Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008 - (Page 17)

RELAIS VILLA SAN MARTINO (opposite) boasts a hilltop swimming pool and landscaped patio. FITTINGLY, LA SOMMITA, in the ancient “white town” of Ostuni, features chic white rooms (left). MASSERIA TORRE MAIZZA‘s classically decorated 28 guest rooms are in an old masseria, or farmhouse (below). The Oasi spa is evocative, with terra cotta walls and subdued lighting. If your client opts for the ayurveda massage, ask for Tara—she uses extra-virgin Apulian olive oil. Treatments include options for pregnant women and for men. (For spa assistance, contact Lucia Pastore at the Hospitality Desk via the main number, 39-080-480-5152). Chef Pino Olivieri offers Apulian specialties, such as capocollo from Martina Franca served with fresh mozzarella bufala from Murgia; sommelier/maître d’hotel Giuseppe Cupertino can suggest the best wines, and decants them with flair. Tip: We suggest setting up a wine tasting or special dinner in the courtyard at La Cantinetta under an ancient olive tree. Also, Villa San Martino will add a helicopter pad in 2008 to facilitate the arrival of high-profile guests. Luxury home fragrance and décor company Culti offers its hospitality in the ancient “white town” of Ostuni at La Sommitá Relais (www.lasommita.it). Culti’s addictive scents, sold at the hotel, swirl around the contemporary space, which is designed within curved original stone walls by Alessandro Agreti. Cream and beige furnishings set off the views of the Adriatic. Manager Luisa Spina (info@lasommita. it; 39-083-130-5925) and her col- leagues, Ilaria Sabatelli and Luigi Sasso, in reception/reservations, are charming and helpful. The 10-room (three suites, three junior suites, four deluxe) La Sommitá is at the top of a narrow medieval street, which means walking is required to get there (though hotel staff will help with the luggage); there is no elevator in the historic building. There is a small spa to soothe tired muscles with four-hand massages and other treatments. Inside, the Master Suite, our favorite, is an elegant hideaway within the private walled orangerie. A glass-walled Jacuzzi and shower crown the huge bath- room. Our other favorites were Il Camino Suite 1, white-on-white with another fabulous bathroom, and Il Mare Junior Suite 4, with a fantastic view of the sea, which is three miles away. Masseria Torre Maizza (www.masseriatorremaizza.com), which comprises two 16thcentury watchtowers-turnedmasserie (old farmhouses), sits surrounded by ancient olive trees near the sea at Savelletri di Fasano. The hotel offers 28 rooms, plus its own yacht, private sandy beach, Aveda spa with two treatment rooms and a cooking school. Here, we fell in love with Palme Suite 8, with its private lap pool and enclosed terrace with a room for dinner or a massage. The suite has one bedroom, one big bathroom and a separate living room with a fireplace. Junior Suite 2 also has a fireplace and private terrace. Both suites have Jacuzzi tubs and showers. Superior Room 23 is convenient for those who might want to take an adjoining room for companions. It has a sitting area and private terrace overlooking the golf course. Tip: We loved the bar, the Mangiatoia, where the animals used to eat. Let Front Office Manager Elio Zazzera (eliozazzera@masseriatorremaizza.com; 39-380523-1626) and General Manager Domingo Muolo (info@masseria torremaizza.com) know that your clients are en route. Masseria Torre Coccaro www.luxuryta.com March 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 17 http://www.masseriatorremaizza.com http://www.lasommita.it http://www.luxuryta.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008

Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Dublin: We Tour the Irish Capital’s Top Offerings Puglia, Italy: Where to go for Complete Tranquility Small Meetings: Inspiring Settings for your Corporate Client The Thompson Beverly Hills: Bold New Style Arrives in Southern California US Grant: Unabashed Luxury in Downtown San Diego Sailing the Danube: Low-Key Luxury on River Cloud II Sin City Spas: The Latest From Some of our Favorite Las Vegas Retreats Bob Boulogne: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' COO Targets Elite Travel Advisors The Pulse Exotic Car Rental Jetset Report Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.