Beauty Beach Villa

What People are saying

Disappointing...I'd choose elsewhere

JohnSFitzon 28/04/2016 17:17

We booked an overnight stay at Beauty Beach Villa while traveling across Italy. Our first warning was that it was very difficult to find. The address takes you to another property 1/4 mile away. We called the online booking facility and were told that the owner was enroute and would meet us in 10 minutes. 45 minutes later we saw a woman waving to us from down the road asking us if we were staying at Beauty Beach Villa. She motioned for us to follow her down the road. The "Villa" was behind 2 locked metal gates down a narrow alley towards the beach. Upon arrival, we found out that we were the only guests. None of the advertised amenities (hot tub, wifi, lounge and beach equipment) was available and they were clearly not ready to receive guests. The building and room was modern and clean, but dark and very small...Almost underground. It had an awkward layout with the shower open to the bedroom and no privacy door for the toilet.

The proprietor showed us our room and told us breakfast would be served outside at 8:30 am. She then promptly left for the entire night with instructions to call Francesco, whose number was on the back of the door if we had trouble. The property is NOT in Monopoli, but several km outside of Monopoli. No open restaurants could be found within several miles. After searching for over an hour, we finally ended up finding a market and purchased chips, cookies and sodas for our evening meal.

We retired for the evening in a comfortable enough bed but the heater in the room was not functioning. The next morning we awoke to no hot water to shower. The morning breakfast was adequate and served buffet style. A usual mix of pastries, breads, meats, juices and coffee served by 3 friendly women.

How this place got a 5 star rating is beyond us. I'd suggest skipping this place and find something more accommodating.

Total misrepresentation!! Prison-like compound !

elissa pon 26/10/2014 15:43

There is not even the slightest resemblance between the hotel's description and the actual property.
It is not only the electric fences that enclose you upon entering with no free exit , and the basement accomodation reeking of dampness and uncleanliness but the place was deserted and obviously unready to receive guests.
We were asked a day prior to our arrival by the management as to our expected time of arrival in order to open up the place just for us.
This should have raised a warning signal to any guest arrival.
Upon arrival we had to wait quite a while before one of the only two staff members appeared to open the first electric gate and then let us in to open the second electric gate - not the most welcoming feeling.
Mind you we came for a beachfront vacation in, as advertised, a beach VILLA and found ourselves in an enclosed prison-like compound with no beach view which was blocked by a high stone wall. We decided to leave the premises immediately and when we asked that the cancellation fee not be implemented, the management refused and offered a voucher for the next time... as if we woud dream of going there again !!

bad experience - pictures better than reality

lovetravelandtravelson 21/05/2013 11:57

All photos with the sea view are taken from the terrace and none of the rooms have any sea view, Our room was dark with only one window facing a courtyard.
No pool and the beach is public. So a very bad experience and we do not recommend this hotel.
And also the villa was difficult to find because it wasn't in Monopoli but 6 kilometers away!

Delightful

Mary Kon 19/09/2012 19:22

Trip advisor users beware; the trouble is that two people can have totally different experiences of the same place! We stayed at the Beauty Beach at exactly the same time as the reviewer below and I know they feel they had the holiday from hell, but our experience could not have been more different. We absolutely loved it.
There is no doubt that it is extremely difficult to find and it is essential the hotel replaces the sign on the main road (it was lying inside the gate so presumably it fell down at some point). Luckily I had phoned the day before to say that my daughter and I would be arriving on a late flight and Francesco, the owner, gave me his mobile number. Also, you absolutely must have a car. There are virtually no shops whatsoever and no restaurants you can walk to (well, one – 25 minute walk) it is also very difficult to get local taxis. Unfortunately we had not realised this and we could have been marooned but, on our first evening, Francesco kindly took us out to the restaurant where he was meeting his friends and they insisted we join them (they then all spoke in English so we could be included in the conversation). On another evening, he drove us to a different restaurant and arranged for the owner to drive us back to the hotel (all free of charge). He also recommended we visit the wonderful town of Polignano, booked a superb restaurant and arranged a reliable taxi to take us there and collect us. He really could not have been kinder or more considerate.
The hotel is kept impeccably clean by Rosetta, who also bakes the cakes served for breakfast, accompanied by copious cups of delicious coffee served by Vivianna. Both ladies speak only Italian but were wonderfully warm and helpful. The villa terraces provide a stylish and relaxed haven. There is a disco adjacent which plays music during the day as well as the evening during weekends - but we quite enjoyed it and the sound couldn’t be heard from inside the bedrooms. Fabulous loungers and hammocks; outside showers perfectly placed for use after a dip in the sea (which is immediately outside the gates); all as previously described in earlier reviews. The public beach is quite narrow and is absolutely packed on Saturdays/Sundays so we sunbathed in the peace of BBV and then went through the gates for a swim.
I can see how the confusion arose with the previous reviewer regarding payment. Perhaps it would be better if the final bill was left in the room the night before departure or provided at breakfast on the final morning – especially for non-Italian speaking clients. However I think everything is run on an ‘honesty’ basis to make you feel at home. To add to the confusion, the gentleman they mentioned who was in the car park was not in fact the owner - it was someone else who was simply staying in the hotel. Very unfortunate.
BBV just need to make it clear that a car is needed (not just recommended), organise the signage and perhaps the payment systems because there are so many wonderful things about staying in this very lovely place.
Thank you Francesco, Rosetta and Vivianna!

Nightmare.........

deerossneoon 25/07/2012 11:05

We wish to complain about this "holiday"Villa! We drove for 3 hours to find it - taking a taxi in town, to guide and help us and in the end we had to book a night in another hotel. This hotel was 2 blocks down and didn't know Beauty Beach Villas.

The Villa has absolutely no signage and it locked by a large mental gate with no staff there overnight - we rang and rang the door before finally giving up and finding somewhere else to spend the night. the following day we finally gained access

Over our four days the owner didn't query payment so we assumed that the full amount had been taken on the cc i booked with on the internet booking site. we have since become aware there is a problem with this cc. but final day at 1.00 Francisco saw us to our car, said goodbye and when we reached the airport some hours later we were arrested by police and escorted into a side room. It was the most frightening experience.

If the owner had cleared payment before we left or spoken to us - during the 4 days there - again it would have taken one phone call. Instead we were humiliated and frightened.

The worse "holiday" of my life.