Over the past decade, Puglia has quickly established itself as the fashion crowd’s favourite holiday destination, with the likes of Alexa Chung, Jack Guinness and the Beckhams regularly spotted here. Just as pretty as the Amalfi Coast and as warm as Tuscany – but more discreet – it’s located on the southernmost tip of Italy and is home to bougainvillaea-adorned streets, lush olive groves and turquoise waters, with a unique culture all of its own.
Case in point: the architecture, which comprises sprawling stone masserias (old farmhouses) and dome-shaped trulli (stone huts), many now converted into luxury hotels and villas to stay in. There are even entire trulli villages that you can visit, with Alberobello, Locorotondo, Fasano, Ostuni, Cisternino, Martina Franca and Ceglie Messapica being the most famous.
Elsewhere, the historic centres of Lecce, Bari, Valle D’Itria and Otranto offer plenty of culture, art and Baroque architecture for culture vultures, while the authentic Apulian cuisine will lure foodies to the region – think: orecchiette pasta, focaccia, taralli (crispy bread dough), caciocavallo (similar to mozzarella) and an abundance of freshly-caught seafood. Bellissima!
The best hotels in Puglia at a glance:
- Best Hotel in Puglia On The Beach: Baglioni Masseria
- Best Hotel in Puglia for Families: Borgo Egnazia
- Best Villa for Groups: Masseria Gemmabella
- Best Five-Star Hotel in Puglia: Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita
- Best Boutique Hotel in Puglia: Paragon 700
How we chose the best hotels in Puglia:
Unsurprisingly, there are a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to picking a hotel in Puglia – with something to suit every taste and budget. For families, there’s the option of staying in a self-catering villa with everything you need on site, or a five-star all-inclusive hotel on the coast. Couples might want more privacy, or more options of places to explore. Luckily, our experienced editors have been there and done the research, with the resulting list of 21 hotels being the best of the best in Puglia.
After another destination? Book the best hotels in Mallorca, best hotels in Sicily, best Amalfi Coast hotels and the best hotels in the Maldives.