Borgo Egnazia
Puglia, italy
Soothing spa hotel for wellbeing and relaxation in the Puglian countryside
Family-owned Borgo Egnazia is a soothing, vanilla-stoned hotel in Savelletri di Fasano, set amongst age-old olive trees between the Itria Valley and the Adriatic Sea in Puglia. Inspired by a typical Puglian village, the showpiece of Borgo Egnazia is an impressive piazza. Come for relaxing treatments and wellbeing retreats at Vair Spa, a round of golf at San Domenico Golf, and swimming and sunbathing at the private beach club.
our reviewer caroline sylge says:
‘The friendly Giuseppe has us moving our limbs to traditional Puglian music, improvising walks, imitating each other and dressing each other up in costumes he produces from a large red leather Mary Poppins bag’
Queen of Retreats says:
‘It’s easy for adults to find quiet, child-free spaces here, and for children to find areas where they can run free. The Borgo townhouse bedrooms are beautifully designed. For light and space, go for bedrooms at the Corte. Visit in April, May, October, and November for true peace and quiet’
Experiences
Private wellbeing programmes for individuals, couples and families all feature tailored activities, time outdoors, treatments and Roman baths.
The VERAMÈNDE Retreat offers a health overhaul. Expect analyses with cutting-edge equipment, as well as personalised wellbeing consultations. For inner health, the ‘A MENÈSTRE programme (it literally means ‘the soup’) looks at taste and nutrition. You’ll undergo mineral analysis and learn about mindful eating.
Choose SÉMBLECE Retreat if you need reminding of the simple things in life, including the beauty and power of nature. For stress management, the SENDEMÈNDE Retreat will help you rediscover your balance, while the LEGÂME Retreat is for couples or groups looking to reconnect – with themselves, each other and their environment.
If you want to upgrade your body, the U BERAFÀTTE Retreat incorporates treatments to enhance your skin’s health and ease muscle stress and pain, while the CARÈZZE Retreat focuses on the face. Expect facials, face exercises and aesthetic treatments.
You can also visit the spa for a wide range of ad-hoc treatments, including scrubs, facials, and massages, carried out with care and using the hotel’s own locally made natural products. Head out on a walk, play golf, swim in one of several pools, cycle down to the private beach club for a swim and some sunbathing or hit the fully equipped gym. Children are well catered for with beach clubs for three different age groups, with games, swimming, crafts, treasure hunts, and workshops.
Spaces
Vair Spa is a scented, candle-lit refuge, featuring a relaxation area, Roman baths, a wet area with sauna steam rooms and a heated indoor pool. There’s also a dedicated beauty area, a yoga and meditation room, a fitness room, and a gym with Technogym equipment.
Enjoy four large outdoor swimming pools, each with comfortable loungers, and attended by the staff. At the private beach club there is a safe swimming area and there are spacious sun beds and loungers.
There are four different types of accommodation. La Corte is the main building, a gorgeous contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional Masseria, with 63 rooms. There are also three impressive suites, including La Egnazia, which offers two walk-in showers, panoramic terraces and plunge pools. This is an adults-only space during peak season.
Families tend to stay in the 92 stylish townhouses with rooftops and courtyard gardens in the centre of Borgo Egnazia, inspired by the architecture of traditional villages, complete with narrow streets, a piazza, and an iconic clock tower. Borgo also has suites – Borgo Magnifica and Borgo Casetta Bella.
For privacy, choose one of the 28 elegant villas, featuring small private pools, gardens, and terraces. The largest one, La Padronale, is more than 5000 square feet.
Sustenance
Expect fruit and vegetables directly from the kitchen garden, fish freshly caught in the Adriatic Sea, fine wine, quality coffee, and premium, locally produced extra-virgin olive oil - ‘the liquid gold of Puglia’.
The staff are attentive to food allergies and intolerances, as well as to vegetarian and vegan diets and other special requests.
There are six restaurants serving locally sourced produce to a wide range of preferences. They range from the Michelin-starred Due Camini to more casual options, including A Pizzerì, serving wood-fired pizzas.
Other eating places include La Calce, the vegetarian restaurant, and La Frasca, the Puglian trattoria, which serves delicious breakfasts, alongside Puglian specialities including stewed octopus, fried salted codfish, and carob gnocchi. The private beach club restaurant, Cala Masciola, serves excellent fresh seafood.
Da Frisella is a restaurant dedicated to children, where every detail, from chairs to tables to the food, is made to measure for children to have fun and eat healthily.
