Hotel Review: Borgo Egnazia with kids

Family pool at Borgo Egnazia

We spent a fantastic week in Puglia this summer (read all about it here) with Borgo Egnazia as our home base. This hotel had been on my bucket list ever since JT and Jessica Biel were married there years ago, so it was wonderful to be able to finally get to stay. Below you will find a review of the hotel focused primarily on our experience traveling with our multi-generational clan, including four kids under the age of eight.

Overall ****** (8 of 10)

Value *** (7 of 10)

Food ****** (7 of 10)

Design ******** (9 of 10)

Service ****** (8 of 10)

Location ******** (8 of 10)

Kid’s Club ******** (7 of 10)

PROS:

• Beautifully designed to look like an ancient Puglian village.

• Festa del Borgo parties filling every nook and cranny of the squares with dancing and entertainment

• Lots of options for dining from Michelin-starred to more casual pizzerias by the pool

• Breakfast, which is included, especially the fantastic service

• Evening entertainment options for kids

CONS:

• The location is somewhat remote. You need a car to go to any of the surrounding towns. It’s a long walk to the beach, but there are shuttles to take you there.

• The service was hit or miss. Breakfast was always fantastic, but it was at times difficult to order things at the pool.

• The pool closes at 7pm, as in they kick you out of the pool. We were there in a heatwave in July, so this really was a problem as it was still extremely hot at 7pm. There was always many guests still wanting to use the pool when we were ushered off at closing time.

Setting up for a party in the square

LAYOUT

Borgo Egnazia is designed as a charming Puglian village, with two somewhat distinct sections. The La Corte area includes the adult pools and lobby entrance, spa and gym and is geared towards adults. The other section, Il Borgo, is more geared towards families. The family pool, kids club, and La Frasca restaurant were all clustered around this area. We stayed here in July and this area was full of families from all over the world.

Everywhere you go you around the hotel feels like you are walking down a charming ancient alley way.

ROOMS

Since we were traveling with 9 people, we ended up renting three rooms that were all right next to one another. They all had king beds with a couch that converted into a bed for the kids. The mini bar was included, but only refilled sporadically. The room wasn’t huge, but it was nicely decorated and comfortable. We all each had quiet patios that were visited by friendly cats everyday.

The courtyard in our rooms frequently visited by the local cats and kittens.

KIDS’ ACTIVITIES

Part of the reason we picked this hotel is for the activities geared towards children. Starting from breakfast where the kids were offered babyccinos (foam and cocoa powder), kids were very much catered to at the hotel. There was a kids club that was available for a fee. Our kids did not particularly enjoy the kids club, however, as it seemed to mostly consist of playing with toys inside and coloring sheets. One day they did make pies which they seemed to enjoy—at least they enjoyed eating them. In addition to the kids club, there is a playground area by the kids cool that the kids used a lot. There was also a small farm on property with donkeys, goats, chickens, etc. The kids really enjoyed this feature as well.

By and away our favorite activity provided for kids was the family entertainment that occurred each evening. There were magic shows and a mini circus. The kids (and adults) enjoyed them so much that we started planning our evenings around them. The real credit goes to the performers who put on these shows every night and kept everyone entertained.

Kids entranced by the circus performance one evening. Chopina (turquoise frock) is especially talented.

BEACHES

There are two beaches at Borgo Egnazia. The beach closer to the resort is rocky, but has a ladder to go down into the water. It also contains Cala Masciola for a full sit-down lunch. Alternatively, you can order from a smaller menu and eat at your beach chairs. I had read previously that this wasn’t a good beach for kids, but our kids enjoyed the setup and it wasn’t a problem that there wasn’t a sandy beach area. This beach can be accessed via a golf cart shuttle that leaves every 20 minutes.

The second beach is a bit farther from Borgo and can be accessed via a very cool vintage Fiat shuttle. It does have a sand beach, but also has a much more limited food and drink menu. There were also sand toys available for the kids.

I would definitely recommend trying out both beaches while you’re staying at Borgo Egnazia as they’re each unique.

Sandy Beach at Borgo Egnazia

Dining

Due to the somewhat remote location of the hotel, we ate most of our meals onsite. For a full list of our favorite restaurants around the resort, check out our best restaurants of Puglia list here. I’ve already mentioned breakfast at La Frasca, but I don’t think I can praise it too much. Every morning the service was wonderful, with our server coming around and leaving plates of Puglian specialties for us to try. There was a full buffet, but you could also order any hot dishes made to order as well. We also dined at La Frasca for dinner and they had wonderful homestyle Italian food.

After La Frasca, our favorite restaurant was probably the pizzeria by the kids pool. We enjoyed how relaxed it was in addition to the delicious and inventive pizzas.

We also tried Cala Masciola for both lunch and dinner. The setting was beautiful, particularly at night as the sun was setting. We ordered a salt encrusted local fish that was fresh and delicious.

NOTE: Every guest is provided their own concierge via WhatsApp. We were assigned Viviana, who was very friendly. She was particularly helpful at making dinner reservations and recommendations.

The walk to our room.

LA FESTA DEL BORGO

The evening we arrived we stumbled straight into one of their famous parties in the square. It actually spills over into the entire hotel, with every alley way and open space filled with food stalls serving different types of Puglian cuisine. They also had tons of entertainment, from people coming around doing magic, to fire breathers, to a horse show. Finally, there was music and dancing everywhere, and it almost felt as if you are at an amazing Puglian wedding. This was one of our favorite experiences at Borgo to the point that I would plan your stay around one of these fabulous evenings.

Part of the entertainment at La Festa Del Borgo

SPA

We tried three treatments at the spa, including massages and facials. None were particularly memorable, but it is nice that they offer services. The indoor pool by the spa also looked beautiful.

GYM/TENNIS/PADEL

The gym was used several times by our group and it had everything you need to get a good workout. What impressed me most, however, were the raquet facilities. We tried padel for the first time, and let me tell you, it was addicting.

Overall, I would recommend staying at this beautiful resort if you’re looking to for a laid back family vacation in the gorgeous Puglian countryside.