Park San Michele - MARTINA FRANCA

Management and staff at the Park Hotel San Michele in Martina Franca were accommodating and helpful; the clean room was large for European standards, with an ample size walk-in closet; and the location is conveniently within walking distance of the historic center. We especially liked the fact that the hotel is quiet. The breakfast pastries and the dinner antipasto buffet began as fresh, with many choices. However, by the end of our seven-night visit, the identical (i.e., not fresh) food was tired looking, stale, and questionable to eat--disgusting. As examples, many of the breakfast pastries were dry, the sliced fruit was borderline rotten, and the cannoli were limp. Generally, the pasta dishes were repetitive.

It was nice to return to this hotel after a year away. It is a little old=fashioned in some ways and may be due for some refurbishment, but everything works, the garden is beautiful, there is a pool and the breakfast is excellent.

We spent a week here. In Superior Accommodation . We had dinner two nights in the hotel, but, unfortunately it certainly did not live up to Italian standards for food. The staff never seemed really to be on their game. Everything was casual. It is hard to justify its star rating. It has a great location, nice gardens,and is set in a wonderful region, but, needs an injection from the Management Team to improve all round. It is an adequate hotel, where as it should be much more.

Apart from Pierre and catering staff, the hotel lacked charm or warmth; food was poor and repetitive and hotel lacked lounge/bar to facilitate guests (wife I were part of a group of 21) getting together to socialise and review the day's events over a glass of wine or coffee...........!

The food was typically Italian. Lots of local and in season produce. Not much to pick from on the menu 3 dishes. Puddings were a bit of a let down.