Palazzo Ducale Venturi - Luxury Relais & Wellness

I cannot say enough about this gem of a hotel. Great location, our room was epic with a roof top terrace. The fee for the transfer to the beach was a bit steep, we mentioned that and they took off a bit of the fee. Breakfast was amazing as were the lunches. The staff very friendly, the pools were amazing.

If you are looking for a clean, guest service oriented hotel, with a friendly and eager to help staff, this is your place. Is a great location to stay as a home base to explore the southern heel of Italy. What we loved is he location, away from the summer tourist crowds, but at the same time close to everything south.

Our stay here turned out to be the best mistake ever. Booking in a hurry, we didn’t notice that it was not in Lecce, but a small town 30km away in the province of Lecce. However the team did everything possible to ensure we had a brilliant stay. The property is gorgeous - spacious rooms, chic decor, beautiful pool, small gym, fantastic massage service, lovely breakfasts and dinners - but the highlight was the warmth and kindness of all of the team, lead by the wonderful GM Daunia. Nothing was ever of too much bother. Highly recommend staying here.

Palazzo Ducale Venturi is a true 5-star luxury hotel. The renovated 16th century castle is incredible and rich in history. With having a small number of rooms, the peace and tranquility of the hotel is second to none. We took part in a "pizza night" our first nights stay. The appetiser buffet was delicious & the pizza cooked in the original woodfire ovens of the castle was the best pizza of our whole Puglia holiday, wow. The breakfast was perfect with a great selection of fresh food, hot & cold in the beautiful garden setting. The way in which the staff look after you is what really makes this hotel so special. I would like to specifically thank Chiara & Maurizio for going above and beyond to get my sunglasses back to me after I left them behind in the lobby (I was too relaxed to remember them). Their help was greatly appreciated.

We just enjoyed a wonderful stay at Palazzo Ducale Venturi. The hotel and grounds are fantastic, exceeded only by the warm and welcoming staff. ||What we didn’t appreciate from other reviews is the quality of the restaurant. For our 2+ weeks in Puglia, a number of our dinners at PDV were among the best of our trip.

This is a truly beatiful Palazzo!|Wonderfully restored old building, now with great but “modest” atmosphere and luxury. |The most welcoming and friendly staff you can wish for. |The Chef, who only recently started here, is of Michelin star level, but without the “schickschnack” you will find in many Michelin-starred restaurants. His dishes seem simple, but are exquisite, just like Italian/Apulian Cuisine is supposed to be. |He even prepared a specially requested Entree for my wive’s birthday with a superbe surprise chocolate cake for dessert. ||We certainly want to come back to this wonderful Palazzo!||The place is also perfect for (organised) bike-tours.

What a special place - from the moment Martina opened the unique green door we knew we were in for a treat.|This is not just a boutique hotel it is like coming home. The staff are so hardworking and you can see they love their jobs and being part of the guest experience - Gino seems to be everywhere all at once and Martina, who manages this property to perfection. |We came here with our tour group after Borgo Egnazia and all of us without exception preferred our experience at this unique hotel. The gardens are gorgeous, the pool and bar area, the hidden warm pool in the basement - like being in a cave, lit up with candles and music playing - just sublime. |The food was also delicious and all dietary requirements taken care of perfectly.|It really is a unique property and one to be truly remembered.

We spent a week in Palazzo Ducale Venturi for our honeymoon. The staff were exceptional; truly some of the best hotel staff I have ever come across. They consistently went out of their way to assist us and make sure we were well looked after during our stay. Even the catering staff at breakfast always remembered my husband's dietary restrictions and shared with him the various options they had that day for him. The hotel organized quite a few bookings for us - beaches, restaurants, private dinners, massages, etc. Nearly everything they chose for us was great. The one exception was a private boat dinner, which was quite underwhelming and overpriced (we shared with them afterwards how bad the experience was). We were disappointed to see that we were still charged full price for this experience at check-out, but everything else they organized for us was great. The hotel itself has a wonderful old charm and rich history. It's a lovely gem in a quiet town, while still a short drive away from more lively towns and lovely beaches. Overall, a wonderful stay thanks to the terrific staff at the Palazzo! We hope to go back soon.