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After staying two nights at the Mercure Villa Romanazzi Carducci Bari (full review here), we were off to the Hilton Garden Inn Lecce for the next two nights. This is the only hotel under the Hilton umbrella in Puglia and served as our base as we explored more of the heel of the boot in Italy.
Anthony’s Take: It was not the most glamorous hotel, but it got the job done. Our suite was a bit dated but comfortable and the hotel offers some decent amenities and a nice breakfast for Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members. The location is a bit of a hike from the old town, but we enjoyed the walk to and from dinner and to check out the sights.
Booking
I booked a Junior Suite directly on Hilton.com. The rate was €178 plus tax per night. As my amenity for being a Hilton Honors Gold member, I chose breakfast. I was offered a late checkout, but we did not need it. A base-level room starts at 25,000 Hilton Honors points and the Junior Suite I booked can be had for 48,000 per night.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We had a rental car and drove from the Mercure Villa Romanazzi Carducci Bari. The ride took around 95 minutes and was around 97 miles. When we left, we went to our next hotel in Ostuni, which took around 75 minutes.
Location
The hotel is not centrally located for tourists. There are some restaurants, stores, and a supermarket nearby. To get to the old town, you either need to drive or walk 25 to 30 minutes from the hotel. On the weekend, everything around the hotel was closed and it felt rather isolated.
Check-in
We arrived at the hotel around 4:30 PM and our suite was ready. The agent quickly explained the hotel’s amenities and confirmed that I had selected breakfast as my amenity. He printed our keys and we were in our suite a few moments later. Parking in the lot is free and there were plenty of open spaces. The garage costs €15 per night, but is not necessary.
The lobby is divided into severals rooms and they all have seating.
A water feature is in the center of the room.
More seating.
The restaurant is across from reception.
A back patio had more seats.
The elevators were speedy and seldom crowded.
A sculpture near the elevator lobby was one of many pieces of local art.
The guest room hallways are dark and dated.
There are some chairs near the elevators.
The carpeting was a bit worn.
Junior Suite (228)
There are 143 rooms and suites at the hotel.
The Junior Suite is an odd shape. It’s been designed where there is an almost circular flow around the room. When you enter, there is a desk to the right.
The king-sized bed is in the center of the room.
There were two small night tables flanking the bed. Each had an outlet and several switches for controlling the lights.
A small TV was across from the bed.
If you head left upon entering, you’ll find a seating area.
A refrigerator with water for sale was found nearby.
A tea kettle, tea, cups, and condiments were on the counter above.
A large walk-in closet was to the side.
A safe was found in here.
The bathroom was near the desk.
It held a vanity with a single sink, toilet, bidet, tub, and glassed-in shower.
Crabtree & Evelyn brand toiletries were found in large bottles on the counter.
The toilet and bidet were near the sink.
A bar of soap was found here.
The shower was a glass box. The water got really hot and the pressure was good.
More toiletries were mounted to the wall here.
A bathtub was across from the shower.
Breakfast
As mentioned, we had breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant each morning during our two-night stay.
There is a buffet of cold items as well as some hot items and a machine for making your own waffles. The buffet was fairly picked over and the people dining there were gross.
One woman picked food up with her bare hands and then put it back. Another loaded a tote bag with bottles of water, fruit, baked goods, and more. The buffet is not great and the guests’ questionable habits made it unappealing.
Bread and a toaster
A giant jar of Nutella. I want one for home.
Pastries, eggs, and focaccia
More sweets
Meats and cheese
Nuts
Fruit
Sausage, bacon, eggs, and potatoes
Tomatoes and mushrooms
Croissants
A gluten-free section
Make-your-own waffles and cereal
Water and yogurt
Fruit juice
There is a coffee machine
The coffee made by the staff was much better.
The restaurant is large enough that it did not feel crowded.
Public Areas & Amenities
In addition to the seating and restaurant above, the hotel has a fitness center, laundry room, spa, rooftop pool, and a mini market near reception.
The rooftop pool was a decent size. Towels may be rented.
The laundry room looked like someone’s grandma was just working away.
The fitness center was small and did not have any towels.
There were some free weights.
Equipment was rather limited.
A water fountain was near the door.
The mini market sold a variety of frozen, refrigerated, and shelf-stable items.
Snacks for sale
A microwave was available for guest use.
Overall Impression: The Hilton Garden Inn Lecce was a fine, inexpensive choice. It’s dated and not conveniently located, but could work for Hilton loyalists with a car.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
