Puglia, located in the ‘heel of the boot’ in Italy has been a place on my bucket list for years. From the beautiful architecture and scenery, to the local food and the Trulli houses… it was a place I knew I’d love. Finally in 2024 I decided to tick Puglia off my bucket list with an equally exquisite stay at Borgo Egnazia.
What is Borgo Egnazia
Widely regarded as the most luxurious hotel in Puglia… Borgo Egnazia has to be seen to be believed. The hotel looks for all the world like a old traditional Italian village but Borgo Egnazia was actually built completely from scratch using stone from a local quarry. When you walk around the beautiful streets and village square its hard to believe that this film-worthy hotel was actually only built in 2010! It’s no wonder that this hotel’s tagline is ‘Like no where else’ it’s truly a one off.
Designed and built by the Melpignano family, the construction of Borgo Egnazia was an exercise in creating a place where the very best of Puglia could be experienced through design, food and hospitality. The hotel remains family run today with a dedication to authentic experiences and the magical culture of the region.
Located in Fasano, the hotel is easily reached in about an hour from Bari or Brindisi airports.
Borgo Egnazia is divided into two areas ‘La Corte’ is the main building and houses 63 rooms. Here there is a more adult feel with the high end restaurants, bar and adult pools. ‘ Il Borgo’ is home to 92 Casette around the village square and is the better option for families with villas and cottages to suit larger groups. They are also conveniently located close to the family pool, kids club and more family friendly restaurants. Yes, this a large hotel in size but the attention to detail and personal service means that it feels intimate plus this is a resort where true luxury coexists with a family-friendly vibes.
Our Room and the Interior Architecture at Borgo Egnazia
Our room was a Borgo Casetta Splendida, the perfect option for families. The ‘Casetta’ is actually spread out over three floors meaning there was ample space for the four of us! I love the ‘white on white’ interiors which were absolutely stunning without feeling sparse owing to the gorgeous textures that were layered throughout. The room is intended to mimic a classic rural house and lots of little touches such as glass bottles, sprigs of lavender and ceramics added to this feeling of home.
On the ground floor is the kitchenette, living / dining area with a fridge and kettle – super handy if you’re here with a baby. There’s a mini fridge with included drinks, the hotel’s own taralli plus reusable water bottles were great welcoming amenities!
Outside is a stunning terrace – perfect for a morning breakfast and sunbathing in the afternoon!
Also on the ground floor is the kids bunk room – a very useful addition to a family accommodation. We added in a cot for Noah too.
There is also a downstairs bathroom – more than just a powder room it includes a shower too and was very useful to have in a multi-storied room.
Upstairs, the main bedroom is a white sanctuary with a breezy white canopy over the bed and lots of gorgeous textiles.
The bathroom is stunning too, made entirely of stone with double sink, glass walk-in shower and separate bathtub. I loved the scent of Borgo Egnazia’s own bathroom products. 
The bedroom leads to another balcony.
If that wasn’t enough there’s also a panoramic terrace at the top of the room allowing you to peer over the stunning sights of this beautiful hotel.
Another element of the interior that’s worth noting is the entrance and reception. It’s hard to do it justice in photos but again the classic white interiors were a thing of beauty, by night lit up with candles! This artful tree in the lobby was seriously stunning and I loved the way the leaves were made out of book pages. Elsewhere in the main building is Due Camini, the hotels Michelin star restaurant, the hotel Bar del Portico and restaurant Il Porticato open for lunch.
The Grounds
The grounds of the hotel are where Borgo Egnazia truly shines, you would honestly never know this wasn’t an authentic village. Il Borgo is centred around a stunning village square where the hotel holds events such as dinners, festivals, markets and circuses. We attended several of these and they felt so magical.
Around the ‘village’ there are rustic bicycles, a clock tower and walls covered in bougainvillea all add to the feeling of authenticity and overall beauty of the place.
Experiences and Activities
If your children are anything like ours, the main draw for any hotel is the pool!
At Borgo Egnazia there are four pools. As is always the case the two adults only pools, located near La Corte, look beautifully tantalising but unattainable to those of use there with small kids! Here’s some pictures though
The third pool was the family pool and of course this was the one we made most use of, I can’t complain though as it was absolutely beautiful too and there was a handy baby pool! The hotel is very well arranged with the family pool in the Borgo area so that it’s near the family rooms and the kids club. Everything we needed was very accessible and close together.
The fourth pool is located within the Vair Spa. Vair (meaning True) is an incredible spa delivering tailor made experiences inspired by Puglia with it’s beautiful olive trees and sea breeze. There’s a beauty area, fitness, wet area with sauna, steam bath, ice fountain and Roman Baths.
If swimming in the sea is more your things, there’s a choice of beaches. Cala Masciola is the beach club and shingle beach. Picture a beautiful cliff top with cabanas, a beach chairs and an incredible view out to the Adriatic. The bar and restaurant here make it the perfect place to hang out for the day.
The other beach is called La Fonte which is great for kids as it’s more of a sandy beach with a playground area… but worry not there’s still a bar!
If sports are your thing (and honestly they’re not mine so I can’t tell you all that much about the offerings!) there’s tennis, padel, watersports, gym and fitness classes plus a whole golf course!
Finally if retail therapy is what you’re looking for the Bottega Egnazia is just stunning. The boutique sells the hotel’s own brand hand made dresses and they are honestly exquisite, I couldn’t help buying this one.
Also in stock are Apulian food products including the hotel’s own olive oil plus ceramics.
Entertainment is another thing that this hotel does fantastically well. There is something on every night – from large scale festivals in the square, to small circuses performances and live music in the Beach club. This may be a luxury hotel but there’s nothing stuffy about it – everything is a vibe and children are welcome most places!
Child Care
Borgo Egnazia prides itself on being a hotel that’s great for families and of course that means kids clubs! The Trullaleri Kids Club is intended for 3 – 7 year olds and is free of charge for children of that age. Babies over 7 months are also welcome for a small charge – booking is recommended. Here children are free to play and learn more about Puglia, nature and animals including daily cookery classes! The kids clubs was perhaps the only (very slight) disappointment of the trip as we’ve definitely seen much better kids clubs, there was really only one room for babies and one for kids to play in – while it was still fun and the child care was great, our boys weren’t requesting to go in as they were at Sonnwies.
The Marinari club is for 8 – 12 year olds who can play pool, go-kart and enjoy dance competitions, art and crafts workshops and five-a-side football tournaments every day. The Tarantari teen club is a social place for older kids to hang out and make new friends – as our resident teenager Charlie did!
There’s a farm and playground on the premises that the kids club use but you are also welcome to explore yourself!
The hotel can also help organise babysitting services which we did a few nights for Noah as it’s hard to keep him out late.
Food
This is Italy – of course the food was amazing! There are actually seven restaurants on the premises so lets start at the top with the the very best. Due Camini is the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant which features a fine dining interpretation of Puglian cuisine. Fantastic ingredients served with elegance and flair can be expected in this gorgeous dining room with the option of three different tasting menus and 5 or 7 courses. We opted for the five course CRIÀNZE which featured a journey through Chef Domingo Schingaro’s great classics including: seafood caprese, whey and citrus fruit pasta, eel, chard and dill, beef and aubergine parmigiana and Mirabolano. And of course plenty of different breads on the side! FYI this restaurant does not allow children under 10.
La Frasca is probably considered the hotel’s main restaurant and represents a traditional Apulian trattoria. As such the stunning space is decorated with artifacts and tools reflecting rural life and guests can dine inside or outside with a view of the family pool. There’s plenty of traditional Puglian dishes as well as daily meat and fish specials.
La Frasca is also an option for breakfast and it is where most of the families dine but if you want a more elegant dining option there’s a beautiful room located in the main building. 
Next we have Cala Masciola, the beautiful seafront beach club restaurant open for lunch and dinner. There’s fresh fish that can be chosen from the counter or lots of ‘crudo’ options a fresh fish carpaccio or seafood tartar is very popular in Puglia. The beach club restaurant is slightly off the main site but is easily accessible by a transfer that leaves every 20 minutes.
Il Porticato is another great option for seasonal Puglian cuisine, the location over looking the adult pool is stunning and we had a great lunch there on our first day. 
Another fantastic option for lunch is A Pizzerì, located by the family pool… well you really can’t beat pizza in Italy plus they an amazing salad bar.
While most of the restaurants have a children’s menu there is also a dedicated children’s restaurant! Da Frisella is a super cute colour restaurant with mini tables and chairs serving healthy yet child-friendly food. There are even baby purees!
While we did’t try the hotel’s vegetarian restaurant, La Calce, I loved the location right by the adult pool.
And an honourable mention has to be made for the hotel’s Gelateria, which was open to midnight every night – it was right by our room so a late night stop there became essential!
Having booked half board our breakfast and dinner was included every day. The ‘special events’ such as the village square festival meals and the seafood buffet at the beach club were included as part of this along with selected wines. There was also an option to dine out on our half board which worked really well.
Service
In a hotel such as this service is of course at the top level and every family is allocated a ‘local advisor’ or private concierge who will what’s app you with everything going on at the hotel and handle all your bookings. It is this level of personal service that really makes Borgo Egnazia stand out. This is an exquisite luxury hotel but you feel like you’re at home and surrounded by friends!
It’s easy to tell that we absolutely loved our stay here! From the personal service, to the exquisite food, ground and decor, Borgo Egnazia is well and truly superb!
Great For Kids
Kids menus and high chairs in all the child friendly restaurants.
Shows and entertainment every day.
Family pool, kids club, playground and farm.
Great For Parents
Spacious rooms.
Elegant dining options.
Stunning decor – luxurious but still incredibly family-friendly.
