Palais Gentile

Like so many other beautifully realized boutique hotels, Palais Gentile began as a true passion project, the work of three travelers with no concept more complicated than to create the kind of place where they themselves would wish to stay. The result is this stunning four-room guest house in Matino, on the Gulf of Taranto side of the Salento peninsula, complete with classic Puglian architectural features like whitewashed stone and arched ceilings.

As glamorous as it is, it never feels pretentious — the idea is to live like a local, albeit one with means (and with excellent taste). Frette linens and Salvatore Ferragamo bath products set a luxe tone, and families will find the suites, with their extra space, particularly inviting.

The Top, as they call the open-air rooftop lounge, is the place to mix, particularly at sunset, accompanied by lounge music and Salento wines. Breakfast is served on the rooftop as well, and both dinner and drinks are supplied with style by Foscolo, the restaurant and cocktail bar across the street.

As for Matino itself, it’s a picturesque little town, and a fine home base for exploring Salento by land or by water — and it’s close to a number of excellent little beaches along the coast of the Ionian Sea.