La Sommita

Rooms

Scattered about the palazzo are 15 rooms and suites, many carved out of old monks' cells. Some have balconies overlooking the gardens, others small windows through metre-thick fortress walls. Some suites are duplex affairs with downstairs sitting rooms (often with sofabeds or space for rollaway beds) and upstairs bedrooms; others are a long succession of vaulted rooms.

What they all have in common is calm, minimalist decor with smooth stone floors, cream walls, super-comfy beds (no twins), and little furniture besides a chic ladder to hang your clothes, and a pair of linen-clad chairs or a cubical poof. There’s plenty of technology, though: underfloor heating, slimline TVs, pocket-sprung mattresses, WiFi (or wired ADSL internet in the thick-walled rooms). Our room, La Loggia, even had motorised blinds to black out the window hewn out of the 6m-high vaulted ceiling. Gleaming glass and chrome bathrooms come with Bulgari toiletries and, often, a separate wetroom with a pancake-sized shower.

Other rooms which caught our eye were Il Camino (Suite) for its separate sitting room with cosy fireplace; La Cattedrale (Suite) for its enormous church-like bathroom; and Le Volte (Master Suite) for its panoramic terrace and circular Jacuzzi tub (a honeymooners' favourite).

Features include:

• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

At La Sommita you get fantastic recipes, superb tastes and a refreshing lack of pretension.

Head to the Michelin-starred Cielo restaurant’s vaulted dining room for dinner (or, in summer, the walled garden outside) and choose between à la carte dishes and a range of tasting menus (including vegetarian and vegan options). We opted for one of the tasting menus and were treated to plate after plate of delicious and theatrically presented food, all inspired by Lombardi’s childhood memories. Highlights included amuse-bouches of savoury cannoli filled with herby goats’ cheese, a palate cleanser made from frozen spheres of Aperol, succulent lamb with a delicate sea-urchin sauce, and a chocolate-coated crema catalana ingeniously disguised as an egg and flour. The food is accompanied by an extensive wine list, including tasting-menu pairings expertly chosen by the sommelier.

Breakfast, served in the lounge next door, is just as tempting: local cheeses, cold cuts, homemade pastries, organic jams, yoghurts, plum cake, fresh juices. Eggs come to order, and you can come down any time until 11am. After that, the room is transformed into a bistro offering a informal lunches, with a menu of Italian comfort food based on the recipes of Lombardi’s grandmother.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Explore Ostuni – a jewel of a town. Wander along cobbled lanes, past fragrant bakeries and Baroque churches (one contains an early history exhibition), to the Piazza della Libertà, which throbs with café life on a summer evening
  
• Explore the rolling countryside, where olive trees twist around dry-stone walls, interspersed with distinctive trulli. In spring, when yellow oxalis flowers blaze the ground, it's a rambler's and photographer's delight
  
• The nearby towns of Cisternino and Martina Franca are full of labyrinthine alleys and inviting restaurants; the latter also boasts some decent boutiques. Alberobello, the original trulli town, has become over-touristy and rather tacky
  
• Head to the beach. There's a string of sandy lidos nearby, including one at the Rosa Marina resort (10km away), which offers watersports, sunbeds and bar drinks at special rates for La Sommita guests
  
• Take in the unspoilt tranquility of the Torre Guaceto nature reserve (25km away), which has a 7km stretch of sandy shores centred around a 16th-century watchtower. Walk to the horseshoe bays at its centre (no vehicles are allowed) and, in April or May, you can be alone with the lizards, kingfishers, tortoises and sea birds
  
• Nip down the motorway to the exuberant Baroque town of Lecce (1 hour away). It’s packed with honey-stoned palazzi, ornate churches and Roman remains
  
• Or head up to the low-key harbour town of Polignano a Mare (40 minutes), with its wave-beaten rocks, sheltered cove and famous cave-restaurant
  
• Make sure you leave time for a relaxing treatment in the spa. The hotel can also arrange horse-riding excursions and cookery lessons

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Golf
• Horse riding
• Sailing
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Well being
• Windsurfing

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome. However, the place is more of a stylish adult retreat, with its designer décor, uneven steps and hushed atmosphere.

The restaurant welcomes children over 6 years of age.

Family friendly accommodation:

Most suites and some rooms can accommodate extra beds/sofabeds - ask when enquiring.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

La Sommita is in the historic town of Ostuni, in the southern Italian region of Puglia.

By Air:
The nearest airports are Brindisi (35km) and Bari (70km). Both are served by numerous flights from the UK and elsewhere in Europe. If you’re coming from further afield, you’ll probably arrive via Rome.

By Train:
There are trains from Rome to Ostuni (but not direct).

By Car:
We recommend hiring a car to make the most of the area. You can’t drive to the door, but call before you arrive and staff will meet you and show you where to park. They also operate a tuk-tuk transfer in busy months.

Detailed directions will be sent to you once your booking is confirmed.

Read our guide to Getting to Italy and Getting around