As a lover of Italy, this was our first foray to Puglia – we loved it. The hotel didn’t match however either our expectations or our enjoyment of the area.

We were on a package, not a cheap one I would point out and arrived at the hotel from a late flight to find that a convention/meeting had block booked all bar two rooms (the worst two) for that night at the back of hotel. Our room was very gloomy and dark, no view of any sort, and not that smart. After complaining we were moved the next day to a much smarter front room, with natural light and a view of the gardens. But being on quite an expensive package, we had expected at least to be allocated rooms before we arrived, & that those rooms would be reasonable. That surprised us but may be more down to the package operator than the hotel.

The biggest disappointment was the restaurant – as we were on a package, we had quite a small choice of food from a limited menu which we were expected to choose at breakfast for that night – usually an English dish, a German dish and an Italian one. The food was by no means either breathtaking or of a high quality – I have eaten at small cheap little places in Italy and their use of local ingredients is breathtaking, so this isn’t a matter of cost. This was a disappointment. We refused to order till the night, & they seemed to accept that, but the choice/quality was not as high as we had expected.

The pool area was good (no towels though, you must take your own, again a slight surprise) and the bar was pleasant.

Puglia is a joy – there are things to do, the trulli, or course, and some wonderful towns to see without a lot of touristy stuff . Great squares to have coffee in etc.

Would we go to Puglia again – yes. No doubt at all.

Would we stay here again - probably not.

Room: Airy and spacious with a balcony overlooking pine trees. Tiled flooring throughout, good air conditioning and sufficient storage. Spacious bathroom, but fittings were tired. Plumbing often clanked alarmingly when the sink tap was turned off.
Food: A bit bland, with minimal antipasti. One dish was roast chicken, roast potatoes and carrots – I could have had that at home. They did offer squid and octopus one evening, though.
Position: Set high in the hills above Fasano – takes ages to get anywhere. Large pool and play area for kids. Rooms are in blocks next to the main building, making it feel a bit like a holiday camp.

Visited Sierra Silvana in last week in May.
The hotel is admittedly a trek from Bari airport and you do need a car to get around. (The smaller the car the better on these windy roads!)
The hotel is in beautiful surroundings and ideal for the more relaxing holiday.
The staff were friendly and helpful and the accommodation was good. Food was good. Wine choice excellant. Evening entertainment was limited to Peter and his musical instruments, but it was varied and kept everybody happy.
Pool although unheated, was clean and regularly maintained.
Although not in high season the staff organised excursions when requested.
Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would return at any time!

Stayed at Hotel Sierra Silvana from July 8th - 15th 2005.
Lovely hotel, about 7 miles from Fasano. Please be aware that this hotel is fairly remote (as we found) so would definitely advise getting a rental car. We didn't so we didn't manage to see much of the surrounding area as there is very little public transport.
Would recommend if you want to escape to a quiet hotel for a week. Very peaceful. If you go in July there are very few people there and only attracts Italian Tourists and a few British. We had the pool loungers and pool to ourselves most days!
The best feature of this hotel is its reputation for good food. We stayed on a half board basis and found the food to be excellent. Really good selection and local produce used.
Local shops good for daily items like ice cream, water, etc. Got very friendly with them - so much so they gave us free biscuits when we left.

Overall a lovely part of Italy, not touristy at all and would visit again.