Antonia Filali and her brother Giacomo-Fouad were clearly so taken by the experience of opening their first boutique hotel La Fiermontina in Lecce, that less than three years later, they have debuted a second in the ancient Puglian town.
Wisely, French studio Laboratoire Design Rabat have worked light touches on the aristocratic bones of the 1775 baroque palazzo to carve out ten large suites, whose original high ceilings and light-filled volumes are contrasted by long creamy drapes, Le Corbusier Escargots lamps, and classic furniture by Gio Ponti and Ettore Sottsass.
What is unexpected, though, is the colour palette of plum, teal and green which creates a dramatic backdrop for the owners’ tastefully curated art and sculpture collection – the latter a stylish teaser for their family’s modern art museum, nearby.
In this part of Italy, there is no shortage of diversions, not least a day’s cruise on the Adriatic, a picnic in an oak orchard on the Byzantine Road, or, a post-nap lap in sister hotel La Fiermontina’s pool. Chef Maria Carla Pennetta, meanwhile, tempts with a cucina povera menu based on her family’s recipes – think, stuffed eggplants grilled with mink, alongside farm-fresh caciocavallo and cacioricotta cheeses.
ADDRESS
Via Umberto I
38-73100
Lecce
Italy
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yetThe newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
-
The Wallpaper* Design Issue comes with our Salone del Mobile must-seesThe May 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is on sale now, taking in Milan Design Week, the Venice Biennale, and a very stylish tea party
-
Aboard Gio Ponti's colourful Arlecchino train in Milan, a conversation about design with FormafantasmaThe design duo boards Gio Ponti’s train bound for the latest Prada Frames symposium at Milan Design Week
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projectsLocated within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
The best Milan bars for a fashionable aperitivoMilan’s after-dark renaissance is evident in a new wave of design-led cocktail bars, setting the right mood for enticing aperitivos and nightcaps; Milan editor Laura May Todd recommends the best
-
How Four Seasons Hotels became The White Lotus’ unofficial starAs The White Lotus season three whisks us to Thailand, Marc Speichert, chief commercial officer of Four Seasons Hotels, discusses the luxury group’s perfect synergy with the hit HBO series – and where you can live the experience
-
Night at the museum: the best art hotels to book nowSleep amid surrealists at London’s Broadwick Soho, or wake up to contemporary favourites at New Hotel in Athens – indulge in an immersive art hotel experience
-
A next-generation Milanese members’ club wins Wallpaper* Design Award 2025The Wilde wins our Best Social Hub award for its embodiment of the cosmopolitan Milanese spirit
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: meet the travel winners transcending destinationsDiscover the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 travel winners – the year’s places to stay, dine, drink and join – and watch our video to find out why they won
