"Celebrities (Madonna, the Beckhams) keep delightful Puglian resort Borgo Egnazia in the news. The heart of this hotel, however, lies not in the villas where they hide away, but in the pretty piazzas of Il Borgo and La Corte. It's all dreamily beautiful—the sunlit tufa limestone, the dusky lanes between hotel rooms. Suites are soaring and elegant, with cool stone underfoot, mini posies of dried lavender on the shelves, huge linen cushions, and sun-trap terraces. They are retreats in themselves, some with their own little kitchens, others with swimming pools, or sea views from the rooftops. The restaurants are smart, with traditional Italian splatterware plates and bowls, and food that's straight from the fields you see around you: tomatoes, eggplants, pasta made with local semolina flour, very good olive oil. At night the entire place is lit by lanterns, smoking into the warm air. Sometimes a bonfire crackles in the central square." - Alex Erdekian
