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It was like living in a World of Interiors spread but better! It is a sensory delight. The hostess, Athena made it incredibly special from the moment we arrived. She even insisted upon carrying my heavy bag upstairs. She wrote us handwritten maps, gave us the best tips and looked after us with such care. The bed linens were the finest heirloom, the breakfasts top quality, all local ingredients. The wine and drinks were plentiful. Such a generous and thoughtful place. We had 2 dinners in house which were tops. Thank you PierLuigi! It was our best stay for the 10 days we were in Puglia. I will never forget it.
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Date of stay: October 2022
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â It is a little tricky to find as the door is on the side.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ecelectic blend of Italian antiques and Asian and African artifacts coupled with the charming and interesting owners make this one of the best hotels i have ever stayed in. There is also a wonderful chef for superb Puglian lunches in the lovely dining room. This Hotel is not to be missed!
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Date of stay: April 2004
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Il Convento recently and had a wonderful time. Pierluigi's cooking was to die for and Alastair and Athena's hospitality was just superb - nothing was too much trouble. We loved the relaxed "come and go as you please, help yourself to all drinks..." air of the place. This is not a "hotel" but a sort of open-house party where you are welcomed and allowed to be alone or mingle with the McAlpine's or other guests as much as you wish. We found this refreshing but others may not. What i would add is that there is indeed perhaps too much "clutter", too many artefacts and objets d'art gathering dust, a lot of clutter in the bedroom which meant there wasn't an inch of space to put our own things.. We accepted this happily as it is not a "hotel", it is a home and the owners have a clear passion for their art and books. My main criticism would be that there were no bathrobes provided - we had to scurry back and forth from the not-ensuite bathroom in wet towels in view of other guests! I would also advise you bring your own hairdryer as the ones provided are tiny, of very poor quality and only eat your hair and blow up in a puff of smoke! I would also suggest that you take your own toiletries (fairtrade shampoo/shower gel provided was so abrasive it burned our skin so we had to stop using it), no sanitary bags were provided anywhere (basic hygiene which women guests need) and none of the bathroom bins were lined either which I found very unpleasant. Otherwise there are some lovely touches such as the wonderful communal breakfasts, the long, lazy lunches and dinners and the beautiful fresh-water (but chilly!) swimming pool, so nice without chlorine. One plus also is that laundry is all done free of charge, however some of ours went missing and we never got it back, no refund offered so this needs to be more carefully managed. A definite place to return to but bring a bathrobe, a hairdryer and your own toiletries....
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Date of stay: September 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Il Convento is publicised ( and priced) as luxury accommodation. Although it has some very good points, they don't justify the cost. We thought that being a covent it would be quiet...... far from it. The beautiful building is situated next to a busy road, and the traffic starts early in the morning. There was work going at the neighbouring site and this was very noisy too and started from 7am. ( you need the window open because there is no air conditioning) . We were offered a ground floor room instead, but we didn't want to risk staying any longer, as our time on holiday was limited and we weren't convinced it would be any quieter. It is true to say that you have free access to the fridge and it's alcoholic contents, but this doesn't really make up for the rest of it. Evening meal ( not before 9pm) whilst homely and plentiful is over priced at 50 euros per head ( we had some excellent meals out for much less than this) . The breakfast was delicious. The gardens are lovely and interesting and clearly a labour of love. Room tidying is almost excessively attentive whenever you leave the room, but there is no soap, shampoo or tea/coffee making facilities in the room. You can go down to the kitchen to make a drink, but this perhaps isn't what you want to do on waking. I have noticed that other reviewers have commented on the musty smell..... I'm afraid this is true, and again would be tolerable if everything else was OK. We are left 3 nights early. We had paid in advance (£400.00 per night) and weren't offered a refund, but the 100 euro cash for the meal was accepted without hesitation by Pier Luigi. The housekeeping staff were lovely and helpful. Overall, this is an expensive place to stay, and somewhere that trades on is quirkiness. Think carefully before booking a long stay.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fabulous publicity but way short on delivery, this intimate B&B lacks window screens to keep mosquitoes out, has damp sheets and mildewy rooms, and very close quarters where you can hear crying children, fighting couples, active couples, and even the owners grumbling--no wonder they must be tired after having so many people around.
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Date of stay: June 2005
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Where do I start? This is the worst experience I have had in a long long time. I cannot believe the other reviewers had actually been to the same place. I believe it is down to expectations which were high following the reviews on this site.
The entrance to the property is via a scruffy car park beside a church, and you enter into a scruffy courtyard, completely stuffed with dark, dusty African furniture and cluttered with overgrown cactus pots. The overall impression is a crumbling, dilapidated, ill-kept property, and it gets worse. We were shown into a cell like room which was dark, and again cluttered with dark wooden furniture. The bedspread was patched and the floor mat grimy and shabby. The overall impression is of a dank, dusty room completely stuffed with unwanted artifacts which serve no purpose. There is no air conditioning, and the bathroom window overlooked a pathway so no privacy!
The idea is you help yourself to drinks from the fridge which is fine, except we were confronted by a grumpy lady when we did. Lunch was served at 2pm, and no consideration had been taken to our prior request for light food considering our diet. We were left at a table in the garden for 20 minutes not knowing if any further courses were to be served. When I entered the kitchen we saw the chef disappear into the garden to serve the McAlpines with a large fish, and were ignored. So no second course or desert! We stayed for dinner which was tasty but basic. Couldn't believe there was no Gin!!!!
The Convento may have been marvellous once, but it is now shabby and unkempt. The garden is overgrown, the pool furniture old, unpainted and extremely uncomfortable. you cannot walk around after dark as the cacti scratch your legs, and the whole place is a complete nightmare - similar to the rather gruesome "art" work.
At £375 per night, this is a complete rip off and I would not recommend this property to anyone.
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Date of stay: September 2013
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hidden behind the old convent walls, and in what is a very good rebuild of the environment, is the life and collections of the Late Alastair and Athena McAlpine. I thought I must have arrived in a parallel universe to the many other comments I read, but our experience was not a good one.
This is a bohemian refuge, with adequate sized rooms, strange open showers , or hand held over bath facilities, no Airconditioning , and extreme clutter and eclectic collections in every space and on every surface.
The staff are courteous and the food homely and generous, but this is promoted as an "experience " and that is just not the case.
For the price this is grossly miss priced. Compare the 5star La Fiermontina in Lecce at the same price. Just no comparison.
No criticism of Athena intended but this is just not a reasonable deal !
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Date of stay: June 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Whilst rummaging through wonderful Apulia,we were appraised of this superb establishment by a lady with whom we shared a table at a restaurant that was bursting at the seems. She turned out to be a contessa from the south of France, and insisted in telephoning the owners to see if there was vacancies. She must have the magic connections ,for right there and then, we decided,sight unseen, to book a week-end. Gracias contessa. 30 km south of Lecce airport,a taxi deposited us at this perfect and private spot. A place filled with culture,colour and contrasts . a place whose raw beauty and installed magic made us gasp with the potential for discovery. A former monastry,this abode is a eclectic heaven,filled with ethnic and folk art from Morocco,indonesia,Africa and outback Australia. To be a guest here with the owners, is to stay with friends and enjoy the bounty of the relaxed Italian way of life at its best. No establishment lives by decor and panoramas alone,and the food here matches the ambiance in genuine creativity coupled with simplistic classic local fare. This is not a hotel,but an oasis
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Date of stay: July 2013
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ive stayed her twice. Once as a surpise for my wife and then more recently for my 40th birthday with a dozen or so close friends.
Can honestly say this is one of the loveliest 'B&B's' I have stayed in. Athena and Alistair make you feel like long-lost relatives. Combine this wonderful hospitality with an exceptional chef, beautiful art and a laid back atmosphere and you quickly relax into the rythm of this magical place.
True it is not 'all mod cons' but that's the point - no internet, no phone, no TV. Just great company, exquisite food, intimate gardens and a freshater pool. Bedrooms are spacious and immaculately kept. Many have an African or South American theme (when booking have a chat with Athena so you can decide which room you want as each have a different feel, size and aspect).
Guests are encouraged to share meals together at the huge refectory table in the kitchen. That said there are private corners at every turn, so if being left alone is you thing then this is easily achieved.
In truth they could charge twice the amount and still fill the place. Fortunately Alistair has a more rounded view: 'This is not about making money - it's about making friends'. If only other hoteliers were so inclined.
One of my top 5 hotels ever.
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Date of stay: April 2006
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Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
From the moment we walked in we knew we were going to enjoy the experience. Our hosts Alistair and Athena welcomed is in the courtyard and showed us around this delightful petit hotel. 8 rooms in a restored monastery - a true sanctuary. We stayed 5 days and could have stayed another 5. We are at a different private table each lunch and dinner, sometimes in the garden otherwise in one of the rooms each decorated with part of Alistair' s collection of African art. And the food! Truly outstanding - simple, traditional, delicious. No wonder guests find their way back here again and again and finding the place is part of its charm.
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Date of stay: July 2012
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Diso area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
il convento di santa maria di costantinopoli hotel diso
LOCATION
ItalyPugliaProvince of LecceDiso
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
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IL CONVENTO DI SANTA MARIA DI COSTANTINOPOLI - Reviews (Puglia, Italy - Diso) - Photos of B&B - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Il Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli
Which popular attractions are close to Il Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli?
Nearby attractions include Artefatto - L'idea in Terracotta (2.2 km), Spiaggia della Grotta Verde (3.8 km), and Castello Aragonese e Museo Archeologico Castro (2.2 km).
