Dogana Resort

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside Italian, so you can deal with the practicalities of your stay without resorting to hand signals and hopeful pointing. DOGANA RESORT occupies a historic building in Molfetta, giving the place more character than a purpose-built block with a pool attached as an afterthought.

This is a five-star hotel on the Booking listing, with the useful rather than merely decorative comforts covered: air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant, a bar, a spa and wellness centre, free WiFi and a 24-hour front desk. You can also use the concierge, luggage storage and private check-in and check-out when the day does not run to the standard timetable.

Couples can keep things simple here: a sea-view room, dinner on the terrace and the old town close enough for a short walk. Families have rooms for up to four guests, a children's menu and babysitting, although the hotel has no kids' club or children's pool.

The important detail is the address: Molfetta, Italy, not Bari. DOGANA RESORT sits in the historic town of Molfetta, with the Duomo di Molfetta just a two-minute walk away. That puts you close to streets, cafés and restaurants rather than marooned in a resort compound where the evening entertainment is reading the drinks menu.

Prima Cala Beach is around 1 mile away, or about 1.3 miles on foot. Scoglio D'Inghilterra Beach is roughly 1.2 miles away, with Gavetone Beach around 2.1 miles from the hotel. The coast is therefore within reach, but this is not a hotel where you step straight from your room onto the sand.

Molfetta railway station is about 0.8 miles away on foot. Bari Karol Wojtyla Airport is around 11 miles away by road, making the hotel a practical arrival point for a short stay in northern Puglia.

For two people who want a straightforward base, the Double Room and Deluxe Room keep the arrangement simple, with a king-size bed, air conditioning, a private bathroom and a minibar. The Deluxe Double Room with Sea View is the one to choose when the view matters more than extra floor space: you get the same compact two-person format, with the Adriatic doing some of the visual work.

Travelling as a family or simply refusing to share a suitcase with the other half? The Junior Suites and Suite accommodate up to four guests, giving you more room to spread out than the double rooms. The Junior Suite with Sea View adds the view; the Suite is the sensible choice when living space matters more than looking out to sea.

The night-time basics are well covered. Air conditioning helps after warm, salty hours outside, while hardwood or parquet floors, a wardrobe, a flat-screen TV and a minibar keep the room usable rather than ornamental. Private bathrooms include a shower or bath, towels, slippers, toiletries and a hairdryer. Daily housekeeping and room service are available, and breakfast can be brought to your room.

Il Basilico is the main restaurant, working across breakfast, lunch and dinner with Mediterranean cooking and fresh local ingredients. Meals are served on the terrace, and the dress code is casual, which is exactly what you want when your formalwear is still negotiating with the rinse water. Dinner runs from 19:30 to 22:00, with lunch from 12:30 to 14:30.

Breakfast is a buffet from 07:00, useful for an early start even if the arrangement is not presented as a dedicated diver's breakfast. Half-board is available, so you can cover the main meals at the hotel while keeping some evenings free for Molfetta's nearby restaurants.

There is one hotel bar, Bar Dogana, a lobby bar serving cocktails, wines and spirits. A snack bar, on-site coffee house and minibar give you smaller options, while room service is available during limited hours. Vegetarian and gluten-free diets are catered for, and packed lunches are available when the day's plans do not fit neatly around the dining room.

The outdoor swimming pool is the obvious place for a slow afternoon, surrounded by sun loungers and umbrellas. It is not adults-only, so the atmosphere can suit families as well as couples; either way, it gives you somewhere to sit horizontally without having to explain why your legs have stopped cooperating.

The Wellness Center covers the more restorative side of the stay, with massages, facial treatments and body treatments. The spa facilities also include a hammam, sauna and hot tub, while couples' massages are available for two people who would rather recover together than compare notes on whose back is worse.

When you have energy left, the resort offers kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling, boat excursions and equipment hire. On land, you can rent bicycles, go walking or arrange cultural excursions to Alberobello, Matera and Polignano a Mare. A fitness centre is also available, although nobody will judge you for choosing the lounger instead.

Bari Karol Wojtyla Airport is about 11 miles from the resort by road. An airport shuttle is available, and the hotel also offers a shuttle service and car hire. Private parking is available nearby, with valet parking, but the parking space needs to be reserved. That is worth sorting before arrival if you are driving, since historic-town parking rarely improves when approached optimistically.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 23:30, and you need to let the hotel know your expected arrival time. Check-out is from 04:00 to 11:00, which covers an early airport departure. A 24-hour front desk, express check-in and check-out, luggage storage and a concierge make the awkward edges of a travel day easier to manage.

WiFi is free throughout the hotel. There is a lift, upper floors are accessible by elevator, and the property has facilities for disabled guests. Laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services are available. Children of any age are welcome; children aged four and above are charged as adults, cots are available on request, and extra beds are not available.