Masseria Torre Maizza

A DAZZLING WHITE MASSERIA overlooking the inky blue Adriatic, Masseria Torre Maizza simply rustles with luxurious urban chic. 

Built 500 years ago to guard against Ottoman invaders and set amid vineyards, olive and lemon groves, this stylish little sister of nearby Masseria Torre Coccaro attracts a glamorous crowd looking for five-star indulgence by the sea.

Torre Maizza’s former stables have been turned into chic and contemporary guest quarters, while the tower houses a sleek spa. Lush flower-filled grounds criss-crossed with little paths stretch away from the pool deck, and a private beach club with its ribbon of silver sand beckons from the coast, a few kilometres away. Myrtle and jasmine scent the air.

Coolly understated 

Light and spacious bedrooms – rustic with a decidedly urban twist – are coolly understated. Whitewashed stone walls, flagstone floors, hand woven wool rugs and shuttered windows epitomise the contemporary rustic chic look, underlined by the monochrome pictures and restrained slate-y colours. Junior suites have open hearths and jacuzzi baths, while the two suites have their own private pools.  

In the watchtower once used for spotting pirates at sea, you can now be pummelled and preened in Masseria Torre Maizza’s sleek stone and wood Aveda spa – just the place to flop after a tough day in the water. Swim in the hotel’s solar-heated outdoor pool with its suntrap deck and double-bed loungers, or in the Adriatic waves fringing the sandy beach.

Sip pre-dinner drinks on teak Balinese sofas or Moroccan-style cushions in the lantern-lit courtyard before moving into the vaulted stone restaurant, where organic produce grown in Torre Maizza’s own gardens goes into first-rate Puglian cuisine. All is elegance here, with chrome and minimalist creams and whites. For more casual eats, there’s the sushi bar down at the beach club. 

Practise your swing on the nine hole golf course nearby, hop aboard the hotel’s private yacht or explore the medieval hilltop city of Ostuni. Or simply order another prosecco and take to your hammock for another siesta in the sun.  

© Room for Romance