Best Puglia Hotels [2024 Guide]

Puglia, located in the sun-soaked heel of Italy's boot, is a beautiful region rich in cultural experiences and natural wonders. Puglia's gorgeous coastline, filled with fishing villages and sandy beaches, invites visitors to discover its Mediterranean charm.

Trulli, unusual cone-shaped dwellings, dot the landscape, creating a fairytale scene and giving tourists a look into Puglia's architectural originality.

Delicious cuisine entices the taste senses with local specialties like as orecchiette pasta and burrata cheese.

History whispers down the cobblestone alleyways of cities like Lecce and Alberobello, where every corner tells a story from centuries ago. Puglia welcomes you with some incredible hospitality and fantastic hotels. Take a look into our top 10 favorite stays:

Best hotels in Puglia:

Castello di Ugento

Castello di Ugento, a former fortress, is positioned at the highest point in Ugento, southern Puglia, with a view of flat and not always picturesque farmland terrain. It's in the heart of the peaceful town, near to the archaeological museum.

Small supermarkets, pharmacies, and the town's pizzerias are all within walking distance. The coast is 4 miles (7 kilometres) away, so it's worth renting a car to explore the area.

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Massimo d'Amore and his partner Diana Bianchi completed a six-year, €15 million (£13.2 million) renovation of the ancient castle that has been in the d'Amore family since 1643.

The pietra leccese (local stone) walls were sandblasted back to their original honey hue, the walled gardens were meticulously cut, and a team of professionals was hired to recreate exquisite 17th-century murals in the first-floor salons that now make up the museum wing.

Three cutting-edge Electrolux kitchens were custom-built within the walls to create the Puglia Culinary Centre, while former staff quarters flanking a courtyard and a piece of the piano nobile were turned into nine boutique hotel rooms.

It's an impressive, antique monument with contemporary furnishings, modern art, and technological mod-cons bring it up to date, giving it a homely sense despite its size.

The employees are all proud to have been involved in the castle's revitalization, and outstanding service is expected. The personable owners offer local recommendations and renovation anecdotes, while general manager Domenico Avelluto is a true character.

Cooking classes are held in state-of-the-art teaching kitchens. Afternoons can be spent relaxing in the gardens, deciphering the frescoes, or going on an excursion planned by the team.

There is no swimming pool or spa (an underground thermal bath is in the works), but guests can use the outdoor pool, fitness facility, and tennis court at sister resort Masseria Le Mandorle, which is a five-minute drive away, and in-room massages and facials are available.

The majority of the furniture, including creamy handwoven linens and shiny ceramics, are handcrafted by Pugliese artisans. The beds are spacious and quite comfy, and the bathrooms are outfitted with rainfall showers, luxury robes, and organic olive-oil amenities.

The owners' fine eye for modern architecture is matched by an obsession with technology, which means that usual annoyances like inconsistent Wi-Fi, a lack of coathangers, and confusing lighting settings do not exist here.

The food at the Puglia Culinary Centre is exceptional, as one would expect. Il Tempo Nuevo, the hotel's restaurant, serves modern twists on traditional Puglian cuisine, with ingredients gathered from local markets and the castle's kitchen garden. A daily-changing menu might include bottoni cacio e pepe, grilled fish, and deconstructed tiramisu.

Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli

This hidden gem is located in the village of Marittima di Diso, a half-hour drive from the picturesque town of Lecce, along the meandering coastal road.

The 15th-century Convento is not your average hotel. Lady Athena, the late Lord McAlpine's wife, runs the guest house, which she describes beautifully as a cross between an English country house party and a summer on a Greek island.

The pleasantly cool and tranquil inner courtyard provides a welcome hideaway from the frequently hot Puglian surroundings, especially in the summer.

The former convent's corridors and galleries are filled with Moroccan carpets, Nigerian wooden carvings, Aboriginal art, Zulu ceramics, Madras glass paintings, Ethiopian manuscripts to banish evil spirits, and 14 tonnes of books, nearly all of which are first editions.

The quality of the items on show is exceptional, and none would look out of place in a museum. There is a gorgeous rooftop terrace with potted cactus plants, as well as a herb garden with over 80 different species of mint.

The service is really personal and attentive, like staying in someone's summer home. Nothing is too much to ask, and advice from staff for places to dine, drink, swim, and explore are the best you can get.

You can unwind by the pool or in one of the many hidden spots nestled in the enormous garden that surrounds the Convento, or simply sink into the soft cushions in the cool inner courtyard.

Each of the six rooms is furnished in its own style, with some including an elegant bath in the room and others featuring balcony doors that open to overlook the herb garden.

The ancient beds have hand-embroidered linen and traditional handwoven Salentine bedspreads, as well as thick Welsh blankets for the winter months. There is no air-conditioning, TV, telephone, or Wi-Fi in this location, so be prepared for unexpected surprises. Staying here means embracing unconventional luxury but having an authentic experience.

Forget the traditional Italian breakfast. Instead, visitors at the Convento can eat till late in the morning, feeding themselves from the exquisitely arranged breakfast table, a banquet of sweets and healthy options to begin the day.

A little later, lunch is served with a plethora of fresh local cheeses, seasonal fruit and vegetables, and, of course, fresh pasta, followed by wonderful but light second courses.

All customers are welcome to stroll in and out of the open kitchen and serve themselves to wine, Italian birra, fizzy drinks, and freshly made snacks, which are available all day.

The chef and his assistants will occasionally share some of the kitchen's secrets with guests so they can try them at home.

Palazzo Tafuri

The hotel, located in Nardò's historic district, is surrounded by Moorish and Baroque buildings and directly across from the beautiful Monastery Santa Chiara.

Local stores, pubs, and restaurants are just a few minutes' walk away, and the nearest beaches and the Porto Selvaggio National Park are five miles (8 kilometres).

This location is great for woodland hikes and admiring the bay where the pine trees meet the sea creating an unforgettable scenario.

Brindisi is the nearest airport, at 50 miles (70 km), and takes less than an hour to drive from. Bari airport is 130 miles (190 kilometres) away and takes two hours to reach from the hotel.

The proprietors, the Count and Countess d'Espous, gave architects Claudio Colaci (from Salento) and interior designer Vincent De Cat complete freedom and you can see it paid off.

This hotel stands out with its masterful blend of vintage and contemporary furniture. Terracotta pots, linen furnishings, stone floors, and rich velvets are artfully mixed to create a historic yet creative townhouse atmosphere.

Countess d'Espous, President of the French Botanic Park Association, ensures that the property's biscuit tones are punctuated by powerful vegetation that is taken care of year around.

The large 17 rooms and suites offer all the amenities of a modern boutique hotel. Bathed in light, they highlight the wonderful architecture of the time.

Each room has a unique design, some have stone vaulted ceilings with painted frescoes and others boasting outdoor terraces. Standard features include stone basins, walk-in rain showers, and premium Ortigia amenities.

The picturesque Tafuri Courtyard restaurant is surrounded by tall cactus. It is the ideal location for an al fresco dining, with thoughtful lighting.

Antonio Capoccello, a talented chef from Salento, approaches cuisine with creativity and sustainability. Antipasti include a modern take on the Italian classic vitello tonnato, including Podolica Querceta veal, caper blossoms, and crusco pepper.

La Fiermontina Urban Resort

Lecce, one of Puglia's most attractive cities, is a feast for the eyes, with Baroque churches and aristocratic palazzi built in the region's signature golden limestone. La Fiermontina is located at the edge of the old town, nestled in its own olive grove (complete with outdoor swimming pool) and only a 10-minute walk from all of the main tourist attractions.

The hotel is in a limited traffic area, however you can drive to the entrance and use the valet parking facility. The east coast of Puglia is only 20 minutes away by vehicle, and the international airport at Brindisi is half an hour north.

A magnificent Baroque masseria transformed into a trendy urban retreat. The soul of the building is a superb collection of 20th-century art works inspired by the muse, model, and painter Antonia Fiermonte, the present owners' grandmother.

René Letourneur's Matisse-like nudes lie alongside Rodin-esque sculptures by Jacques Zwobada - both exceptional French artists who fell in love with Fiermonte. The minimalist interiors are done in light, neutral tones, with plenty of blonde Leccese stone and a mix of vintage and designer furnishings. Outside, the gardens are surrounded by the historic city walls.

The staff is always pleasant, and amenities include luggage transportation, valet parking, cooking workshops, wine tastings, massage treatments, museum excursions, and distinctive experiences that showcase the region's history and customs.

Given its urban surroundings, the isolated olive grove and open-air pool are a welcome during the long Puglian summers. In chilly weather, the fire-placed, art-filled living room is an ideal location to cosy up with one of the many coffee-table novels.

The 16 rooms and suites are cool, stylish and the majority have a terrace or walled courtyard. Minimalist interiors combine vintage and designer pieces by Le Corbusier, Tobia Scarpa, and Charlotte Perriand, with sculpture and art objects placed against a palette of peaceful beiges.

The Antonia Fiermonte Suite, with 18th-century stone groin-vaults and alcoves, and the contemporary Pool Suite (in an annexe immediately over the alley), each with their own private dipping pool, are the most remarkable. The luxurious bathrooms have large walk-in showers and, in some cases, freestanding bathtubs. Remember that the split-level

Romantica suites have bedrooms on the mezzanine and bathrooms below. All rooms include air conditioning/heating, coffee makers, kettles, minibars, safes, and television.

In nice weather, guests can dine indoors or on the garden patio. Breakfast includes a platter of home-baked breads, fruit salad, and local favourites such as pasticciotto (a short, crispy pastry) and frisa salentina (a bagel-shaped crunchy bread topped with diced tomatoes and olives).

The restaurant serves light lunches and evening menus that combine Italian traditions with modern preferences. Seasonal dishes include a carpaccio of Gallipoli prawns, spaghetti with baby tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, and basil, Fassona beef fillet cooked tataki style, and the classic tiramisù.

Borgo Egnazia

In a outstanding location near the seaside town of Savelletri in eastern Puglia., this hotel is located between the ruins of the ancient Roman village that bears its name and the stunning championship golf course of San Domenico.

You can walk around the course (or take the free shuttle bus) to the coast, where you can swim in a rocky cove and visit the Cala Masciola beach club and restaurant. It's conveniently located halfway between Bari airport (40 miles north) and Brindisi (35 miles south).

Architect Pino Brescia's careful restoration of a typical Puglian 'borgo', or fortified village, is a golden tufa fantasy, replete with a beautiful masseria and paved pathways leading to stone homes and villas, a bell-tower church, and a central square.

With its snow-white walls, forest of chimneypots, Arabian-style arches and arcades, all lit by a thousand-and-one flickering candles, it's the stuff of fairytales. It's no surprise that Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel chose this location for their wedding.

Service is friendly and professional. Throughout your stay, a personal advisor is there to assist you with everything from check-in (in your room, no waiting at the desk), activities, tour bookings and pretty much anything you might need.

The abundance of amenities makes Egnazia one of Puglia's best-equipped destinations, the only challenge is picking which of the four pools to swim in.

The spectacular main structure, La Corte, features indoor and outdoor bars, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a superb gym with free yoga and fitness courses and the Vair Spa, which is inspired by Roman thermal baths and serviced by vestal-goddesses in flowing gowns.

The Borgo has kids' and teen activities, a selection of rustic restaurants, and a cosy kitchen for cooking instruction. Once every two weeks, the centre square hosts traditional Puglian festivities, which include live culinary stations, dance, storytellers, artists, and entertainers.

For more active travellers, you can pedal around the coastal plains on one of Egnazia's bikes, practise your driving skills on the San Domenico golf course, perfect your backhand on the tennis courts, or go boating, boarding, surfing, or snorkelling at the private beach, regular shuttles will whisk you there in no time.

Book one of La Corte's romantic rooms, which are symphonic in cream and white and feature stone and carved-wood furniture. Some have balconies, while others have courtyard gardens or terraces with views of the golf course, the borgo, or the sea. All are sumptuous and airy, with blonde limestone bathrooms that are wired for stereo.

Families with children should opt for one of the 'Casette' - stone cottages in the Borgo with walls adorned with delicate paintings of garlic, herbs, and lavender posies.

For a splurge, the more luxurious villas, which include private pools, are exquisitely furnished and set amid gardens of Indian figs and bougainvillaea. A golf cart, bicycles, and an on-site kitchen are all available.

When you are staying here, the biggest problem you have is deciding in which of the 5 amazing restaurants you want to have dinner at.

Due Camini, a Michelin-starred restaurant with candlelight, delivers delicious dining experiences in a very romantic setting.

The cuisine of Puglian chef Domingo Schingaro is a tribute to his region, with dishes like Venus clams with arugula and almonds, risotto with three varieties of asparagus cooked in Egnazia's strong red vermouth, Gnummareddi (parcels of lamb offal) with artichoke, and fowl with agretti (saltwort).

Trattoria La Frasca, serves substantial Puglian cuisine in a pleasant, rustic and laid back atmosphere.

Mia Cucina is a quiet spot for a family dinner or a wood-oven pizza, while Cala Masciola is a sunny beachside restaurant that serves fresh-caught fish and exquisite seafood specialties.

Children will love Da Frisella, which features funky furnishings in red, pink, and blue.

The breakfast buffet is a banquet of temptation, and to top it all, there are regular Puglian 'Feste' - street-food markets with live cooking stations in the piazza.

For aperitifs, drinks and nightcaps, visit the breezy poolside Capanno or Bar del Portico (which may be set in Arabian Nights). Angoletto is the place to go if you like smoothies, ice cream, and a family-friendly atmosphere.

Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel

In Ostuni, one of Puglia's oldest white cities founded by the Greeks, commands a hilltop perch overlooking Biblical olive orchards and the Adriatic Sea. The hotel is located in tranquil walled gardens at the top of the historic city, a short walk brings you inside the labyrinthine mediaeval fortress.

From Ostuni, you can explore Puglia's east coast or travel inland to the picturesque Itria Valley.

Ostuni's Palazzo Rosso (red palace), a stately 18th-century home painted in Pompeian red, is a prominent feature in the white city. Pascale Lauber and Ulrike Bauschke, the Swiss owners, refurbished it into a beautiful boutique hotel full of charm.

Interiors are colourful, with mementos of Lauber and Bauschke's nomadic lives. South African custom-made sofas, vintage Argentinian tin plates, bric-à-brac from English flea markets, eccentric contemporary art, and whimsical touches like the waistcoated wooden monkeys on the bar all compete against a backdrop of faded frescoes, stone vaults, and period architectural details. You will go around the world through the hotel's decor.

When you arrive you will be surrounded by green walled gardens and features a sunken swimming pool, an orangery, and shady colonnades and pergolas for al fresco eating. The private-use spa (carved from an underground water cistern) has a hydromassage tub, a steam bath, a chromotherapy shower, and a rest area with Himalayan salt walls.

The hotel's sibling property is the P-Beach Club and Restaurant in Specchiolla, a rocky cove on the Adriatic about 12 miles away. You can swim or snorkel or rest on the lounge beds, and eat Apulian fresh fish while listening to the waves or a DJ set. There are options for all types of guests.

The staff (delightfully cheerful) can arrange cooking courses, wine tastings, yoga, pilates, bike and ape car tours, or a trip on the hotel's yacht. There is a tiny private car park next to the hotel.

The 11 uniquely curated suites resemble sets from a Baroque opera, with many having historical murals of pastoral landscapes, Biblical themes, and pagan grotesques. They're named after their jewel-like colours: amber, amethyst, opal, lapis, topaz, and onyx, all done in sombre black.

Spice-coloured bedheads from South Africa, sunflower lamps from Thailand, and Apulian carved-wood armoires and commodes are examples of eclectic furnishings. The rooms preserve a sense of period decor, so don't anticipate TVs or fitted cabinets. Some feature a large patio overlooking Ostuni's rooftops.

En-suite bathrooms have the feel of a dressing room, with heavy brass mirrors and washstands, designer tubs, and/or rain showers. The terraced apartments also feature an outdoor shower for a tropical rainstorm experience.

You can eat in the gardens, orangery, or bistro-style dining area, which includes a show kitchen and the historic olive press (now converted into an Arthurian round table). Head chef Giovanni Cerroni and his colleagues serve and introduce the food, which is of great quality, albeit limited to a four to six-course dégustation menu.

Cerroni adds flair into Apulian traditions with dishes like marinated red prawns and smoked black tea, mushroom cappelletti pasta with a'memory' of miso soup, and saffron risotto with foie gras and charred lemons.

Fruit smoothies, home-baked breads and brioches, yoghurt with cereals, nuts, dried and fresh fruits, Apulian cheeses, cold cuts, and hot dishes cooked to request are among the à la carte breakfast options.

Palazzo Bozzi Corso

Located only a half-hour drive from Brindisi airport and close to the Adriatic and Ionian seas, Palazzo Bozzi Corso is tucked in a private courtyard surrounded by a lattice of stone-paved lanes and alleys in the heart of the old city, which is refreshingly free of traffic.

Antonia and Giacomo Filali recently transformed an aristocratic 18th-century palazzo into a beautiful boutique hotel (they also own La Fiermontina, a nearby sister property). The magnificent salons, wedding-cake stucco work and marble fireplaces highlight the building's noble heritage.

Charles Philippe and Christophe, French interior designers, have added a contemporary touch to the conversion. The furnishings feature renowned pieces by Ettore Sottsass, Giò Ponti, and Le Corbusier.

The Filali come from a prestigious circle of artists and celebrities, and the home is loaded with artefacts that tell the family's story.

There are sculptures and paintings - figural and phantasmagoric - by brilliant 20th-century French artists Letourneur and Zwobada, watercolours by post-Cubist painter Fernand Léger, photos of the dashing Italian boxer-turned-Hollywood film-star Enzo Fiermonte, and pop art associated with John Lennon and Yoko Ono - all of whom have personal connections with the owners.

The staff makes you feel at home and a variety of signature tours and activities can be arranged. The facilities are inevitably limited because this is a historic, city-center palazzo, but there are plenty of places to lounge: choose from the sculpture courtyard, the walled garden (under exotic palms), the palatial piano nobile salon, the library or the games room (with cards, chess and backgammon sets).

There are regular gourmet evenings and you can book a chef for private dining. In-room massages, bike rentals, and valet parking are all available.

M.A.M.A., the family's art gallery, is nearby and houses a finely maintained collection of sculptures and paintings. Owner Antonio Filali offers gallery tours (complete with aperitivo), telling the poignant narrative of her grandmother's artistic love triangle and the artworks she inspired.

Guests can also visit the sister hotel, La Fiermontina, which is just a five-minute walk away and has a pleasant olive grove, an outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant and a bar.

The ten magnificent suites combine Classical and Belle Époque architectural aspects with 20th-century art and contemporary design elements. Each one is uniquely decorated and painted in vibrant colours.

The sybaritic Wellness Suites have spectacular spa-like bathrooms with double hydro-massage showers, free-standing bathtubs, or private saunas; one of the most remarkable is the'sugar-paper blue' suite, with whirling plaster walls adorned with magnificent artwork.

Breakfast (in the walled courtyard) is a Puglian experience, with local salami, cured meats and cheeses, bruschetta, platters of Mediterranean fruits, home-baked tarts and pastries like as pasticciotto, a short-crust bun filled with crème pâtissière.

There is no restaurant here, but gourmet evenings (some with traditional dance) are held in the courtyard many times a week, including the 'Thousand and One Nights' meal, which is illuminated by as many fairy lights and candles.

Maria Carla Pennetta, the in-house kitchen, treats you with dish after course that celebrate Salento's culinary traditions, which are mostly centred on seasonal vegetables and pulses. Private dinners can also be booked in the M.A.M.A museum's small garden.

Don Ferrante

Don Ferrante, which is built inside the historic stone fortifications of the lovely coastal town of Monopoli, appears to float in the Adriatic Sea like a large white ship. You can exit port side into the town's charming mediaeval heart, brimming with Italian activity, or starboard side onto a thin stretch of rocks for ocean views. If you arrive by car, park in the expansive new town, as the hotel is located in the pedestrianised centre.

Polignano a Mare (the 'Pearl of the Adriatic') is only five miles (9 km) away, the Castellana grottoes are nine miles (18 km), and the Coastal Dunes Regional Park, with its sandy coves and beaches, is approximately a half-hour's drive.

Not a glamorous five-star hotel, but a quirky dimore de charm - a quaint historic residence decorated in Mediterranean style. Monopoli was formerly part of Magna Grecia, and the higgledy-piggledy, lime-washed main building has a distinctly Greek feel, with terraces filled with white amphorae, scented jasmine, cacti and olives, all set against a backdrop of the 'wine-dark sea'.

Narrow tunnels, steep steps, and low ceilings enhance to the ambiance (but make it inappropriate for anyone with limited mobility).

The staff are as cheerful and attentive and the environment is easygoing and laidback. You can count with free maps and beach recommendations at the reception. Friendly porters will carry your bags and even assist you in parking your car in one of the town's parking lots.

There's a tuk tuk pick-up/drop-off service and a mini-bus shuttle to Sabbiadoro's sandy lido and beach club, complete with rows of umbrellas and sunbeds (€35/£30 per person, including entry charge and loungers). The hotel also provides guided day trips to Matera and Alberobello (from €80/£70 per person on a group tour).

The main building features shaded roof terraces and a small outdoor dipping pool, but no common areas. Massages are offered upon request.

The hotel's highlight is its rooftop bar and restaurant, where you can sip a glass of sparkling Puglian wine while overlooking the sparkling sea.

The rooms are classic and romantic, with honeyed tones, carved wooden furnishings, and golden stone barrel vaults and arches.

In the main building the room sizes range from the small single Polverino (where you'll hear commotion from the roof terrace above) to the enormous Don Ferrante Suite. Some accommodations have seaside views, while others overlook the town. All en suites include strong walk-in rain showers.

There are two independent annexes a short walk from the main building. The sumptuous Carlo V Suite (in the Guest House) features a roof terrace and ocean views, while the basement suite Il Sottano has an open-plan bedroom-bathroom (not ideal for privacy).

The Town House, recently renovated in a contemporary-classic style, boasts two opulent, split-level suites: Immacolata, with a stone whirlpool and cascade shower; and Madia, with a hydromassage bath, hamman, and roof terrace (with views of the town's roofs and the cathedral dome).

The rooftop bar-restaurant, with its brilliant sea views, is the ideal place to have fresh Puglian seafood: charcoaled octopus with green beans, radishes, and mint, maybe, followed by linguine with clams, ginger, and courgette pesto. The local speciality is orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta), which is served with wide beans, pork cheek and pecorino cheese.

Breakfast is served buffet-style in the historic fort's domed canon room and includes grilled vegetables, sweet and savoury tarts, local cheeses, cured meats, a limited selection of boxed cereals, fresh fruits, and pastries.

Palazzo Daniele

The Daniele is the grandest palazzo in Gagliano del Capo, a low-key southern Italian hamlet with minimal tourist activity. It is located near Salento's southernmost point. In the summer, quiet Gagliano wakes up for the Capo d'Arte contemporary art exhibition, which was organised by Palazzo Daniele's owner, Francesco Petrucci.

The nearest international airports are Brindisi (115 km/72 miles) and Bari (233 km/145 miles), while the Gagliano Leuca train station is only a five-minute drive away. There is free street parking outside the palazzo's main entrance.

This echoing mansion, reminiscent of the Prince of Salina's palace in 'The Leopard', was erected in the 1860s around a great arcaded courtyard that opens onto walled gardens and an orangery.

It keeps the spirit of an aristocratic noble residence, embodying the GS Collection's motto: 'This house is not a hotel.' Owner Francesco Petrucci and GS Collection creator Gabriele Salini have infused the rooms with a sense of modern nostalgia.

High-ceilinged salons (comfortably cool in the summer) showcase original mosaic floors, Neoclassical frescoes, and Art Nouveau murals, which serve as a backdrop for modern and practical art works, as well as avant-garde installations. The vibe is relaxed and calm, punctuated only by the ritual tolling of a church bell and (sometimes) canned music beside the pool.

Inside, there are several couches and salons for reading and relaxing. The ancient chapel's lace-draped altar has been converted into an honesty bar, and earth-mother cook Donata Rizzo is offering hands-on cooking workshops in the gorgeous kitchen.

Outside, there's a lovely courtyard-garden with a sunken swimming pool, a tiny sauna and steam bath in the ancient cantinas, and an orangery where visitors can have an aperitif or a romantic dinner beneath a domed stone folly.

Daniele's staff can arrange boat trips, vintage car tours, yoga, trekking, and community-based experiences such as angling with local fisherman and visiting surrounding farms.

The nine rooms and suites, designed by Milan designers Ludovica + Roberto Palomba, are palatial in scale but monastic in simplicity, reflecting on 'the holiness of absence'. Distressed walls in subdued putties and chalks, as well as the absence of TVs and minibars, contribute to a peaceful sobriety.

Minimalist designer furnishings and open-framed wardrobes add to the impression of space, while Simon d'Exea's tall windows and photographic lightboxes cast a mellow light throughout.

Most rooms feature frescoed ceilings and genuine 19th-century floors. The aristocratic Suite Apartment boasts a great collection of contemporary art and sculpture in its three bedrooms and grand lounge.

The bathrooms are Spartan, with walk-in showers or, in the Royal Junior Suite, you ablute beneath a six-meter-high rain shower that pours from a vaulted ceiling into a huge carved basin. All rooms include air conditioning/heating and a safe.

Donata, the house cook, prepares everything fresh for the buffet breakfast (served in the patio beside the pool). Flaky croissants, cakes, and patisseries, as well as typical Puglian dolci like pasticciotto (a ricotta-filled pastry), muesli, fruit, cured meats, local cheeses, short-crust tarts, quiches, and pies, are available both sweet and savoury.

Cooking courses in the friendly kitchen, which emphasise local customs, are a treat. Afterward, you may relax in the lovely poolside garden and enjoy the results, as well as Donata's own unforgettable recipes.

Masseria Il Frantoio

Situated among 70 hectares of olive orchards and poppy fields on a sun-kissed plain northwest of the brilliant white hill town of Ostuni, only three miles from the sea. Brindisi Airport is 28 miles southeast, and Bari Airport is 56 miles northwest. Renting a car is necessary.

Stepping inside the cobblestone courtyard of this 500-year-old farmhouse seems like going back in time. Cicadas chirp in the singing heat, and clouds of pink bougainvillaea cascade down whitewashed walls.

Guests read comfortably in cane armchairs under citrus and palm trees, while welcome drinks are served from cool, gloomy salons adorned with fine country dressers, fascinating rustic antiques, and invitingly plush sofas.

Burned out by city life in Bari, proprietors Armando and Rosalba relocated here in the early 1980s and have since dedicated their entire lives to creating what they describe a 'clinic for the soul'. The results are beautiful.

This is a really historic house with structures originating from the 1500s and 1800s, so don't anticipate fast data or amazing service. This is a place to rest not a place to work from home from, sorry.

Slow living is a strongly held philosophy here. Wi-Fi is available with daily newspapers and books being seen as the main option for entertainment.

Mountain bikes are available for self-exploration, and Armando guides tourists on tours of the farm, which is home to hundreds of olive trees, some of which are 1,000 years old.

The olive grove has a pool, and several beautiful beaches are only a five-minute drive away.

The service is so warm and welcoming that you feel like a member of an extended family.

The main house has 16 rooms and a number of interconnected structures that form a square around the central courtyard. They all have charm, with terracotta tiled floors, vaulted limestone ceilings, and stone fireplaces. Vintage furniture includes voile curtains, wrought-iron beds, antique crochet bedspreads, and heavy-set armoires and chests.

The white-tiled bathrooms also have a throwback flair. In this drought-prone region, most accommodations include only a shower, though a handful have sumptuous baths. It's worth paying more for the Superior or Privilege rooms, which provide views of the courtyard and farm.

Food is the major event here, and you will keep it in your memory long after you leave. Breakfast is magnificent and it is served either in the courtyard or in the massive domed dining room, where antique oak tables are adorned with home-baked breads, innumerable dishes of delicate pastries, fruit cakes, homemade bitter orange compote and yoghurt, and an abundance of farm-fresh fruit, eggs, and milk.

Lunch and dinner are accessible to the public, so make a reservation in advance. The eight-course feasts highlight the best of Puglian cookery, featuring fragrant, foraged herbs and wild vegetables, organic meats, freshly prepared pastas, and fruits harvested from the 19th-century orchard.

Each course is paired with a local wine chosen with scientific precision to fit the specific terroir and tastes of the food. Dining outside on a warm summer night while the air is scented with jasmine is a wonderful experience.

Conclusion

Your adventure in the fascinating province of Puglia, where history meets hospitality, extends beyond sightseeing and gorgeous beaches to the doorsteps of its top hotels. From the amenities of boutique resorts to the rustic appeal of countryside getaways, Puglia has a wide range of hotel options to suit every traveler's needs.

Whether you're looking for relaxation amidst olive orchards, romance beneath the stars, or adventure along the coast, Puglia's hotels are ready to make your stay unforgettable.