Baia Dei Faraglioni Beach Resort - Mattinata, Italy 

The only thing 5 star about this hotel is the price. We should have known when we saw the artificial grass leading to reception that this was in no way a luxury hotel. We booked a standard room with balcony (300E a night) which looked lovely on the website but was, in fact, small and cramped with a tiny bathroom. The balcony was unimpressive and separated from those on either side only by a low wall and a short screen of bamboo. Someone was reading a book on the next door balcony and we were too embarrassed to go onto ours at the same time as we would have been so close. The bed was so short, my 6'1" husband's toes hung over the edge and I think it had been cut down to make the room appear bigger. Internet access involved going into a back room off reception and using the hotel's own computer, with staff hanging around waiting for me to finish. The staff told us that the hotel was not "child-friendly", yet there were many young children there as guests. At breakfast and dinner (we escaped for lunch) they were allowed to run and play uncontrolled around the only, very formal restaurant. If you're not going to be child friendly and add a casual restaurant, why take family bookings? I felt sorry for the couple of honeymooning couples who probably would have liked a quiet, romantic dinner. The food was of an average standard and quite expensive, and service was ordinary. There is little to do in the Gargano region, apart from a drive through the "Foresta Umbra", or Gargano Forest, and driving is difficult over the narrow, winding roads around the coast. If you decide to go there, stay somewhere else or expect about a 3 star standard at 5 star prices at Baia dei Faraglioni.