Grand Hotel la Chiusa di Chietri

I suspect this hotel is older than it appears at first sight. The bedrooms are good, well provided and comfortable and look modern but the en-suite looked so dated and depressing in a mauve coloured marble. We went with Titan and when you go with a travel company, you are not sure what the hotel has been asked to provide as opposed to an independent traveller but we had an “all inclusive” buffet for breakfast and dinner and whilst there was plenty of choice, the constant battle at the buffet is very wearing. Too many large parties hitting the chaffing dishes at the same time frequently resulted in shortages and whilst they were replaced, it all adds up to an exhausting meal. It is not helped by some people piling their plate with food and coming back for seconds as if they have not had a meal for week! No not for me – I hate this cattle feeding. The food was acceptable with the occasional tasty dish but it would have been very nice to go somewhere different to escape the noisy “canteen” type environment but as far as I could ascertain, there were no close restaurants, despite what the hotel says, and we were effectively very isolated. The staff friendly and helpful but again, the public areas seem dated. This hotel would be OK for a one night stay after a long flight in my view.

As stated the hotel is isolated and set up for conferences, weddings, tours. Having said that, we found the staff (especially the waiting staff and bar staff) were friendly and helpful and cheerful, especially as they were run off their feet. The reception team were cheerless and had that couldn't be bothered attitude. Setting- Grounds and pool area lovely. We didn't use the pool but others told us it was very cold. You can hire towels but changing them costs 3e each time- something that should be included in a 4* hotel. Rooms- Having read previous reviews, we asked for one with a view ( rather than looking inwards at the other buildings) It was nice and light with a balcony and chairs/ table. Bed was large and very comfortable and room spacious. Dark and quiet at night too. No English TV channels, but a huge flat screen TV over the vanity area without a mirror. Bathroom - large and has a rainfall shower. Plenty of towels, but too dark. A/C was good the first half of the week (although you cannot adjust the temperature manually, you have to ring reception to change the stat!) the second half of the week, the A/C was running loudly all night, without cooling. We did report this but it was never rectified. I guess no one bothered as many guests only stay a night or 2. WIFI kept dropping out in the bedroom- you had to pick up the signal right at the bedroom door ( it was fine in public areas) Again , we reported this but we got a shrug of the shoulders from reception staff who said no one had ever had a problem! The towels were replaced daily and bedding changed once during the week, however the cleaning was under par. Neither the floors nor the units were cleaned all week. Ladies, take your own hairdryer ( its an old fashioned tube one in the bathroom) and an extension lead as the only mirror is on the wardrobe as you enter the bedroom. There's a quiet fridge in the room. Its safe to use the tap water to drink. Meals- We were part of a smallish group and sat in the smaller, quieter dining room. It was a relief as the main hall is HUGE and like a canteen. (This is where the breakfast buffet is set up) Evening meals were generally very nice. 3 courses , nouvelle cuisine style . You choose from 3 choices ( for each course ) the night before. The translation doesn't always work too well, but its lots of fun! Considering the huge numbers of meals produced, the kitchen does well, and the waiting staff are hardworking and smiley. Wines are reasonably priced, and the staff will save your bottle for you for the next evening. Breakfasts varied in that if you have an early start you may be jostling with huge parties of people ( some not so polite!) to collect your food and drinks. Coffee is typically Italian and very strong, but there are hot and cold milks to hand. There are cereals, fruit, honey, yogurt, pastries, scrambled egg, boiled eggs, cheeses and ham, and tomatoes. Bread, a toaster and butter and jams. Yes, there are sometimes waits for replenis

The hotel is a modern two-story complex, set in lovely countryside. The design is a bit eccentric, but the room itself was nicely laid out and clean, although the shampoo and bodywash bottles were empty when I arrived. The food was excellent, and the staff could not do enough for me; I particularly recommend the cocktails!

Wonderful property, FABULOUS dinner, and probably the best massage I've ever had (Thanks Grazia!) The spa experience including the saunas and Turkish bath were a treat. I wish the Fitness Room was not tied to your spa appointment but accessable to all hotel guests at other times. I did not want to work out at the same time I was going to enjoy the baths etc. Would have preferred to work out earlier. The rooms were clean and comfortable and the grounds were beautiful.

This is a functional hotel, designed for tours, conferences or weddings, so it is not pretty. It is remote, however, and you will need your own transport: we were on a guided tour, so this was not a problem for us, but you are captive once at the hotel. Its advantage is that it is well situated for striking out to the trulli in Alberobello, the Castellana caves (spectacular), Matera (also spectacular, and where some of the scenes in Die Another Day were shot). The room was spacious and comfortable. The food was OK, although we only ate there on 2 of our 3 nights (the second night was at a local farmhouse, and was excellent). Breakfast was decent enough, with a good selection of pastries, meats and cheeses, cereals and scrambled/boiled eggs and bacon. The coffee wasn't great, but the juices (blood orange and pineapple) were refreshing, rather than the sweet squash we had elsewhere. All in all, comfortable, remote and functional, but a good base for the nearby attractions.

A good hotel with lovely rooms, very spacious. Bathrooms could do with a few extra touches like hooks for towels but no great problem. Bit out on a limb where it is situated so if like me on a tour (and they do cater for tours) then you are a bit of a captive audience. Tours can take over part of the hotel with some getting preferential treatment having sofas/tables reserved for them. The breakfast situation is a nightmare as they open at 7.30 and nearly all tours depart at 8.30 which means 200-300 people all using the facility at the same time...... they should either open much earlier so that attendance is staggered or have more serving points...one toaster and one coffee machine is completely inadequate and makes it all a bit of a bun fight.... also the evening meal everyone is served at the same time so it is really noisy and like eating in a works canteen.