Palazzo Presta

Style

Globetrotter’s trove

Setting

Gallipolli old town

Any stay at Palazzo Presta comes with a side of cachet: not only have you secured an alluring spot in the old town, but in Gallipoli, the walled centro storico is on an exclusive Puglian islet lapped by the aquamarine Ionian (well played so far). Zooming in on this stylish locale still further, your booking prowess is clear – Palazzo Presta has just 10 rooms, each dressed to seduce with destination-inspired interiors curating antique furniture, original features, sumptuous colour and decorative detail (way to go). Then there’s its rooftop bar and glossy-tiled restaurant, ensuring there’s plenty to fall for beyond the bedroom – not least its sea-lapped setting beside Purità beach (mic drop)…

Facilities

Rooms

10, including four suites.

Checkout

11am; earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates don't include breakfast, but options are available for around €15 each.

Also

Sadly this 17th-century stay is not wheelchair-accessible.

Hotel Closed

The hotel is open from 1 April until 15 November.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pet Friendly

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Rooftop bar, rooftop terrace, restaurant, library, private bar/meeting space, beach towels to borrow. In rooms: free WiFi, smart TV, minibar, free bottled water, and custom-made bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

No requests for individual rooms can be guaranteed at Palazzo Presta but luckily all 15 rooms bewitch with original details, antique furniture and clever use of colour. Junior Suite El Fenn, Souk-inspired Deluxe Room Nosy Be feature original brick ceilings; we love the rich, red interiors and and Juliet balcony of the Junior Suite Marrakech.

Poolside

The swimming pool is open 9am to 6pm, and you’re just a minute’s walk from beloved old-town beach, Spiaggia della Purità.

Spa

There isn't a formal spa, but in-room massages, yoga classes, meditation sessions and private training can be arranged on request.

Packing Tips

As varied and international as the rooms: either harem pants, Asian silks, kimono jackets and spice-bright hues, or simple, neutral threads in linen or twill.

Also

The hotel’s interior designer, Alessandro Cesario, is the original owner of (equally stylish) Smith favourite Aethos Milan. As well as an intimate den for drinks, the hotel’s bar tucked behind the bookshop doubles as a private cinema (booking required).

Children

Benvenuti. There are cots to borrow and some suites sleep three or four on request. An abundance of steps and roof spaces mean this historic hotel is less suited to toddlers.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Tables at Lazzaro & Caterina are in a series of adjoining rooms, some nearer the hotel lobby, some by the bar, so you’ll want to mix it up. On the stylish tiled terrace at Presta, top table is dictated by your choice of sun or shade.

Dress Code

Flowing white linen and big shades for the terrazza; classic black or a timeless dress for Lazzaro & Caterina. Mr Smiths should aim to up their shorts-and-T-shirt game with either longs or a smarter shirt (or both).

Hotel Restaurant

Lazzaro & Caterina is a moodily lit restaurant and bar at street level that opens for dinner – lined in petrel-blue ceramic tiles and softened with upholstered benches, wicker chairs and potted palms. The cuisine here is Italian and and largely seafood-focused, with inventive dishes such as grilled scallops in violet dashi broth, ricotta-stuffed squid and linguine with friggitelli peppers, Isigny salted butter and raw purple prawns. It’s also where breakfast is served each morning: a buffet of continental choices – pastries, yogurt, fruit and granola – alongside à-la-carte options such as avocado on toast, pancakes or eggs. At Terrazza Presta on the roof, a menu of small plates and tartare is intended to accompany its cocktail list and features innovative plates including octopus polpette, popcorn tempura prawns and salmon and mussel skewers served with smoked provola cream.

Hotel Bar

On the rooftop an alfresco terrace is tiled in ivory, dotted with pot plants, Seventies-style rattan chairs and tables: Terrazza Presta is foremost about cocktails — signature blends crafted with innovative ingredients such as vodka, Moroccan mint infusion, kefir lime cordial, lemon, star anise syrup and Angostura bitters. Puglian wines, franciacorta and champagne are yours to order by the bottle. At cool-tiled sanctuary Lazzaro & Caterina, a small bar with a handful of high stools sits at the heart of the restaurant and caters to the aperitivo crowd with wine, innovatice cocktails and bottled beer. For a private drink or special occasion, you can reserve exclusive use of the secret bar hidden behind the library.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served 8am–10.30am. Dinner at Lazzaro & Caterina and Terrazza Presta is available from 7pm to 11pm. Terrazza Presta pours from 6pm till midnight.

Room Service

Available for breakfast, 8am–10.30am and for dinner and drinks, 7pm–11pm.

Planes

Brindisi (an hour’s drive from the hotel) and Bari (two hours and 10 minutes away by road) are the nearest airports. The hotel can arrange private transfers (price on request).

Trains

Gallipoli has a train station with rail connections via Lecce. From the station, it’s only a kilometre and a half to the hotel – private transfers can be arranged from €20 each way.

Automobiles

Leave your wheels at the port car park 250 metres from Palazzo Presta (for an additional fee) and book a golf buggy (through the hotel) to collect you from there. The hotel also offers private parking approximately 800 metres from Palazzo Presta. Rates vary depending on the season, and advance reservation is required.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Puglia has much to offer – be it coastline or countryside: in west-coast Gallipoli, you’re on the Ionian side, with beaches such as Baia Verde, a sweeping bay which runs south of the town as far as Torre del Pizzo, Lido Conchiglie and Rivabella, plus (nearest the hotel) Spiaggia della Purità. Away from the sea, this is a land of olive groves and vineyards: the negromaro grape is native here and typically used in Salento vintages including those produced in Alezio, a baroque town east of Gallipoli. The hotel can arrange bike tours to explore the area, as well as winery visits (including wine tastings and sampling local delicacies). For a better understanding of Salento’s culinary traditions, book a cookery lesson with Palazzo Presta’s chef. Gallipoli’s centro storico is home to a medieval castle, Sant’Agata cathedral and underground oil presses from Gallipoli’s days as a major producer of lamp oil – the museum at Frantoio Ipogeo di Palazzo Granafei can teach you more.

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. .