.jpg?ssl=1 "8 family-friendly hotels in Puglia for an Italian escape that every generation will love in 2026")
Best for: an aparthotel
Borgo Valle Rita is on the border of Puglia and Basilicata, close to the sandy beaches and dappled clear waters of the Ionian Sea. Here it’s all about the land though, a 103-hectare farmstead that inspires a slow, seasonal way of life. Family owned, and now in its third generation, the original 14th-century manor and its farm buildings were sensitively restored under the vision of Milan-based architect Anna Mazzucchelli, with its apart-hotel set-up ideal for family stays. The independent apartments and villas, ranging from two to five bedrooms, are housed in a cluster of white-washed outbuildings creeping with purple bougainvillea. Inside, antique furniture and earthy accents of green and terracotta style the space, with pretty tiled kitchenettes giving flexibility for family dining. Children are welcome in the restaurant, with a dedicated menu reflecting the hotel’s farm-to-table ethos, featuring 100% organic, estate-grown ingredients in full-of-flavour seasonal Puglian recipes. All fuel for exploring the hotel’s vast estate, on foot or by (classic or electric) bike. There’s the ancient palm groves and thousands of citrus trees, a tennis court, ping pong table, and swimming pool with panoramic views over the valley. Keep your eyes peeled and you might spot a resident ostrich or two.
Address: 74013 Girifalco Province of Taranto, Italy
Price: From about £140 per night.
Best for: sleeping in a trulli
The magic of staying in a trulli doesn’t get old. In Puglia’s fairytale Valle d’Itria, below the luminous ‘white city’ of Ostuni, the cones of Masseria Cervaroli’s trulli settlement appear above the olive groves. The masseria and surrounding trulli have been thoughtfully restored, preserving the beauty in their stone walls and curvature. The trulli junior suite quadruple has three beds and a large living space tucked beneath the trulli turret, while the beautiful two-bedroom lamia suite – in a converted 17th-century lamia in the garden – provides the most privacy for families. Travel cots are available on request for most rooms. Children can work up an appetite in the shallow pool and surrounding gardens before cooking-up pizzas with the chef, or book bikes to explore Valle d’Itria, taking to the narrow lanes flanked by dry-stone walls that wind through olive groves and pretty whitewashed villages. Stop off at nearby Masseria Ferri’s educational farm to spot the animals and learn the art of cheesemaking.
Address: S.P. 14 Ostuni – Martina Franca, Contrada Cervarolo, 72017 Ostuni (BR), Italy
Price: From about £180 per night.