Villa Cheta

A charmingly old-fashioned and romantic hotel set in a quiet coastal village near Maratea

Tucked into the hillside in Acquafredda, a village just off the winding Basilicata coastal road, this 19th-century Liberty villa is quaintly pretty. Warmly rosewashed and cream stuccoed, it sits in a fragrant, dappled and multi-tiered garden filled with hundred-year-old trees, hot-pink bougainvillea and little stone statues. There's a bistro-style patio for candlelit dining in the summer months, and a huge suntrap roof terrace with loungers facing glorious sea and mountain views.

The style is deliberately old-fashioned - think lace doilies, silver salvers, oil paintings, delicate curls of wrought-iron and art nouveau glass - and tends to attract an older (but still adventurous) crowd. But it doesn't feel at all fusty. The 23 rooms have floor-length Broderie Anglaise curtains, antique wardrobes, Persian rugs and pushed-together wrought-iron twin beds, softly lit by glass-bell lampshades. Best of all, though, is Villa Cheta's serenity - it is wonderfully peaceful, apart from intermittent train whistles. All you'll hear is the chirruping of birds, tinkling of mountain goat bells and shush of waves down on the nearby shore.

Highs

• A stunning setting on a 19km coastal stretch of pebbled beaches with azure waters; the hotel cove is a short stroll away, and Villa Cheta also offers a free shuttle service to a couple of bigger beaches
• Within 10 minutes' drive of Maratea, with its ancient centro storico of winding cobbled streets and 44 churches
• Tasty, traditional and filling Lucanian fare at the in-house restaurant (think seafood fritters, octopus spaghetti, and swordfish with cauliflower flan)
• Exceptionally friendly and helpful staff, from head waiter Biagio up to owners Stefania and Piero
• There's a good choice of indoor and outdoor areas to relax and mingle in, from the suntrap roof terrace to chandeliered lounges

Lows

• Drinks are expensive, and there are a few petty price policies: a charge for beach towels and loungers on the hotel beach; a charge to use the guest computer; no drinks from outside can be kept in your minibar
• No double beds - only twins pushed together
• When we visited (in May, Low Season) the beach cove looked a little tatty, and there was only 1 lonely parasol and 2 loungers; during the other months there are more
• Occasional Italian conference groups having late-night fun on the patio; a little noisy
• The booking/reception staff's English is limited