by Kate Bolton, The Telegraph, September 3, 2019
The heel and spur of the Italian boot is a region of extremes, of verdant valleys and windswept plains, of gentle hills and plunging ravines. Its 500-mile-long coastline is by turns rocky, marshy, sandy; its three seas turquoise, indigo, green. Equally varied are Puglia’s boutique hotels – intimate, exclusive, often family-run places that range from medieval castles and convents to contemporary design hotels, and from hacienda-style farms to Baroque palaces and elegant historic homes. The only constant is the warmth of southern-Italian hospitality. Here's our pick of the best boutique hotels in Italy.
Castello di Ugento Ugento, Puglia, Italy
9Telegraph expert rating
Ancient architecture and contemporary design combine to provide a majestic home from home at Castello di Ugento, where afternoons can be spent lounging in the gardens, decoding the frescoes, enjoying a cookery class or on an excursion organised by the team. Each of the nine spacious rooms is individually furnished, with supremely comfortable beds, and large bathrooms equipped with rainfall showers, luxurious robes and organic olive oil toiletries. Food is outstanding: Il Tempo Nuevo focuses on modern twists on traditional Puglian cuisine, using ingredients sourced from local markets and plucked from the castle’s kitchen garden. Read expert review. From £290 per night.
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Don Totu Dimora Storica Salento, Puglia, Italy
9Telegraph expert rating
This dimora storica (historic house) has been carefully restored to a luxurious, six-bedroomed boutique b&b with whitewashed walls and exposed natural pietra leccese stone, adorned with pretty ornaments, pumi (acorn-shaped ornaments native to the region) and crockery by ceramicists from Grottaglie and Vietri. Outside, sun-soaked terraces house silvery olive trees while fruit orchards surround the sparkling pool. Relax in the hammam or jump on a bike (electric, push or Vespa). Before you go out for dinner, aperitifs and canapes are served on the terrace. Spacious rooms are simple yet sumptuous with their own quirks. Read expert review. From £349 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Masseria Trapanà Surbo, Puglia, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
The original features of this 16th-century farmhouse are modernised through the use of glass walls, huge fresh flower displays and thick-pile colourful rugs. Six walled gardens, verdant with cacti, ferns and more than 500 orange and lemon trees, are dotted with colourful hammocks, a serene pool, fire pit and croquet lawn. There are eight suites and two rooms, all with the same arched ceilings and stone walls. Bathrooms deserve a special mention – most are huge, with sliding doors that lead to an al fresco shower and a huge tub for two. Hotel cook Maria Carla serves the region’s cucina povera (peasant cooking) to high acclaim. Read expert review. From £335 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Masseria Il Frantoio Ostuni, Puglia, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Slow living is a passionately held philosophy here, and it’s no exaggeration to say that this centuries-old whitewashed masseria (fortified farmhouse) with its jasmine-scented courtyard and historic olive groves is a little slice of paradise on earth. There are 16 rooms – featuring terracotta tiled floors, vaulted limestone ceilings and stone fireplaces – scattered throughout the main house and around the main courtyard. Food is the main event here, and lingers long in the memory, think fragrant, foraged herbs and wild vegetables, organic meats, freshly made pastas and fruits plucked from the 19th-century orchard. Read expert review. From £201 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Masseria Cervarolo Ostuni, Puglia, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
This noble 16th-century masseria with a quartet of trulli enjoys a silent, rural setting in one of the loveliest areas of Puglia: the Valle d’Itria. The Junior suites in the trulli are a feast of sinuous stone vaults, arches and alcoves, all with their own terrace or garden area. Rooms in the main building vaunt high ceilings and exposed limestone walls against which rustic antiques, traditional artisan pieces, baskets and Puglian ceramics all sit harmoniously. Evening meals, in the open orangery in warmer months, consist of a lavish four-course degustation menu accompanied by a great choice of Puglian wines or craft beers. Read expert review. From £238 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Masseria Cimino Savelletri, Puglia, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
A robust 18th-century masseria (one of Puglia's old farmsteads), washed in chalky whites and faded Pompeian reds. Interiors are rustic and Mediterranean: bunches of tomatoes and prickly-pear leaves dangle from rough lime-plastered walls pierced with arches and alcoves. With just 14 rooms spread across the old farmhouse, tower and rural buildings, the place books up quickly. Some rooms have terraces, and some have functioning fireplaces making a winter stay very inviting. Half-board includes a hearty buffet dinner of local fare cooked up by the Massaia – the traditional mamma cum kitchen-goddess of a Puglian masseria. Read expert review. From £195 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Masseria Moroseta Ostuni, Puglia, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
A sun-drenched, whitewashed, contemporary 'masseria' set in a quasi-Biblical landscape of ancient olive trees, with views of Ostuni and the Adriatic sea. Interiors are rustic and minimalist: occasional designer pieces sit alongside faded oriental rugs, salvaged metal and distressed-wood furniture. The four double rooms and two suites, accessed via the central courtyard, feature chalk-white walls, limestone floors and shuttered French doors opening onto secluded outdoor areas. Lunch and dinner are gracefully served at a communal table in the lounge or outside in fine weather. Chef Giorgia Goggi prepares traditional local and Mediterranean dishes, with organic produce from the gardens. Read expert review. From £155 per night.
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Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli Marittima, Puglia, Italy
9Telegraph expert rating
The 15th-century Convento is run by Lady Athena, the wife of the late Lord McAlpine, who eloquently describes a stay at the guest house as a cross between an English country house party and a summer a Greek island. You can relax by the pool or in one of the many secluded corners tucked away in the large garden or simply sink into the lush cushions in the cool of the inner courtyard. Each of the six rooms is decorated in its own individual style: some with an elegant bath; others with balcony doors which open to look over the herb garden. All guests are free to walk in and out of the open kitchen and help themselves to wine, Italian birra, fizzy drinks, and freshly made treats which are on offer all day. Read expert review. From £400 per night.
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Ostuni Palace Ostuni, Puglia, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
The Ostuni Palace is a traditional, family-owned hotel with 34 rooms; several with small balconies and wonderful views of the Old Town. The double beds are large and comfortable and a minibar, television and coffee/tea-making facilities are available. The Palace Bistro Restaurant is the venue for breakfast and dinner. A creative Pugliese kitchen uses excellent locally produced meats, fresh fish, pasta, fruits, vegetables and olive oil. The extensive wine list contains several excellent local wines. The modern bar has tables both inside and out, providing the perfect place for a sundowner. Read expert review. From £81 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Contributions by Jade Conroy, Charlotte Johnstone, Paula Hardy, Orna O'Reilly, Debbie Pappyn and Sarah Royce-Greensill
This article was written by Kate Bolton from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
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