La Sommita

Historic palazzo dominating the white hilltown of Ostuni, with Moorish patios and creamy interiors from Milanese boutique Culti

Ostuni is the most beguiling of Puglia's white towns; La Sommita is a hidden gem on its summit. You walk up through narrow flagged alleys, past Cycladic-white houses and Baroque churchfronts, to the hulking Aragonese cathedral at the top. Hidden to one side is La Sommita, built around a 16th-century palazzo. A glassed-in arch flanked by potted cacti opens onto a succession of cool vaults, which now house a remarkably sophisticated restaurant (one of Puglia's few Michelin stars). Outside is a Moorish-style walled garden with citrus trees, a dipping pool and parapets looking over the olive groves to the shimmering Adriatic.

Follow twisting stairs up to an arched salon, with gargantuan armchairs and spherical chrome speakers hanging from the 4-metre ceiling, all courtesy of Milan-based homeware label Culti. Off this lie the 10 rooms and suites. Each one is a pared down cell of meditative monochromes, with silky floors of Trani stone and dozens of flickering square candles. Some have vaulted ceilings hewn from the rock, others steep steps up to a mezzanine sleeping platform. All are cocooning and blissfully silent (the old town is traffic free). With a small spa downstairs, superb restaurants and gelaterie on your doorstep, and several beaches within 30 minutes' drive, it makes a great hideaway for couples and food lovers.

Highs

• It occupies a magnificent position at the peak of historic Ostuni, gazing over olive groves to the Adriatic coast
• The food was simply the best we have tasted in Puglia: delicate flavours, immaculate presentation and great value
• Beds are huge and extremely comfy; we slept like logs
• The sandy beaches, spring flowers and protected wildlife of Torre Guaceto nature reserve are only 30 mins away

Lows

• Bedrooms are rather too beige for my liking
• The piped chillout music may not be everyone's taste
• You can't drive to the door, though they operate a minibus transfer and porter system in summer
• Don't plan on swimming in the tiny pool; it's more of a leg-cooler (or an excuse to show off your tan)
• No twin bedrooms (only double)