Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel Review | Hotels Above Par

"Set at the foot of the “White City” in the Itria Valley, Vista Ostuni occupies a restored 14th-century complex that was once a Dominican monastery, a nuns’ hospital and later a tobacco factory, and the property still breathes its layered history through high vaulted ceilings and original materials like wood, jute, iron and local chianchestone. Inside, Roberto Murgia’s interiors favor a soft, neutral palette and a mix of artisanal simplicity and contemporary flair — from Servomuto’s sculptural lamps and Enza Fasano’s Grottaglie ceramics to a fabric screen by Martino Gamper and Brigitte Niedermair for Dedar — while a deliberately clashing MDF Italia white leather sofa in the former cloister underscores the dialogue between old and new. The rooftop is the highlight: a heated infinity pool and soft sofas overlook the Piana degli Ulivi and Ostuni’s luminous silhouette at dusk, anchored by Pietro Terzini’s site-specific installation “No change, no butterflies.” Each of the 28 rooms and suites offers a distinct view (suites 420 and 315 face greenery and sea; room 300 is spectacular at sunset; room 480 looks onto an old school due to become the Town Hall), and thoughtful touches — a homemade round focaccia welcome gift, ultra-comfortable mattresses with plush pads, minibars with local herbal teas and artisanal taralli, and nightly turndown rituals of a skincare face mask and pillow mist — cultivate a quiet, refined disconnection. Wellness facilities include vaulted mosaic-ceiling treatment rooms with Biologique Recherche rituals, a heated-pool relaxation area, sauna, Technogym fitness room and a beauty room for mani-pedi treatments, with a guided olive-tree fitness trail by a personal trainer planned for next spring; gardens were designed by Erik Dhont and the property positions itself as a sustainable, five-star country house infused with contemporary design. Starting rate: from €850 per night, breakfast included." - Mariangela Rossi