La Sommita, Ostuni, Puglia, Italy - Explore & Book

"Ostuni is the most beguiling of Puglia's white towns; La Sommita is a hidden gem on its summit. You walk up through narrow flagged alleys, past Cycladic-white houses and Baroque churchfronts, to the hulking Aragonese cathedral at the top. Hidden to one side is the hotel, built around a 16th-century palazzo. A glassed-in arch flanked by potted cacti opens onto a succession of cool vaults, which house a remarkably sophisticated restaurant - one of Puglia's few Michelin stars. Outside is a Moorish-style walled garden with citrus trees, a dipping pool and parapets looking over olive groves to the shimmering Adriatic beyond. Follow twisting stairs up to an arched 4m-high salon, with gargantuan armchairs and spherical chrome speakers courtesy of Milan-based homeware label Culti. Off this lie the 15 rooms and suites, each a pared-down haven of meditative neutrals with silky stone floors and contemporary, clean-lined furniture. Some have vaulted ceilings hewn from the rock, others steep steps up to a mezzanine sleeping platform. All are cocooning and blissfully silent (the old town is traffic-free). With a small spa downstairs, a superb gelaterie on your doorstep, and several beaches within 30 minutes' drive, it makes a great hideaway for couples and food lovers alike. Highs A magnificent position at the peak of historic Ostuni, gazing over olive groves to the Adriatic coast; sunsets here are spectacularThe best food we tasted in Puglia: delicate flavours, inventive presentation and great value Luxurious rooms, with extremely comfy beds and pampering bathrooms. One has a working fireplace; another a circular Jacuzzi tubBeautiful courtyards and terraces, scattered with shaded daybeds and flickering lanterns An excellent location for exploring Puglia: sandy beaches, historic trulli and the Torre Guaceto nature reserve are all less than 30 minutes away Lows The interiors might be a little too minimalist for some You can't drive to the door, though they operate a tuk-tuk transfer and porter system in summer Don't plan on swimming in the tiny pool; it's more of a leg-cooler (or an excuse to show off your tan) No twin bedrooms (only double)" - Michael Cullen