Puglia in August and had a truly wonderful time, made all the more memorable by our stay at Masseria Le Mandorle! I cannot recommend this place highly enough. The location, on the edge of Ugento, is peaceful and full of charm and character. The service was outstanding - every member of staff was warm, attentive, and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. The food was another highlight. The quality and variety offered by Head Chef, Davide, was exceptional. If I could, I would return in a heartbeat. Thank you for such a delightful stay!

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! MR DAMORE IS A CROOK AND IN BANKRUPTCY. HAD PLANNED A 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY AND LEFT 10,000€ DEPOSIT. CONTRACT ALLOWED CANCELLATION WITH FULL MONEY BACK AND THEY SENT FAKE CHECK! ALL ASSETS OF THE MASSERIA ARE IN FORCLUSURE TO.LIQUIDATE EVERYONE THEY ROBBED! SO IF YOU BOOK A ROOM CHANCES ARE YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MONEY! FOOD SUCKS! ODETTA IS SUPPOSED TO BE A TOP CHEF FROM THE CASTELLO AND EX CHEF AT SAN DOMENICO IN NEW YORK. I WAS AT THE TIME REFERED BY TONY MAY. BUT THIS PLACE IS A SCAM RAN BY THIEFS

We spent 5 nights in this beautiful Masseria in one of the best areas of Salento. It is a very peaceful place. The location is perfect: far enough to relax, but yet located into the town and close to other villages and to the main and most beautiful beaches. The staff is very friendly and helpful, always ready to help you with a smile. They are ready to offer advice on restaurants and places to visit. The restaurant is very good and authentic, we were happy that we had 2 meals there, one of them with an amazing pizza! That's the place to stay! Hope to go back soon!

Unfortunately Masseria Le Mandorle was the lowlight to our trip to Puglia, having also stayed in three similarly priced but significantly better hotels. Our main issues were: - When we arrived the place was completely shut up, even though we’d communicated about what time we were arriving. Took 5 mins even to find any staff. Even the chairs on the restaurant tables were all upturned. Felt unwelcoming and like we weren’t supposed to be there. - Room very basically decorated. No toiletries in the bathroom. When we had an (admittedly unseasonal) rainstorm the windows leaked and we had a huge puddle on the floor. The staff showed no interest in helping (or apologising) - we had to mop with our towels. - Staff couldn’t care less that we were there. Gave us no helpful info, e.g. the fact that they run a shuttle bus to their sister hotel, Castillo Ugento, even though they were aware we were going there for supper as they had booked it - we ended up walking. On a side note, the sister restaurant - Il Tempo Nuovo - is pretentious, overpriced and just not very good, apart from the service (nice) and pastry chef (excellent). The most expensive and the worst meal we had on our whole trip. - When the rainstorm broke two out of the three umbrellas at the pool, they tried to fix them but then gave up and said that there was nothing they could do. No spares or attempt to buy more - even the following day, and staff got cross at us when we tried to open up the umbrellas. - Hotel itself is not in a nice location. On the outskirts of a very underwhelming town with absolutely nothing worth visiting there. We could not understand why there were two five star hotels in the town. Mandorle is next to a field with the overwhelming smell of manure drifting across for most of the day. - Only eight sun loungers for a hotel with c. 12 rooms, and where the pool is also available to guests at Castillo Ugento, which doesn't have a pool - so if the hotel is full you won't have a chance of getting one. The prices of drinks at the pool were pretty exorbitant for what it was - 15EUR for a spritz. - One of the toilets near the pool was quite frankly revolting (see photo). The positives: - They were helpful in booking restaurants for us in advance when we were told that their restaurant had a fault and wouldn’t be open. - Breakfast was delicious and very generous. The hotel and its staff seriously need to get their act together if they want to continue to market themselves as five stars - we thought they were more like a three star hotel. We will absolutely not be returning.