Palascia Wellness Relais

Why it’s on the Edit

Palascia Wellness Relais is a small seaside hotel at the easternmost point of Italy. It stands between Mediterranean scrub and the Adriatic, at the Baia delle Orte beside the Punta Palascia lighthouse, outside Otranto.

The label is slippery, so here is the plain version. The 2021 register of the Regione Puglia files the property twice: as a bed and breakfast with six rooms and 12 beds, and as holiday apartments with four units, seven bathrooms and 20 beds. Its own website calls it a hotel by the sea, with a relais in the name.

What you get is a handful of rooms and units in a quiet spot with a view of the bay and the lighthouse. The relais describes comfortable luxury in a family atmosphere, with an oriental touch in the rooms.

The rooms

Four types are on the website. Classic rooms, which the site calls the most affordable, are on the first floor above reception and breakfast, with a king-size bed, about 18 square meters, and a window at floor level looking at the bay and the lighthouse.

Deluxe rooms are on the ground floor, about 20 square meters, with an independent entrance and a private patio with a table, chairs and parasol. They have a king-size bed, a private bathroom with a shower, Acqua di Parma toiletries, heating and air conditioning, a 32-inch television with Sky, a minibar and a safe.

Superior and Family units spread over two levels. Downstairs are a living area, a bathroom and a private patio. Upstairs are the bedrooms: one in a Superior, with a floor-level window that looks at the bay and lighthouse or, in some units, at the Torre del Serpe, and two in a Family unit.

Eating and drinking

Breakfast is the meal the relais describes. It is a rich buffet available at all hours, with homemade sweet and savory items, fresh seasonal fruit and options without gluten or lactose for guests with intolerances.

The relais does not list a restaurant of its own. For dinner it names two partner restaurants for its à la carte menu, Augustus Resort and Il Villino.

Ask at booking how dinner works with those partners, and whether reservations are made through the relais.

The setting

The relais sits on a coast of scrub and sea, close to a lighthouse and a tower. It lists a free shuttle to and from Otranto, which the municipality of Otranto provides and which may change in the summer.

A garden with loungers looks over the sea. The services page lists an exclusive private pool, so ask whether it belongs to some units or to all guests.

The relais rents mountain bikes, scooters, cars, e-bikes and Segways for exploring Salento independently. Wi-fi is free throughout and a concierge answers around the clock.

Good to know

• The register lists the property as a bed and breakfast with six rooms and four holiday apartments.
• A free shuttle to Otranto is listed, run by the municipality, and it may change in summer.
• A concierge is on call 24 hours, and a transfer from the airport or station can be booked.
• Wi-fi is free throughout the relais, with a registration on a hotspot.
• Not confirmed here: pets, children’s facilities, opening months and a spa.
• Price band: 2 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

It suits couples and families who want a handful of rooms near a lighthouse, a view of the bay and a free shuttle into Otranto, and who are happy with breakfast on site and dinner out.

A restaurant in the building, a spa and a beach at the gate are not confirmed here; for dinner the relais names two partner restaurants. Masseria Mongiò dell’Elefante has a spa and a shaded path to the Baia dei Turchi. Palazzo de Mori is inside Otranto’s old town.

Getting there

Palascia Wellness Relais is at the Baia delle Orte, in the Otranto and the Adriatic Salento area. The relais names Brindisi airport.

A car or a rented bike or scooter helps, since the relais is outside town. The relais says it runs an airport shuttle on request, and it mentions a bus option.