Masseria Corsano

Style

Made-over masseria

Setting

Hot on the heel

We’re head over heels for Masseria Corsano at the sharp end of the Salento stiletto in southern Italy. It’s close to not one, but three Baroque beauties: latte-coloured Lecce and undiscovered (for now) Nardò, as well as Gallipoli, a fishing village on the edge of the Ionian, pine-forest reserves that lead to a pebbly shore and white-sand/cyan-water Caribbean-rivalling beaches. The 17th-century farmhouse has been restored to more than its former glory – we’re guessing the beds weren’t this comfortable or the bathrooms this salubrious back then. It probably didn’t have a pool bar beneath a pergola, hot tubs in every suite or a slick restaurant either…

Facilities

Rooms

18 suites.

Checkout

11am. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates usually include breakfast.

Also

One of Masseria Corsano’s suites has been specially adapted for wheelchair users and all of the communal areas are accessible.

Hotel Closed

The Masseria opens from the start of March until the end of October.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Free WiFi throughout, wellness area, gym, padel court, pickle ball court, bicycles to borrow. In rooms: coffee machine and kettle, 55-inch TV, minibar, air-conditioning, pool towels and Bulgari bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

If you want to channel Rapunzel and let down your hair, Masseria Corsano obliges in the form of its Tower Suite, with panoramic views of its surroundings.

Poolside

The main outdoor pool is open for swims around the clock and there are several sunloungers and cabanas to stake out during sunlight hours. You'll find a second, smaller option alongside the spa for post-treatment soaks.

Spa

As with most other things, ‘spa’ sounds way better in Italian: the masseria’s Villa Benessere (translation: wellbeing villa) has indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy pools, a sauna, Turkish bath, sensory showers and massage cabins. Open daily from 10am to 8pm, access is subject to a reservation and an additional charge.

Packing Tips

Between the Technogym equipment, bicycles, padel court and extensive acreage, not to mention the surrounding national parks, there are plenty of opportunities to work up a sweat, so don’t forget the athleisurewear.

Also

The masseria has a sister property in Lecce, Palazzo Giusti.

Children

All ages are welcome. Babysitting can be booked (from €30 an hour), depending on availability.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Stick to your sunlounger or cabana – the refreshments can come to you.

Dress Code

As floaty, wafty and drifty as possible for gliding around the pool area.

Hotel Restaurant

Pietra's homegrown-hero chef showcases Salento cuisine, with many of the ingredients either grown on-site or coming from nearby. Since the sun is likely to be shining, the restaurant can have its roof removed – and it extends out onto a pergola by the pool. Breakfasts are à la carte, with traditional pastries, homemade cakes and international favourites all served to set you up for the day.

Hotel Bar

The Italian tradition of aperitivo (which puts the British equivalent of a meagre bowl of peanuts to shame) is alive and well at 32 Lounge Bar, where drinks can be served with enough snacks to make you lose your appetite for dinner. Mediterranean botanicals and home-made ingredients regularly frequent the cocktails around here.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served at 32 Lounge Bar. Pietra opens for lunch and dinner daily.

Room Service

In-suite sustenance can be served from 7am until 11pm.

Planes

Salento’s main airport is Brindisi, 80 kilometres away from the masseria. The drive should take around an hour (allow 90 minutes in high season). It’s also an option to land a little further north in Bari, two hours away by car. The hotel can arrange transfers from either airport.

Trains

If you’re coming by train, Lecce has a station with connections to major cities across southern as well as northern Italy. The onwards drive to the masseria should take around half an hour – transfers can be arranged on request.

Automobiles

If you’re hoping to see the Salento Peninsula’s sleepy villages, golden towns and breezy beaches, a car will be useful – there’s free parking just steps from your suite.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Masseria Corsano has local experts on hand, who can arrange everything from wine and cheese tastings and cooking classes to yoga, walking tours of Lecce and Otranto, and a spot of coastal horse-riding. You’ll also be able to set sail on the Ionian on a boat trip from Gallipoli (or take to it by stand-up paddle board); and the team will gladly point you in the direction of the best nearby hiking and cycling trails. The latter is likely to take place at nearby national park Porto Selvaggio, a pine forest that leads to the shore. Beaches in reach include Porto Cesareo, Ugento and the porcine-sounding (but thankfully not -tasting or -smelling) Punta Proscuitto, which, yes, does translate as ‘Ham Point’ but is so far from a sty. If you have a preference between rocky and sandy, be sure to check first, as Salento has both. For ceramic stockpiling, the town of Grottaglie is where to take a healthy shipping budget; and don’t miss fishing village Gallipoli, for sea-urchin slurping from the market, and local secret Nardò.

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. .