La Fiermontina

Rooms

The rooms have almond-coloured smooth Trani stone on the floors, star-pinnacled stone ceilings, and walls of golden Leccese stone. The furnishings echo these pale tones, a symphony of muted colours, and the restrained palette is immediately relaxing.

There are various room categories, from Doubles up to Suites. All are lovely, though we haven't seen the newer Junior Suite Deluxe or the Suites à Cotè just yet. Our stand-out room was One-Bedroom Suite #8, with great garden views from its gleaming-white circular bath. Some of the rooms have showers and freestanding bathtubs, while the rest have large walk-in showers.

A few rooms are in the Lazzari villa across the garden courtyard, offering even more privacy. #15, a Duplex Suite, has a gorgeous private garden lined in roses and small lemon trees, plus a sofa bed for kids or additional adults.  

The Suites à Côté are in a separate building near the entrance to the resort. Here there are three suites: Gelsomino, Verticale and Pool, the latter coming with its own private plunge pool in the garden. These suites follow the same elegant design scheme as the other rooms, with original artworks and design pieces decorating the interior.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The intimate Zephyr restaurant has an extraordinarily high, wood-coffered ceiling and a barrel-vaulted dining room. It’s elegant throughout, with small glass-topped tables, potted palms and silver cutlery from Paris. At one end are armchairs around a fireplace – a relaxing setting for a pre-dinner drink or post-prandial. Glass doors lead out to the courtyard where there are tables in the citrus grove for warmer days.  

Dinner is a complex a la carte menu. Our starter was prawn carpaccio with basil and citrus olive oil – deliciously light – followed by a main of seared tuna served on crispy potato with vegetables brunoise. Guests have raved about the food. As you'd expect there's an extensive wine menu.

A buffet breakfast includes cured meats, local cheeses, crostate (jam tart) and homemade jams. Cooked breakfasts are extra, but worth it – we loved our fried egg with chard and bacon. There are light lunches available, or restaurants abound in Lecce and staff can advise.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Wander around historic Lecce, with its Baroque churches, glorious cathedral and Roman ruins; the hotel arrange excellent walking tours
  
• Day trip to the gleaming-white hilltop town of Ostuni, the graceful marble towns of Cisternino and Martina Franca, and Alberobello, with its extraordinary townscape of cone-shaped buildings
  
• There are lovely beaches along the Puglian coast, with white sand and powder-blue sea: Baia dei Turchi has a number of secluded coves
  
• The hotel can arrange guides for the region, as well as traditional dance lessons, countryside picnics or wine and olive-oil tastings
  
• Active types can go horse riding and cycling in Salento (the southern Puglian region)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Dance classes
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets
• Wine tasting

Kids

Children are welcome, and there's plenty of space for them to roam around the gardens and play in the pool, though the ambiance is serene. Children aged 0-4 stay for free. The concierge can suggest local activities.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

One-Bedroom Suites #5 and #6 can interconnect, as can Suite Verticale and Suite Gelsomino (Suites à Côté). The Duplex Suite, Romantic Suite and Antonia Fiermonte Suite can all accommodate a family of four as they have sofabeds, and many of the rooms have space for baby cots.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 30 minutes
• Hospital: 10 minutes
• Shops: 1 minute

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

La Fiermontina is just inside Lecce's historic city walls, in Salento, southern Puglia - the heel of the Italian boot. It's half an hour from Brindisi airport, and 20 minutes from the coast. Lecce is a good base for exploring Puglia, with the towns of Ostuni, Alberobello, Otranto and Gallipoli all less than an hour away.

By Air:
The nearest airport is Brindisi (48km), but you could also fly into Bari (163km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines which fly to these airports.

From the Airport
The hotel offers transfers, but hiring your own car will enable you to explore the region - see our car rental recommendations. The hotel has off-street parking.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.