Matera’s cave dwellings have existed for thousands of years – but never quite like this!
Spread around three courtyards are 13 suites, each bathed in soft candlelight and each unique. Some have vaulted ceilings and beds in lofts; others, double showers carved into the rock. Stone floors and aircon cool you; fruits, linens and vintage pieces delight you. The place is steeped in ancient simplicity.
Start your day in a vaulted hall feasting on bruschetta, tartlets, Lucanian cheeses, and juices in crystal glasses. A glass floor reveals a remarkable network of cisterns below (an art gallery today) that your hosts will love to show you. Get lost in the labyrinth of the ‘sassi’; take a rest and view the city with a driver-guide in a mini ‘calessino’. Return to convivial drinks, chic armchairs and rustic tables in the courtyard, its paving stones polished with the passage of centuries.
We stayed 2 nights in this magical place in October. The exterior is the gray stone of ancient Matera, but inside are contemporary spaces worthy of a design magazine. The breakfast room is especially beautiful. Hospitality here is top notch. We were directed to very good restaurants nearby. Matera is unlike anywhere else I've ever visited. A good guide can unlock the complex history of the area, and staying in a cave hotel like this is special.