Palazzo Piccinno

Style

Neogothic glow-up

Setting

Salento's storied heart

Simple, sensory pleasures rule at Palazzo Piccinno, an adults-only guesthouse in the Puglian town of Parabita. Four easy-on-the-eye rooms balance neogothic frills with contemporary polish. Breakfasts of focaccia and sun-sweet Salento produce fuel beach forays; but it’s tempting to linger indefinitely in the courtyard garden, where mellow poolside days end with star-lit swims. You’ll soon be tuning into a sixth sense: that the slow life alla Salentina is hard to beat.

Facilities

Rooms

Four, including one suite.

Checkout

Noon; check-in is at 3pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability.

More Details

Rates include a daily changing à la carte breakfast of fresh focaccia, homemade cakes, seasonal fruit, local cheese and charcuterie, and more.

Also

Unfortunately, Palazzo Piccinno is not suitable if you have limited mobility.

Hotel Closed

The hotel closes annually from November to March.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pet Friendly

Pool

Room Service

At the Hotel

24-hour concierge phoneline, paid laundry service and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: air-conditioning, Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making kit, free bottled water, beach bags, bathrobes, slippers and Grown Alchemist bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

The Oliveto Suite is the showstopper, with its palatial bathroom and prettily frescoed ceiling. But there’s no short straw — each of the four rooms has rich neogothic features, with sleek, modern design tailored to match.

Poolside

You could happily while away a century or two migrating between the little pool and a marshmallow-like sunlounger, which lie cloistered away in the palazzo’s leafy courtyard garden. Then, you might take up residence on the sofa or recline on a waters’-edge crimson pillow, where it really feels as if someone should be feeding you grapes. Next best thing: see if the chef can rustle up a focaccia sandwich and a glass of negroamaro.

Spa

There’s no spa, but staff can set up a range of organic treatments — with massage maestro Manuel Verardi — in your room or the hotel’s courtyard.

Packing Tips

Salento’s coast is both a sandals and Salomons sort of place, with the bonniest beaches often accessed by steep flights of steps and tempting hiking trails snaking off through the pines.

Also

Wallflowers will thrive at this tucked-away stay, but for social creatures, the palazzo has a daily aperitivo hour, where guests and staff kick back in the courtyard garden.

Children

Leave the Little Smiths at home — this Puglian retreat is adults-only.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

If you're not balancing your glass on the pool’s edge, take one of the bistro tables backed by a wall of tropical greenery.

Dress Code

Cool linen and cut-off denim — or just throw a robe over your one-piece.

Hotel Restaurant

There’s no formal restaurant, but you won’t go hungry. The palazzo’s chef works with local produce to whip up a daily menu of salads, sandwiches and fresh juices, served in the courtyard garden, lobby or by the pool. And breakfast is elevated to an art form, with polished pastries, cheese boards and still-warm focaccia spun from whatever's in season and sparking the chef's imagination.

Hotel Bar

There's a piccolo honesty bar, which you can help yourself to in the evenings. For daytime drinks, swing by the pool or lobby for tipples from the owners' friends at nearby Farmacopea Popolare or glasses of vino from the family's own label.

Last Orders

You can tuck into the honesty bar from 8pm until late.

Room Service

You can order dishes from the pool menu to you room between 8.30am and 7pm.

Planes

The hotel is around an hour and a half’s drive from Brindisi Airport, and three hours from Bari Airport. Staff can arrange transfers from either on request (€120 each way from Brindisi).

Automobiles

You’ll want your own wheels for exploring Salento’s coastline and olive-shaded countryside. Street parking is usually available just in front of the hotel, and there’s also a free carpark a two-minute walk away.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

As you stroll around Parabita, peer up at the 14th-century castle, then slip into the Basilica di Santa Maria della Coltura to admire the Byzantine frescoes. Amid the olive groves just outside town, look out for an unassuming spot called La Grotta delle Veneri — these natural caves rocked Puglian archaeologists’ world when Paleolithic statuettes were found inside them. For a further history fix, Gallipoli’s island old town is a 20-minute drive away.

Plumb in the middle of two seas, the palazzo is within easy driving distance of plenty of beaches. On the Adriatic side, Cala dell’Acquaviva likely needs no introduction — it’s a much-visited beauty spot for a reason. Over on the Ionian, start with Punta della Suina for laidback sunsets at the lido. Historic fishing village Santa Catarina is a postcard-pretty option for a gelato and gentle splash about. The clear sea at nature reserve Porto Selvaggio makes it a favourite for diving and kayaking; hiking routes weave off into the coastal forest, too. Staff can also organise Ionian boat trips or horse rides along white-sand stretches.

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. .