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As Puglia, the not-so-new Tuscany, continues its ascent in popularity, Masseria Torre Maizza makes a suitably chic addition to its high-end accommodation. The 500-year-old masseria (fortified farmhouse) near the medieval 'White City' of Ostuni, is owned by the Muolo family, proprietors of Masseria Torre Coccaro just down the road. One of dozens of masserias in the area, the building is surrounded by ancient olive groves and features a watchtower originally used to spot pirates advancing across
the Adriatic Sea (more recently, it was appropriated for illegal raves). The new hotel is Torre Coccaro's little sister in every sense: while Coccaro has a rustic look, Maizza is ultra-sophisticated and contemporary and attracts a younger, hip European crowd. The 28 rooms, designed by Vittorio Muolo and decorated with a monochrome palette, are in a new-build extension that blends in seamlessly with thick, whitewashed stone walls, shuttered windows and traditional fireplaces. Elsewhere, the farm's original features have been preserved: the vaulted restaurant, which serves excellent Apulian cuisine using organic home-grown vegetables, still has the ceiling hooks used to dry tomatoes. Pre-dinner drinks are taken in the bar, which spills out onto a courtyard furnished with teak sofas from Bali and lit by lanterns. For those not content with eating and lounging by the huge square swimming pool, there is a small Aveda spa and a nine-hole golf course. The Muolo family's stylish beach club, where everyone seems to know each other, is a 15-minute cycle ride away.
WHEN TO GO
May or September, before and after the swelteringly hot main season.
ROOM TO BOOK
Any of the airy Junior Suites, or for a real treat, a Palm Suite with private pool and terrace.
CONTACT
Contra da Coccaro, Savelletri di Fasano, Brindisi, Puglia, Italy (00 39 080 482 9310; www.masseriatorremaizza.com).
COST
Doubles from 279 euros; Junior Suites from 398 euros; Palm Suite from 662 euros
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