Le Capase Resort Salento

Thank you so very much to all at Le Capese (especially Lilli, Lucilla, Luca, Rafaella and Francesca) for making our stay at Le Capese one of complete relaxation and beauty. Every aspect of the hotel and setting exceeded expectations. It was the little complimentary touches that made us feel so special - afternoon fruit salad by the pool, goodnight tea and cookies in reception, fresh juices all day in reception, and a pool tote and home-made loose leaf tea blend as a parting gift. The hotel was immaculately clean and the maids were so lovely and thorough. Our room (the 'Superior') and bathroom were well appointed - the bathroom in particular had very nice toiletries and towels. Pool towels were provided and could be changed as often as needed. As the hotel has only 16 rooms and is adult only (14 years +) the pool was a place a bliss. Always plenty of available sunbeds and parasols, and free chilled water on tap! If more is wanted there are buttons to press by each sunbed to call a waiter for poolside drinks or snacks. The hotel has a small outdoor gym, but does not have a spa. But this did not matter at all! All trea**ents are provided by visiting local beauty therapists - I had an amazing massage and facial on our spacious balcony to the sound of the sea and birds. Heaven! Just to note - I had read in previous reviews about problems with mosquitoes. The hotel sprays regularly and we were there in high summer (early August) and did not see one mosquito or fly or wasp - even around the open-air breakfast buffet! We ate outside in the evenings and sat outside late into the night after dinner without a bite! The breakfast buffet was varied with wonderful local hot and cold food and juices, and lunch/dinner were equally delicious. The kindness and friendliness and graciousness of everyone at the hotel - from managers to staff to waiters to guests - made us feel we were in our own home with good friends. We did not want to leave (I cried!) and will definitely return next summer! Thank you, Le Capese!!!

We spent more than 300€ in the restaurant with 2 persons and we could not even take a quick swim for 5 minutes. Very disapponted!!!! The pool was empty and all the sunbeds were available so we don’t understand the problem. The waiter was very arrogant. We also had to wait 30 minutes for our dinner.

Wow, I miss this place! We stayed for 3 nights in mid June at the start of an organized cycling tour of Puglia. The bike tour included 2 nights, but I contacted the hotel privately and booked an additional pre-tour night along with 2 other couples. Simona was incredibly helpful in securing us our pre-tour rooms and treated our birthday couple with a beautiful room upgrade for all 3 nights. The hotel, rooms, food, pool, view, service and hospitality were first class. Thank you Simona and everyone at Le Capase for an amazing stay in your very special part of Italy. We can’t wait to return one day.

Sure there may be fancier places on the Amalfi Coast. And places with sea views around the world. But Le Capase combines everything we were looking for in Puglia. A peaceful, quiet spot to use as a base for exploring Salento. A place to lounge around an infinity pool when not exploring the surrounding areas. A place with free mountain bikes for use on backroads and dedicated bike paths through olive groves and small towns. A place with an excellent open-air restaurant with fresh fish, good pasta, lavish breakfast, good beer and wine. An outdoor gym with exercise equipment. And perhaps most of all, a welcoming staff from the two friendly and accommodating receptionists to the Milan woman who tended the bar to the Norwegian transplant who served breakfast. And on and on. They made excellent recommendations for dinners in the nearby small towns where you wouldn't think you could find such memorable meals. (See my restaurant reviews of Meraki and Origano). For those who love swimming in the sea, it's a 10 minute walk down the path on the cliff to metal stairs that dip into the sea. But you need to be a strong swimmer most days. Better bet for most is to drive a few kilometers north or south to some of the most stunning beach settings, e.g. Porto Badico or south to S.Cesaeria Terme or further south where you will find sandy beaches. If you want a hotel fronting on a sandy beach, good luck finding one in this part of Salento. You need to go to the Ionian Sea side but you pay a price in terms of crowds and tackiness in my opinion. The public beach at Gallipoli is a real Italian experience if you want a sandy beach, but no beachfront hotel there. Better off on Miami Beach if that's your thing as it appears to have been for one reviewer several years ago (who incidentally is suspect having submitted only one review in her lifetime apparently; I always discount reviews from one time reviewers). There's lots to do in this area, ranging from hanging out at the pool all day to taking advantage of their boat to tour the caves along the shoreline (Euros400 for four hours) or drive to Leuca and take a boat tour on your own (either small tour or private, easy to arrange on line), to biking around the area, to whatever else strikes your fancy. To be balanced, a couple of things that might bother some people but are no reason not to experience this wonderful spot. The yellow jackets can be annoying at breakfast and lunch. We were warned to keep doors closed after 6 pm due to mosquitos but never had a problem with them as it turned out. The floors in the room are painted cement but fit in just fine with the setting. The rooms are not fancy or elegant; but clean and functional, and the sea view is quite forgiving. The lobby and outdoor lounge areas off the lobby are charming and so well decorated. The landscape and plantings are perfect for the setting. Our four days and nights at Le Capase were exquisite, and I just wish all of our fr