I'm Italian, my husband is American-and we have both traveled around Italy many times and for many years. It is a shame that in such a beautiful place, like the Gargano peninsula, a Hotel like this still operates.

Instead of stars, they should rate this hotel with whatever they rate youth hostels with, or summer camps for that matter!
Imagine an old set of dirty white buildings perched on two private beaches with gorgeous white cliffs (that's the only picture they show you on their website!), then add a cavernous restaurant that sits a thousand, a conference hall of dubious architecture and all the activities you can give to a multitude of screaming kids-day and night. This place has not been renovated since the '70s: the rooms are sad, bathrooms are even sad-er, and the hallways resonate of music, kids screams, and bad italian disco.
All this for about $450 a night. Hello.
This still does not describe the experience that awaits the unfortunate traveler!

Keeping in mind the Puglia is not a well-developed tourist region, this hotel is likely problematic for Americans. First, I found it on the web. Beautiful grounds and vistas. I should have been concerned that there were no pictures of any of the rooms. The rooms are what one imagines workers' resorts in the old Communist bloc to have been like. In our room, there was one bed-side light bolted to the table. No other light in the room save a small overhead fixture. There was no tissue paper, paper, pens, etc. in the room. No TV, no radio. I think the phone only connected through the desk. The air-conditioning (admittedly not an Italian specialty) was practically non-existent…but you had to keep the windows closed because of bugs, so there was no air-circulation in the room (and in S. Italy in June, that is a problem). The shower-head sprayed the entire bathroom, getting everything wet (no shower curtain) and flooding under the door into the bedroom. The food was ok, but not much variety. Seating in the dinning room that overlooks the sea is based on when you arrive at the hotel. So if you are new and only staying a day or two (this being a resort where many families stay a week or more) you will never get a meal with a sea view. The facilities and grounds are beautiful, but the price isn't all inclusive. You pay for towels, you pay for beach chairs. You pay for activities, you pay for everything -- on top of lodging. You are also pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so if you want alternative food, etc. you have to travel far for it. This might be a good place for an Italian family to vacation, not staying in the room for more than sleep, but if you want privacy and relatively modern facilities, I’d go elsewhere. Other hotels we stayed at in Puglia for about the same price were more comfortable and less apt to nickle and dime you for all services.

This beautiful resort is located between Mattinata and Vieste, on the Gargano peninsula. It is perched high up on a hill in the middle of a lush inlet, and an elevator will take you down to its private beach. The complex was conceived in the Mediterranean style. The vegetation is lush, the views are breathtaking (especially from the pool), the food is great. In the morning they have a rich breakfast buffet, with all those wonderful croissants and cappuccinos. They also have tennis courts, a hairdresser, a bazaar, and nightly live shows in Italian in the resort's piazza. There aren't many foreigners- perhaps a few Germans- this is the real Italian experience. I give it a 10!