Opening: March 2016 

ONE OF THE most anticipated new boutique hotels will officially open its doors to guests on March 24th. Located just outside the town of Lecce and set in sixty hectares of olive groves, Masseria Trapana features nine individually-designed suites, all with private courtyards and outdoor bathtubs.

Australian owner Rob Potter-Sanders has spent the last two years painstakingly renovating the 16th Century property, to create the authentic luxury hotel built in local Tufo and Piertra Leccese stone. Rob has taken inspiration from his travels to Thailand and Bali in designing the suites, and all of the hotel’s soft furnishings have been handpicked from all over the world. Many of the original features of each of the suites were only discovered by the design team during renovations, which have then been incorporated into the design of each suite.

Each of the suites are beautiful, but The Luxury Travel Bible’s favourite suite has to be the Trapanà suite. TLTB loves its cool, clean interiors with high ceilings and original stonework walls - and it has stunning views over the olive groves from the bathroom.

The Luxury Travel Bible finds particularly interesting the history behind the property. The masseria (fortified farmhouse) dates back to 700 - 1500 AD and had not been touched in 200 years, so its transformation into a boutique hotel has been a true restoration.  One particularly interesting feature is Frantolio, underneath the main courtyard, which is where the farmhouse originally pressed olives. It was hand carved around the 6th century and remains in its original condition.

Tranquillity is evident throughout the grounds of the hotel, with its six walled gardens which have been planted with nineteen variations of fruit and nut trees including orange, lemon, pomegranate, walnut, plum and mandarin. Bet that smells divine on a summer evening!   

Puglia is famous for its delicious food, and resident chef Maria Carla will create dishes that will reflect the local area. Fresh home grown produce from the hotel gardens and local area will be used to create dishes which can be enjoyed on the terrace. 

Cooking classes are planned for later in the year in the masseria’s large open plan kitchen and during the summer the hotel will also be launching Hatha Yoga sessions and in-room massage and reflexology.

Being just a 10-minute drive to the Adriatic coast, the hotel plans to make the most of its location. Masseria Trapana has partnered with a number of the region’s most stylish beach clubs where guests will be able to enjoy the local area and the fresh seafood. 

For guests wanting to escapes from it all, hammocks have been secretly placed within the gardens… yet, for those who don’t want to completely escape from it all, Wifi is also available throughout the masseria and gardens.

For the ultimate luxury Masseria Trapanà is available to be rented as a private villa on a weekly basis (Saturday to Saturday). Prices are on request and vary according to the season.