Turning the barrel-vaulted interiors of a 1930s tobacco processing plant in Puglia into a luxurious six-bedroom boutique villa now seems something of a no-brainer, but full kudos to its owners – an Italian diplomat and his Vietnamese lifestyle-blogger wife – for recognising the building’s potential.
Applause, too, for Lecce-based architect Raffaele Centonze for his sensitive rehabilitation of the building and the grounds, the latter stylishly landscaped with silver olive trees and ancient dry stone walls. The high-ceilinged bright rooms are lined with polished concrete and recycled timber and, with more than a passing nod to the Japanese ideal of wabi sabi, eclectically decorated with choice vintage pieces collected by the owners on their travels.
In high summer, a garden lap-pool and the clear waters of nearby Castro Marina are a delight, though the lodge loses none of its charms in winter as guests retreat indoors for home-cooked meals in the bijou cinema.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Diso, Puglia
-
‘I wanted to create a sanctuary’ – discover a nature-conscious take on Balinese architectureUmah Tsuki by Colvin Haven is an idyllic Balinese family home rooted in the island's crafts culture
-
‘Concrete Dreams’: rethinking Newcastle’s brutalist pastA new project and exhibition at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle revisits the radical urban ideas that changed Tyneside in the 1960s and 1970s
-
Mexican designers show their metal at Gallery Collectional, Dubai‘Unearthing’ at Dubai’s Gallery Collectional sees Ewe Studio designers Manu Bañó and Héctor Esrawe celebrate Mexican craftsmanship with contemporary forms
-
2,734 metres above the sea, a northern Italian hotel ensures peak happinessDesigned by Senoner Tammerle Architekten, hotel Santnerpass Hütte offers the perfect off-grid retreat amid a Unesco-protected landscape
-
Retreat to Lecce’s reborn Palazzo Zimara, a baroque gem from 1557Architect Raffaele Centonze transforms the 16th-century Palazzo Zimara into an 18-room boutique hotel in the historic city centre
-
Stella D'Italia is a Renaissance haven that tells a story of FlorenceStella D’Italia is the Florentine boutique escape by local hoteliers Matteo Perduca and Betty Soldi to know
-
Experience Cardo Roma, the contemporary Roman holiday you didn’t know you neededCardo Roma, the inaugural property of Cardo Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection, caters to those seeking to merge business and pleasure
-
La Pergola, one of Rome’s most coveted reservations, gets a sumptuous renovationJouin Manku re-envisions La Pergola, the acclaimed restaurant atop Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
-
Surrender to these six swim-perfect outdoor hotel poolsDiscover the best outdoor hotel pools, from Amankila’s aquatic triptych by Ed Tuttle to Nicolas Party’s swimmable artwork at Le Sirenuse
-
Serenity reigns at Porto Ercole’s La Roqqa hotelStudio Palomba Serafini has designed La Roqqa, a new hotel in Italy’s Porto Ercole, with retro nods, Tuscan flair and contemporary luxury
-
New hotel Palazzo Cordusio is a tribute to Milan’s enduring panachePalazzo Cordusio, Gran Meliá’s Milan hotel debut, is set within a neo-classical icon moments from some of the city’s best-known landmarks
