Palazzo Margherita

Francis Ford Coppola leaves his stamp on more than movies: wine, restaurants, literary magazines, and of course hotels carry the Coppola name as well. In the case of Palazzo Margherita, however, it’s more than a matter of defining his personal taste for a public audience. This 19th-century palazzo has deeply personal significance to the famed director, located as it is in the little-known southern Italian village of Bernalda, the birthplace of his grandfather, Agostino Coppola.

In 2004, the Margherita family sold the property to Coppola, who promptly transformed the palazzo into a small and elegant hotel with nine suites, three that open onto the garden, others that have balconies overlooking slow-paced village life. The look is stylish in a classic way — think rattan armchairs, fresh flowers, colorful glass chandeliers, claw-foot tubs, and hand-painted ceiling frescoes — but relaxed, not fussy, the kind of place where you can put your feet up. There’s a subtle theme to each suite, like the Rococo-style Gia suite (named after Coppola’s first granddaughter) with a fresco portraying the mythical Amore and Psyche.

There are contemporary amenities, of course — this is Francis Ford Coppola’s place, lest you forget, so suites come with complimentary in-room bars, high-definition 3D televisions with digital film collections focused on Italian cinema, Loewe iPod docking stations and luxe bath products by Santa Maria Novella. There’s a lovely swimming pool, a garden surrounding a picturesque fountain, a state-of-the-art eat-in kitchen and the Cinecittà Bar, a sidewalk café and pizzeria facing the town square. The palazzo’s popular “Celebrate La Dolce Vita” package, which takes guests on excursions to local markets, wine cellars and hole-in-the-wall eateries, is a foodie’s fantasy.

These modern features notwithstanding, the palazzo feels satisfyingly traditional, which is fitting, considering the whole project is an homage of sorts to the life and legacy of the late Agostino, who nicknamed the village “Bernalda bella.” And bella it is. The hilltop town is a ten-minute drive from the beautiful Ionian Sea; a bit further afield is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Matera, famous for its ancient cave dwellings.

How to get there:
The two nearest airports, Bari (BRI) and Brindisi (BDS), are both located about a 90-minute drive from Palazzo Margherita. The nearest train station, Metaponto, is a 10-minute drive from the hotel.