Don Totu

Style

Palazzo boss

Setting

Heart of Italy’s heel

A former palazzo with fragrant gardens, vaulted ceilings and sun-trapping terraces, boutique B&B Don Totu invites you to slip seamlessly into the south-Italian lifestyle. Lounge by the pool sipping on an Aperol spritz, or escape the midday heat altogether in the underground hammam – the hotel’s very own wellness grotto. Back upstairs, the rooms are a showcase of rustic grandeur, with high ceilings, sculpted plasterwork and fine local ceramics. The owners have given things a tasteful update with pale and pared-back furnishings, but the hotel remains pleasingly lo-fi: with no TVs in the rooms, it's the historic, honey-coloured stone that remains centre stage.

Facilities

Rooms

Six, including three suites.

Checkout

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in is usually 4pm.

More Details

Room rates usually include breakfast, a choice of a zero-mile buffet spread or à la carte menu. Expect freshly squeezed orange juice, bread from local bakers, home-made biscotti, fresh fruit (some from the hotel garden) and cold cuts of meat.

Also

Don Totu’s historic character doesn’t allow for a lift, so it’s not really suitable for wheelchair users.

Hotel Closed

The hotel is closed from the 1 November until Easter each year.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Pool

At the Hotel

Library, garden with several terraces, spa with hammam, gym/fitness studio and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: decorative fireplace, Maria Candida Gentile bath products and free bottled water.

Our Favourite Rooms

Every room has its own charm, but we’ve got a soft spot for the Torretta Suite. Split over two floors, it has a four-poster bed with white drapes, a regal chaise longue and a private terrace; it’s also one of the only rooms in the hotel with a wooden floor. Families will appreciate the Quad Room, which has two interconnecting bedrooms – one with a king-size bed, the other with twins.

Poolside

The large pool is outside on the terrace, surrounded by fruit trees, fragrant shrubbery and slender cypresses. Sunloungers with parasols are arranged around the outside.

Spa

The spa is in what used to be the cellar, where freshly-picked olives were stored before being pressed into oil. Now, it’s home to a hammam, colour-changing shower, Jacuzzi and a fitness studio equipped with the latest Technogym equipment. There’s also a lounge area with a view of the garden – the perfect spot for your post-workout recovery.

Packing Tips

Unless it's the height of summer, bring something to wrap up in while zipping around on a Vespa – things can get a little chilly at speed.

Also

If you’re heading to the beach, let the hotel know roughly what time you expect to be back, as they’ll prepare refreshments for your return.

Children

Children of all ages are welcome. An extra bed (€80 a night in low season; €100 in high season) can be added to one of each room type. A cot (free) can be added to most rooms, but numbers are limited, so be sure to ask when booking.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

On warm days, aim for the table under the covered portion of the terrace, where you get the scent of rosemary and lavender on the air.

Dress Code

Don Tuto is right at the bottom of Italy's bootheel, so it gets hot in summer. Breezy linens and all things light and white should serve you well.

Hotel Restaurant

The hotel doesn’t have it’s own restaurant, but they can serve a casual lunch on the terrace if you let them know at breakfast. The menu includes light bites like octopus salad, pasta with mozzarella and mixed vegetables, and sandwiches made on puccia bread – a Salento speciality.

Hotel Bar

The hotel has a poolside bar, which serves from 6pm to 8pm each day. The barman can whip up negronis, whiskey sours, Moscow mules and more. At all other times, drinks (as well as home-made cakes and biscuits) are available from the kitchen, which operates as an honesty bar. Non-alcoholic drinks are free; wine, beer and spirits are available too. Apéritifs and nibbles are also served on the terrace every evening.

Planes

Brindisi (also known as Salento) is the closest international hub. It’s well connected with Italian airports and nearby European destinations, but direct flights from the UK are few and far between. If you’re travelling from the UK or further afield, the best option is to fly via Rome or Milan. From Brindisi, it’s a 90-minute drive to the hotel. Flights and transfers can be arranged with the Smith24 Team; call 24 hours a day.

Trains

The closest station is Lecce, a 35-minute drive away. You can take a high-speed Trenitalia service from either Rome or Naples to Bari, before swapping to a regional train to Lecce.

Automobiles

Hiring a car makes a lot of sense; you’ll have easy access to the coast, and day trips (to the beautiful Baroque city of Lecce, for example) will be much simpler. Guests can also park for free on the street in front of the hotel. The Smith24 Team can arrange car hire.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Go local by getting behind the handlebars of a Vespa, the best (and most stylish) way to explore the town. The hotel keeps two for guests to use; the rental itself is free, so you just need to cover the daily insurance rate and your own fuel. Those planning on making a break for the beach will be pleased to know the coast is a mere 12-minute ride away; pleasure drivers should ask the staff to suggest some scenic routes. In terms of nearby day trips, a visit to Lecce is unmissable. The city’s one-time mania for Baroque architecture has left its mark, earning it the nickname ‘the Florence of the south’. Many buildings showcase lavish ornamentation both inside and out – highlights include the Piazza del Duomo, where you’ll find the cathedral, the Basilica di Santa Croce, Chiesa di Santa Chiara, Chiesa dei Santi Nicolò e Cataldo and the Triumphal Arch. Nature, too, has gone to decorous extremes: just take a walk along the beach at Porto Selvaggio Regional Nature Park, a seven-kilometre stretch of green-fringed rocky coastline. Devotees of the grape will enjoy sipping their way around the Museum of Wine at the Leone de Castris winery, who were the first to bottle and sell rosé wine in Italy. Tours and tastings are available.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .