Perched high up in the sassi (Matera’s old town quarters, built into and over caves), a converted 13th-century Benedictine church houses L’Hotel in Pietra. The reception-breakfast room occupies the sometime nave, with soaring ceiling and looping tall arches. All of the characterful rooms are different, imaginative conversions of the unusual spaces the old buildings provide. Most have extraordinary views, too - over the town and across to the cathedral. The peace is palpable: the sassi lanes are too narrow and stepped for vehicles.
Down in the town centre, there's also a beautiful apartment, complete with exposed stonework and lofty windows. In both locations, a mix of French, Italian and Brazilian furniture decorates, lovely solid pieces arranged with a pared-down simplicity. Walls are pale exposed stone, a warm gold. Modernist touches marry well with the antiquity, such as large low, wood-edged double beds and thick glass partitions.
Highs
- A remarkable place to stay in a remarkable city - Matera is utterly beautiful and the hotel is so unique and full of character
- Beautiful, pared-down design, with antiques and carved-wood furniture set against sandstone arches, cave interiors and thick glass
- A laid-back relaxed atmosphere and the self-catering Loft 79 apartment is ideal for more independent travellers
- Utter tranquillity - the sassi are interconnected via tiny lanes unsuitable for traffic
- Owners are proud of their hotel and eager to please
- The rooms, hotel and whole town is impossibly romantic
Lows
- The Standard Single (1001) is extremely tiny and snug - but the room has a good view
- Not for the athletically challenged - most rooms have steep or uneven stairs and some have ladders, plus there are steps to reach the entrance of the hotel
- The nearest on-street parking is 80m away; their private garage is 300m away, but this is the nature of staying in the sassi
- This is cave living, so the atmosphere may feel a little damp at times - worth it for us, but guests with respirotary problems may feel otherwise
Best time to go
Spring (May-June) is the best time to visit. July and August are very hot, and tend to be the busiest time. September and October are crowd free and can be balmy, but the weather is unpredictable and may also be a bit cold. Winters are cold, though atmospheric - you might even get a sprinkling of snow. On 2 July, a huge statue of the Madonna Bruna is paraded through town before being torn apart and burned, accompanied by a spectacular fireworks display.
Our top tips
Staying in Matera’s sassi is not for people who find steps difficult. Artists, photographers and those interested in architecture and local history will love it.
Location
L'Hotel in Pietra is in Sassi di Matera, the ancient part of the town of Matera, which is dug into the tuff rock (the sassi). Their apartment, Loft 79, is in the city centre.
By Air:
The nearest airport is Bari (65km / 1-hour drive). The main hub for travel from the USA and Canada to Italy is Rome; from there, ongoing flights to Bari are numerous.
From the Airport
The hotel offers a transfer service from Bari or you can hire a car. The hotel is located in the pedestrianised sassi, so you’ll need to park in the new town and walk from there.
By Train:
You can get the bus or train to 'Matero centralo' then walk to the hotel (70m). See Trenitalia for more details.
Detailed directions will be sent to you once your booking is confirmed. 
Read our guide to Getting to Italy and Getting around
Airports:
- Bari 65.0 km BRI
- Rome Leonardo da Vinci International (Fiumicino) 385.0 km FCO
Other:
- Beach 48.0 km
- Shops 0.2 km
- Restaurant 0.2 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 6 independent reviews from i-escape guests
Incomparable! The absolute best stay I'm sure Matera has to offer. We stayed in the "wellness suite" and could not have picked better. Staff, food, mood, everything was impeccable and made us feel so so special. Cannot wait to be back one day!
The hotel location was amazing. The view from the window was breath-taking. Hotel staff were courteous and attentive and we have fond memories from our stay in Matera. Will definitely recommend to friends and plan to come again ourselves.
Matera is a must if you are close to this area. Something very special about this city, that has survived hundreds of years. The city is built on a hill side and is a complex of cave dwellings carved into the mountainside.
The hotel is one of these actual 'cave dwellings' totally unique and beautifully restored as with all i-escapes hotels, there is nothing to fault.
We stayed in the 'Wellness Suite' which included a spa and sauna! We were blown away, as soon as we walked in. The team, could not have been more helpful and kind.
Only negative is that the hotel is down many, many steps, so don't attempt to take heavy cases as even going down, is very difficult and certainly carrying cases back up, not easy at all.
We eat at 'Stano' restaurant, which was our best meal of our ten day holiday! about a ten/fifteen min walk from hotel.
The pool was lovely and the hotel is in a great location! I thought the rooms were a little dated and could be modernised.
Simply fantastic place to stay - stylish, comfy, brilliantly located, super helpful host, lovely touches to make stay more memorable too!
We really enjoyed our stay. We were a family of four with two teenagers. The room was gorgeous and all the little touches like bath robes and nice products. The girls loved the jacuzzi. The main bed was incredible, we could have slept all four in there. The staff were really welcoming and helpful and we enjoyed everything about the stay. Just one more night would have been good as there’s so much to see. Grazie.
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