INTERNATIONAL PRESSGli Alberghi Diffusi della Puglia su The Times
I’ve explored all of Puglia — and these are the best places to stay
Un nuovo articolo di Julia Buckley su The Times che presenta gli Alberghi Diffusi della Puglia
Trullidea, Alberobello
A cool trulli albergo diffuso New York has skyscrapers; Puglia has trulli — those delectable “hobbit houses” with conical roofs that look straight out of a fairytale. The dinky size that makes them so delightful, however, doesn’t lend itself to easily making a trullo hotel — which is why you’ll mostly find them expanded into villas. Enter Trullidea, in Alberobello — whose Unesco-protected centre is made up entirely of trulli. An albergo diffuso (it was Puglia’s first) of 15th-century trulli, its ten properties are scattered along three streets of the historic Rione Monti district. Breakfast is served in your trullo on request — and there are no phones or TVs, so you can trulli (sorry) immerse yourselves in history. Details B&B doubles from £123 (trullidea.com). Fly to Bari
Albergo Diffuso, Monopoli
Albergo diffuso with fishing cottages or palazzos Park outside the walls of the honey-hued fishing village Monopoli, and you’ll be met in full Italian style by an Ape — the mini scooter-trucks seen everywhere — to whisk you and your luggage past the 16th-century Aragonese castle and into the alleyways of the centro storico. This is a glorious mishmash of an albergo diffuso: they’ve made rooms out of everything from cave-like fishing cottages (Suite Scirocco is particularly romantic) to aristocratic palazzos. If you’ve never tried an albergo diffuso, this is the ideal starter — it’s more compact and hotel-like, with all the rooms in village buildings within 200m of the reception. Details B&B doubles from £74 (albergodiffusomonopoli.it). Fly to Bari
Villaggio Vecchia Mottola, Mottola
Abandoned houses reborn in hilltop town This was one of Italy’s most characterful alberghi diffusi: a collection of rooms converted from abandoned houses in the centre of Mottola, a hilltop town in western Puglia. There’s not much to do in Mottola itself, though the Valle d’Itria, Bari, Monopoli and Matera are all under an hour’s drive away, but the founder Ozvaldo Zazzara drew visitors from all over the world with his warm hospitality and passion for his town since 1999. Retiring in December, he sold to another local family who have restyled the 14 rooms from super-rustic to bright Ikea-chic, and are adding more — as well as a breakfast area — this year. Until then, breakfast is at one of two local bars; the dolce vita, as Zazzara intended. Details B&B doubles from £52 (vecchiamottola.com). Fly to Bari