Castello di Ugento

Originally a Norman Castle, but totally rebuilt in the 17th century by the family of the current Principe and quite recently converted Into a luxury boutique hotel, Castello di Ugento is a mixed bag. The building is stunning. The rooms and bathrooms are well equipped, large and luxurious. The service at reception is excellent and we would pick out particularly Toni and Mirko. The walled garden is delightful ( note that most rooms have no outside space and there is no swimming pool). However, housekeeping has some faults (eg towels not all replaced and peeling paint in the shower section); the ubiquitous piped music is constant and random in genre ( Frank Sinatra to Italian pop to who knows what!); the Tempo Nuovo restaurant is way overpriced for the quality of the food (see separate review); and, frankly, there isn’t much to do in the hotel or in Ugento. So, you are paying very high prices for somewhere that you’re unlikely to spend much time. Worth a day or two though.

This beautiful hotel is located in the town of Ugento in southern Italy. It is a restored castle, its rooms are comfortable and very well decorated. The service is excellent!! The second level is the original rooms of the castle with frescoes dating back from 1695. The hotel restaurant is one of the best in the region. with exquisite wines from the Puglia region. It is close to santa maria di Leuca snd other little towns like Otranto and Treccia I Highly recommend this Hotel and the restaurant !!!

Wonderful stay! The castle is breathtaking, including centuries-old frescoes that have been restored. Service was wonderful - they even came in early to prepare a delicious breakfast for us on our last day there. Garden is a beautiful place to relax with a delicious glass of wine. Highly recommended.

In September of 2023, my wife and I spent a magical week at Castello di Ugento. We had been looking for a place to stay in Puglia and I happened upon the Castello in an internet search. It was all that we had hoped for. The quality of the accommodations and the food were matched only by the attentiveness of the staff. Our stay was not inexpensive, but it was worth every penny. We have paid more at other five-star hotels but never have we had such an all-round amazing vacation experience. Apart from one day, when we visited a local winery and olive oil company (both arranged by the hotel), we barely budged. Uncharacteristically, we ate every meal at the hotel restaurant and each night the elegant and creative menu was exceptional. The sommelier served us exclusively local Puglian wine, which he selected to match each course. One of the features that had drawn us to the Castello was the Puglia Culinary Centre, housed in the hotel. In the off-season, classes are held for students from cooking schools, both in Italy and in the United States. We took three cooking lessons, each taught by the chefs of the Castello, which were outstanding: three hours of cooking in their state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, followed by a full meal with the chefs. Both of us love to cook and we have taken lessons elsewhere, including at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, but this topped them all. The Castello has only ten rooms. We had reserved the Alcova di Diana ahead of time, the best room in the house. The Alcova is a 60 meter2 (600 ft2) two-room suite on the second floor of the hotel with its own large terrace, the only room on that floor. It has a view of the town and the countryside that stretches as far as the Mediterranean Sea. The Castello has a large walled-in garden, filled with fruit trees and herbs, which the chefs use in cooking. We spent hours reading there in the afternoon, completely undisturbed. The town of Ugento is at the very tip of the heel of the boot of the Italian mainland. The nearest airport is in Brindisi, about 90 minutes away. We flew into Bari, an hour further north, because we were able to get a direct connection in Rome to our flight from JFK, which meant that our luggage went straight through. We then rented a car. The roads to and from both airports are mostly limited access divided highways with no tolls. Ugento is a quaint local town, not touristy at all. It is only a few minutes from beaches on the Ionian Sea and not far from a good number of wineries. The hotel offers a variety of discounts if you pay in advance. The details are spelled out on the excellent website (castellodiugento.com), which also has photos of all the rooms and information about the cooking classes. The weather at the end of September was perfect and the crowds of tourists were greatly diminished from the height of the season in August. As I put it at the outset: magical.

Great service, friendly people, excellent food, I highly recommend staying at both the Castello and the Masseria. They helped me with beach reservations, boat and car rental – everything worked out great! The best of Salento. Go!

Staying at the castle was BY FAR THE BEST EXPERIENCE I've ever had at any hotel or Airbnb. We stayed 5 days and this was the best trip we've ever had. While expensive, we can't wait to come back next year. The renovation of this castle is incredible. The rooms are big and tastefully designed. There is a pool, hot tub, basketball court, tennis court and gym for Castello guests at their nearby property a short walk away. Every corner of the castle is shockingly beautiful and full of history. The staff is attentive and adds to the experience - especially the restaurant chef and staff. Il Tempo Nuovo, the restaurant on property, is set in the courtyard and has some of the best food we've ever had. We were surprised they didn't have a Michelin star. I can't express how amazing this property is, you just have to go see for yourself - it's absolutely worth the trip.