“A wonderful experience from start to finish”

We had a fantastic time at Robinson Apulia. We travelled from the UK with Tui to Brindisi airport. Everything ran smoothly from booking to being transferred to the hotel. We arrived late at night and ate on the plane as we didn't expect to be offered anything at the hotel so late. How wrong we we... more

We had a fantastic time at Robinson Apulia. We travelled from the UK with Tui to Brindisi airport. Everything ran smoothly from booking to being transferred to the hotel. We arrived late at night and ate on the plane as we didn't expect to be offered anything at the hotel so late. How wrong we were. After we had checked in, a lovely staff member directed us to the main restaurant where we were presented with a lovely selection of meats, cheeses, breads, and bottles of water. While we were eating, our cases were delivered to our rooms. This excellent service set the scene for our entire holiday. ROOMS We were in Siena block which is a nice stroll to the main complex. The blocks are spread over the complex, each set amongst beautifully maintained gardens. We'd booked a family room as we have two teenage boys and as much as we love them, we didn't relish the thought of sharing a double room with them. This was a great solution as it meant we had separate bedrooms and more space thanks to the living room area. If you can stretch to a family room I'd really recommend it. The rooms are quite basic but very comfortable. We had sun loungers and deckchairs on the large balcony and there is also a clothesline outside for drying swimming clothes. The housekeeping service was very good and prompt. We had the rooms cleaned and towels changed every other day. Robinson's is a very environmentally-friendly hotel and does all it can to encourage you to protect the environment. Other points to note about the room: plenty of charging points with USB ports, good AC, a fridge, a TV in the main bedroom and living room, and good blackout curtains. RESTAURANTS Robinson Apulia offers three restaurants: the main restaurant, the trattoria, and the pizzeria. The main restaurant offers a wide selection of dishes. From pasta and tacos to roast beef and healthy options, there is something for everybody. There is also a vegan section. Health and wellness are a big thing at the hotel, so if you are watching what you eat or trying to have a healthy day here and there, you'll have no problem finding some good food that's also good for you. We on the other hand were not in that category and enjoyed all the buffet had to offer and then some! The parmesan cheese wheel is the stuff of legends! After your meal, don't forget to grab a bottle or two of water for your room from the fridges. You'll also find these fridges scattered around the hotel in various locations, including the main bar and trattoria. It does get busy during high season, but just wander around and you'll come across a table. We were a party of 7 in total and never had any real problems. There is also an 'overspill' section that they open up on particularly busy nights. The pizzeria is fine. We ate here for a couple of nights. The pizzas are good and there is also a small salad bar. I agree with a previous reviewer in that it could be in a nicer location. It would be great out by the piano bar for example where there are some beautiful pine trees lit by string lights. A previous review also mentions that you need to be quick to book the trattoria, and that's true. Download the app, set an alarm for 8.30 am and you'll get a table easily. We did that every day we wanted to eat at the trattoria and always got a table. It's beautiful there, especially if you get there at around 7.30 pm and catch the sunset. We'd recommend the local wines from the wine list if you fancy splashing out on something other than the house red (which is very good by the way). POOLS You have the main pool, water park, relaxation pool (by the spa), and the Momenti pool to choose from. Our kids, now older, went to the water park a few times but it's mostly geared for smaller children who seemed to be having a great time. We spent a lot of time in the main pool with our teens or in the relaxation pool. This is reserved for adults only and is a little oasis away from the main areas. We also popped to the Momenti pool a couple of times. This is also adults only and makes a nice change when you want a little peace and quiet. Aquafit in the main pool was good fun and we did this many mornings to burn off breakfast. BEACH Robinson Apulia is nestled amongst a beautiful pine forest that leads to a glorious sandy beach. There are many sunbeds, and while they go quickly, you should have no problem securing one before 9am or just after lunch when a lot of people seem to head back up to the hotel to put their little ones down for naps. Tip: Have breakfast at the trattoria at 9am and secure your sunbed then. You'll be all smug over your coffee and pastries knowing you got a prime position! We experienced the sea in all of its guises. On windy days, there are some fantastic waves to jump over, while calmer days bring tranquil clear waters perfect for bobbing about or snorkelling. There is a beach bar to grab cold bottles of water from or something stronger if the mood takes you. There are also changing facilities and very clean toilets (hard to find in most beach settings). There's also an area where you can grab some free inflatables. These have to be returned at the end of the day. Don't miss the beach party! This was great fun. ENTERTAINMENT There was always something going on in the evening. Quality varies but was mostly very enjoyable. We especially loved hanging out at the piano bar watching the acts perform there under the canopy of the pine trees and stars. The staff really do go all out to ensure everybody is having a good time. We were at the hotel for two weeks and didn't experience the same show or act twice. While we enjoyed some quality time with our friends, our kids made friends with some Italian teens and hung out at the Roby park every night. They loved having a bit of freedom and popping back for drinks and snacks from the bar. Oh, and people saying they had problems with the language barrier during the entertainment? I can't understand why when most of the entertainment was dancing, singing, or the disco. Do you really have to understand every word to have a good time? We didn't. You can tell a lot of what is going on simply by listening to the inflection or watching hand gestures, etc. OUT and ABOUT We didn't bother with the TUI excursions as we wanted to do our own thing. We booked a taxi to Lecce one day and spent the afternoon there. We also popped into Gallipoli for the afternoon and evening which was fantastic. That's where you can do some serious gift shopping, either at the local market or in the many gift shops. It's true that you are in the middle of nowhere, but reliable taxis booked at reception make it easy to get around. THE TEAM The Robinson team is just wonderful. Somebody mentioned in a previous review that there was no personal touch. I totally disagree. We felt like the staff was like one big happy family, smiling, always saying hello, and also getting on well with one another. The hotel is a well-oiled machine with lots going on behind the scenes. From the cleanliness of the hotel and grounds to the quick turnaround in the restaurants, you can tell just how hard everybody works and it is very much appreciated. Thank you for making our holiday so wonderful. It's one of the few hotels I would come back to. AND FINALLY, CATS! If you love cats, pop to the hotel's cat village in the Lecce block area. This is where you'll find lots of little cat houses and a whole host of cats that the hotel has rescued. They really are well looked after. Tip: Take some Dreamies with you and pop there in the early evening when the cats will have come out into the cool evening ready to make friends. :)

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“Brilliant Stay”

Excellent stay!! Rooms are basic but clean and beds really comfortable. Entertainment was great although wasn’t presented in English but that wasn’t a problem. DJ every night playing brilliant music. Danced all night every night and my 13 & 15 year old loved it. Then onto the night club which... more

Excellent stay!! Rooms are basic but clean and beds really comfortable. Entertainment was great although wasn’t presented in English but that wasn’t a problem. DJ every night playing brilliant music. Danced all night every night and my 13 & 15 year old loved it. Then onto the night club which opens at 11:30pm. Beach is gorgeous and sea is warm. Restaurant on the beach was lovely and the bar serves everything and all branded drinks. We hired a car for the day as there isn’t much outside hotel. Made a picnic at breakfast and took bottles of water too. We were one of roughly 5 English families at the hotel, mostly Italians and German stay here and most of the staff do not speak English but they really try and are helpful, we still got by and loved every single minute. Unsure of the dirty negative reviews. I found this place really clean and do not have one negative review and I am very fussy!!

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“Great Family hotel not ideal for mature couples ”

Very nice FAMILY hotel, not great for couples. The food was exceptionally good for an all inclusive resort, the resort although lovely is very isolated with no public transport readily available, Taxi fares very very expensive!! both weekends we were there were very busy, as it was coming towar... more

Very nice FAMILY hotel, not great for couples. The food was exceptionally good for an all inclusive resort, the resort although lovely is very isolated with no public transport readily available, Taxi fares very very expensive!! both weekends we were there were very busy, as it was coming towards end of season we always found beds around the pool and on the beautiful beach, shouldn’t imagine it’s that easy in main summer months. The downside for us was the lack of staff not being able to speak English I attended Pilates day after we got there and instructor spoke only German and Italian this was for me very annoying as we booked this hotel due to sports activities but did not go to any others after this first experience, we went on a Tui excursion and again the guide spoke in German and Italian she did try a bit of broken English!! but we gave up trying to understand the history of the buildings etc We didn’t bother going on any others and glad we had not pre booked more. If the hotel wants English guests they need to up their game and employ staff who are able to understand what we are asking for!! having travelled worldwide often to remote countries as well as different regions of Italy many times we have never encountered this level of non English being spoken

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