UNA Hotel Regina ★★★★

The season where everything comes alive is beginning, the sun has truly emerged from behind the clouds and it seems to be all blue skies from here on! And this is why you find us relaxing on our patio adjoined to our lavish hotel room, would you like to take a look inside? The interior consists of a large double bed sitting on a floor of rustic tiles in a room furnished in deep brown. The bare brick walls bring to life the region of Apulia and tradition, but the TV and wi-fi ensures you have all the necessary mod-cons. The bathroom carries through the Italian flavour with mosaic tiling, walk-in showers and stone sinks.

However, the weather is too delightful to remain inside! Wondering outside, a verdant manicured yet exotic garden lay before us and then, what appears is a large and glittering pool flanked by white sun beds and adorned with two large slides – I hope they’re not just for children! Setting down our towel for the day and deciding on a relaxing day by the pool, we smooth on sun cream and recline.

Needless to say all that sunbathing and swimming builds up quite an appetite! So we decide to head for a hotel’s rustic restaurant; the Moha. We sit on the terrace outside on the large patio, but the inside is charmingly harboured under thatched archways. The Moha is quintessentially Italian, and we were about to indulge in regional and national specialities—one of the things I adore Italy for, is for the food! I enjoy the fresh evening air; just the right temperature to cool down from the hot day. The three courses flow like our local wine that joins together each part of our meal, it is invigorating taste after invigorating taste.

Then next day we find ourselves in the bustling Bari, we bury down into its old town, Bari Vecchia, and delight in Italian food and drink, whilst wandering along its winding narrow paths. After such an active day in Apulia’s capital we came back to our luxurious retreat and indulged in the spa. The spa is a lavish and large area equipped with an indoor pool, Kneipp route, emotional showers which are showers enhanced with coloured lights and scents, heated stone lounges, sauna and Turkish bath. We spent time clearing out our pores and resting our souls in the heavenly steam of the warm spa before leaving refreshed and revitalised, ready for another delicious evening meal.

The following day we feel invigorated and active, ready to take part in the hotel’s own fitness regime. Their own fitness centre boasts an array of classes from kick boxing to pilates and aqua gym. After a work out you can cool down in the pool or even kick back with a cool drink from the American bar. We, of course, decide on the latter!

Thanks to the UNA Hotel Regina ****, our stresses and worries seemed to ebb away like the waves that gently touched the shore before returning to the sea, in this beautiful coastal region of Apulia…