Dilman Boutique Hotel

Why it’s on the Edit

Dilman calls itself a boutique hotel and residence; the Regione Puglia register files it as guest rooms (affittacamere), a B&B and a residence, with no hotel category. It stands on Via Calefati, in the center of Bari, a few steps from the Murat district and the old city. A pool, a spa and a restaurant of its own are not confirmed on the official pages.

What it does have is the position and a distinctive building. A vertical garden of more than 300 aromatic plants runs through the hotel, and some rooms look onto it.

The hotel says it takes guests on business or for pleasure, for a weekend or a longer stay, and the room mix follows that.

The rooms

Dilman has four room types. Double rooms sit on floors two to five, with a travertine-clad shower, and face either Via Calefati or the vertical garden. Relax rooms, on floors four and five, add a travertine bathroom with a Jacuzzi and a private sauna.

The Suite has a terrace over the city, a canopied bed, a walk-in closet, a home cinema and a Technogym exercise bike. Its kitchenette has a serving window onto the terrace.

The Residence is on the sixth floor, with a kitchenette and dining table. The hotel suggests it for longer stays and for traveling with children.

Every room has a Hermès courtesy line, a satellite TV with pay-per-view, Wi-Fi, independent air conditioning, underfloor heating and a minibar. The hotel also lists bathrobes, slippers and a coffee machine. Only some rooms have the sauna, so ask for one by type.

If quiet matters, ask which side a Double room faces. The street view and the garden view are sold as two different outlooks, and the hotel gives no noise information.

Eating and drinking

Breakfast is included in Relax, Double and Suite rooms. The hotel lists seasonal fruit, hot dishes and freshly baked croissants.

The official pages mention room service but present neither a restaurant nor a bar, so dinner is a decision you make in the city.

Ask the reception for its restaurant list when you book, so you have a table in mind on the first night. The hotel keeps a page of Bari restaurants it has selected. For the local table it names the fish market, focaccia, the polenta sgagliozze and orecchiette.

The setting

The hotel’s own description of the neighborhood is short: the Murat district for a day of shopping, the old town a few steps away, and a waterfront it counts among the longest in Italy.

The vertical garden cuts through the building and is visible from the rooms that face inward. Rooms on the street side look at Via Calefati. Floor matters too: Doubles are on floors two to five, Relax rooms on four and five, and the Residences on the sixth.

A lawn or a pool is not listed, so this is a base for people who want to be inside the city.

Good to know

• Four room types: Double, Relax, Suite and Residence.
• Breakfast is included in Relax, Double and Suite rooms.
• An in-room sauna is available only in some rooms.
• The hotel lists room service, a meeting room, keyless entry, a reception and a transfer with driver.
• A free minibar is listed among the room amenities.
• Pets, children’s policy, opening months and parking are not confirmed here.
• Price band: 1 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Dilman suits couples on a city weekend, people on business and families who need a kitchen; families should ask about the Residence. The Relax rooms suit anyone who wants a sauna or a Jacuzzi without leaving the room.

If a pool or a masseria in the countryside decides the trip, look elsewhere. Dogana Resort in Molfetta has a spa on the old port, and Palazzo Filisio is another palazzo option in the Bari and Trani area.

Getting there

Dilman is on Via Calefati in Bari, in the Bari and Trani area. Bari airport is the one to fly into.

Inside the city you do not need a car. For day trips along the coast or inland a car is the practical option, and parking is not confirmed, so ask where guests leave one in the center. The hotel lists a transfer with driver, so ask for it when you book.