CDSHotels Basiliani

Nice large room with large terrace. Pool was large but I wish there was a deep end. Lifeguard assisted me to get out of pool without me asking so that was very nice. No self serve coffee maker in breakfast room. Though staff was always busy, sometimes I’d have to wait 15 minutes for coffee. Ridiculous policy that I could not bring water from breakfast room to my sick wife who did not come down for breakfast though I could bring coffee. You can easily get lost because the hotel layout had various separated buildings and for poor signage directing to the breakfast room, pool, etc. After I sort of figured out my way around, I ended up helping other guests who were completely lost. Not only does the hotel need to add mores signage, since the hotel is so complicated to navigate, reception staff should provide each guest a map showing exactly how to get to breakfast and to pool for both people that are ok with stairs and people who have mobility issues. The last thing I didn’t like is how quiet the pool is. Just about all hotels with this nice a pool usually play music.

I will never understand why hotels stopped having hair conditioners, body cream… I will also never understand who had the terrible idea to change all hairdryers from all hotels! Those small, ridiculous hairdryers that you have to keep pressing to work and that stop working all of a sudden. No doubt at all that it was a men’s idea to save some money! ???

It was a lovely property but I was put in an area that was terribly confusing to get to using three different lifts. Front desk staff were lovely and helpful but others were not. The length of time and the many wrong turns I took to get to my room. It's close to old city Otranto but otherwise you need a car.

The Pool area The view from our balcony Lots of steps/stairs, but understand it is part of the design/architecture. Lobby bar was never open. Pool Bar served all drinks in paper cups even on the terrace. It was June & there was a big conference on which seemed to be the priority. Surprised not to be asked on departure if we enjoyed our experience, we stayed 7 nights.

The pool was beautiful but cold This was by far my most frustrating hotel experience, and it is definitely not a 4-star hotel as advertised. I booked one of the most expensive hotels in the area to have a nice and relaxing time, but the reality was a complete disappointment. 1. Towel policy is absurd When I asked for a towel at the pool, I was told they couldn’t give me one without a voucher that I needed to pick up at reception. They refused to make an exception and left me without a towel. Later, I discovered that you need to leave a €15 deposit for a towel and pay €3 extra for a clean one. Paying for towels in a supposed 4-star hotel is just ridiculous. 2. Heated pool scam The hotel advertises heated pools in the photos, but when we tried to use them, they said it costs €30 per 30 minutes! Charging for a massage is normal, but charging guests to use a pool is completely against 4-star standards. 3. No iron for guests I asked for a simple iron to quickly press a shirt before going out. Their answer? You have to pay for ironing, and it can only be done the next day. A basic service that should be standard in any proper hotel. 4. I complained, and they didn’t care I personally went to the reception to complain about all these issues, hoping for some flexibility or customer service. Instead of helping me, they simply said: “This is hotel policy.” No attempt to accommodate the guest, no solution offered. 5. Breakfast is disappointing The breakfast is very simple and feels fake, far below Italian breakfast expectations. For a hotel that claims to be 4-star, this is unacceptable. Overall This hotel felt like a scam. They charge 4-star prices but treat guests like they are in a cheap hostel, nickel-and-diming for basic services like towels and pool access. If they want to operate this way, they should increase the room rate and include the basics, instead of leaving guests feeling constantly ripped off.

Food and accommodations Nothing

The hotel appears new, with a southwest US design. The common areas are very beautifully designed both inside and out. Our room was lovely and large enough for 2 people. Breakfast was good, something to eat for all. Easy walk into town. From what I could see, I think it is the nicest hotel in Otranto! The breakfast although good would be more special if there was made to order eggs or an omelet station. The hotel has a lot of steps. That may be an issue for some. There are of course elevators.

Room is huge and they were able to attach the single bed to my double bed, which was very handy as I have a 1.5year old baby. Staff around the pool were lovely with us! The room allocated to us was very far from everything, so with baby and luggage not easy to move around. The shower space was very small so it couldn’t fit myself and baby at the same time.

Exceptional

Good facilities, and spa. Comfortable rooms and good hospitality. Everything was great. We had dinner at the hotel which was great, except for the dessert.

Very aesthetically pleasing hotel complex in beautiful Otranto. Lovely receptionist upgraded my room for free. I will return!

Exceptional

nice resort good pool close to town and free parking the rooms we had were hard to get to… had to take three different elevators and walk through different levels to get to reception area or the restaurant.We were not able to have dinner there because there were large tour groups and had no space for us

Good

loved the pool and the resort style I booked this place because it was advertised as a resort, which I assumed would offer room service or at least the convenience of dining at the hotel. Traveling with two small children, we arrived around 5:30 pm, hoping to have dinner on-site. When we asked about joining the dinner, we were told we couldn’t eat there because we hadn’t made a reservation. This was confusing since there were plenty of empty tables, and we saw a large group and other couples dining. No further explanation was given beyond the reservation issue and not possible, which was frustrating as my kids were hungry and tired. I spoke to the receptionist, but they were indifferent, offering nothing more than a 'we understand'. The restaurant doesn’t even serve lunch, and the dinner is a strange set menu, making the experience even more inconvenient and disappointing. If you’re traveling with kids or looking for convenience, I would recommend saving your money and booking somewhere closer to town where you can easily walk to restaurants. This resort fell far short of our expectations.

Lovely hotel. Nice staff and not far from the centre. Breakfast was good, with varied range of food items. The walk into the town is not well lit from the hotel. The option of a Tuk tuk would be a good addition. There isn’t an option to have an outdoor cocktail in the evening. The only thing you can get is from the pool bar served in a plastic cup. The hotel could really do with a nice outdoor bar area in the evening.

Pool & Location Quite a few steps to our room from reception!

The bedroom was pleasant. Breakfast was very good, and the staff were willing. The young porter was very helpful, and, later, a different receptionist went out of her way to provide us with excellent information. The young lady at reception was unhelpful at check in. The hanging space in the wardrobe was too high for me to access. Therefore my creased clothes remained in my suitcase, and there was no iron or ironing board. There was no free water in the refrigerator, as there had been in the other hotels. We had requested a twin bedded room, which did not seem to be available. After some time one was found.

Beautifully situated, spacious bedrooms with balcony, large well maintained swimming pool, very good breakfast with lots to choose from. We ate in the hotel restaurant for two nights,the daily menu gave three choices for each course, excellent quality with attentive staff. A great shuttle service to a local beach with all amenities well worth a visit. The bar facilities were not to the standard expected, the only bar regularly open was the pool bar next to the restaurant that insisted on supplying drinks in plastic cups,during the day around the pool this is acceptable but in the evening by the restaurant area, to have cocktails and other drinks served in plastic is not acceptable. It would have been good to have more than four coat hangers per bedroom.

Very good