Patria Palace

What the property says

Patria Palace is a noble residence of the 18th century, built by Mauro Manieri for the marquises D’Anna-Petrarolo. The hotel calls Manieri a master of Leccese Baroque. The palace stands right across from the Basilica of Santa Croce, which the hotel calls the finest artistic expression of the city.

The building has had several lives, by the hotel’s own account. It was an aristocratic house, then an orphanage, then the city’s first inn, renamed Locanda Patria after the Unification of Italy. The hotel says that in 1997 it became the first five-star hotel in Puglia.

The case for it over a newer hotel in Lecce is simple: you sleep inside one of the buildings you came to see. If you want the old town on foot and a bed under Baroque vaults, this is the address. If you want a resort with grounds, it is not.

Where you sleep

The hotel lists nine room and suite types, and the first choice is the view. Superior rooms (about 24 m²) and Design Deluxe rooms (about 26 m²) look onto the interior. Deluxe Barocco View is also 24 m², with Santa Croce outside the window. Deluxe with Terrace adds a private terrace at 25 m².

The Junior Suite is 34 m² and faces the alleys. The Santa Croce Junior Suite, at 35 m², has a double balcony over the basilica.

Beyond those come Suite Ernesto Barba, Suite Tito Schipa, whose high vaults the hotel singles out, and a Terrace Suite With Pool. That last one has a private pool on its terrace, with Santa Croce in view.

The look runs from Art Deco wooden furniture to a minimal contemporary style, always under the palace’s original high vaults. The sizes are averages, so ask for the exact figure for the room you pick.

Eating and drinking

Atenze is the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, with a terrace. Executive Chef Cristiano Stamerra changes the dinner menu often and offers tasting menus built around Lecce and its origins. The hotel describes the cooking as local ingredients with contemporary ideas.

Sira is the rooftop bar, open on summer evenings. From it you look at Santa Croce, so close, in the hotel’s words, that it feels within reach.

The pages give no opening days or hours, so ask when you book a table.

The setting

Lecce is the city the hotel describes as Roman, Jewish and Baroque. It was founded as Lupiae in Roman times, had a Jewish community in the Middle Ages, and reached its artistic peak in the 17th century with Leccese Baroque. The hotel stands on Piazzetta Riccardi, inside the old town.

The sea is not at the door. From June to September the hotel runs a Beach Club service with a partner beach on the Adriatic coast, and a private shuttle takes guests there every day at scheduled times. It is not included in all rates and room types, so confirm it when you book.

The spa, Idume, takes its name from a legendary hidden river that the hotel says flows beneath Lecce.

Good to know

• The hotel is inside the restricted traffic zone (ZTL). Give your plate to the front desk on arrival so the authorities are informed.
• A valet parks your car in the private garage, charged per day.
• An electric car charger (type 2, AC) is available with a daily supplement.
• Dogs up to 8 kg are welcome, with a supplement for sanitizing the room.
• The Technogym fitness room is open 24 hours, and a personal trainer can be booked.
• Check-in is from 3 pm.
• Ask about the pool, children and opening months when you book. The Terrace Suite With Pool is the one pool the pages describe.
• Price band: 3 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

It suits travelers who want Baroque Lecce on foot, a spa after a day of churches and a gourmet dinner without leaving the building.

Look elsewhere if you want a pool to lounge beside, or a family room you can confirm in advance. Tivoli Palazzo 1880 Lecce, also in the old town, states family rooms and has a heated indoor pool. For a seafront stay with a private beach, Posia Retreat & SPA has a private beach.

Getting there

The hotel is in Lecce, in the Lecce and the North Salento coast area. The old town is for walking, and the hotel sits inside the restricted traffic zone, so read its directions before you drive in.

On arrival you hand the car to the valet, who parks it in the hotel’s private garage, so you do not have to look for a space in the old town. The hotel also offers a private transfer from and to the airport, with a supplement. Its guest-services page gives driving directions for the zone.