Borgo Egnazia

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 Piscina options give pool 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.

THE CASAS (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), 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

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 Casas 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

Distances:

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

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

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