Palazzo Margherita

We enjoyed a 3 day stay at the Palazzo in October 2024. Fantastic experience from start to finish. Other contributors here have described the place beautifully so I will merely say it was one of our best ever holiday experiences. The location / rooms / food were all excellent but the standout was the people. Rarely have we experienced such courtesy , good humour and professionalism , all delivered with grace and panache. Bravo to all involved.

My husband and I stayed at Palazzo Margherita for a couple of nights during our 9-day trip through Puglia, and we absolutely loved it. Located in Bernalda, close to Matera, this boutique hotel is part of Francis Ford Coppola’s family ‘Hideaways,’ and you can really feel his connection to the town where his grandfather was born. The renovation is beautiful, and every part of the hotel is thoughtfully designed. We stayed in Suite 9, which honors Coppola’s Tunisian-born grandmother, and the room’s exotic mosaic ceilings, exquisite tiled flooring, and furniture reflected the decor of that region. The grounds are lush, with olive trees, flowers, and a gorgeous pool that makes the whole place feel like a peaceful retreat. The service was fantastic, especially thanks to Rossella, the manager, who made us feel so welcome. A highlight of our stay was a group dinner Rossella organized with the other guests of the hotel, where we were served delicious cheese, grilled meat, and fabulous local wines. The dining here is excellent, with breakfast also being a real treat—local cheeses, meats, and dairy from the area that were just so fresh. Palazzo Margherita is definitely a splurge, but one that's totally worth it. We can’t wait to go back!

What a fabulous place-- really extraordinary. 9-room renovated palazzo in Basilicata, not far from Matera (which is extraordinary and worth a full-day visit). Rooms are spacious and elegant. Staff is extremely warm and welcoming-- Jennifer at the front desk is a real gem, and she escorts guests on torus of local cheesemaking shop. We stayed here for two nights, concluding an eight-night Puglia trip, and it was the perfect conclusion. Francis Ford Coppola pulled out all the stops in creating this gem. The grounds are tranquil and beautiful; the food is first-rate (great pizzas!) and the staff (shout out to Francesco!) terrific. Really authentic; the town is a small place where you feel immediately at home. We were there for my birthday and the hotel staff couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. Breakfasts and dinners in the courtyard are movie-worthy-- Coppola knows how to stage settings!

NOT WELCOMING AT ALL We called & made reservations for lunch, drove TWO HOURS to get there ..only to be told the nice restaurant & garden was only available to hotel guests (of which there was ONE) and we were shoved off into a generic bar on the busy street. Totally ungracious place - NEVER GO THERE

It was truly a wonderful experience. The service we received was second to none. The surroundings were beautiful and the food was delicious. The staff was so helpful. They provided suggestions for interesting things to do and helped us plan an eventful day. We will definitely stay here again.

We enjoyed our two night stay at Palazzo Margherita. The hotel maintains an excellent service standard, and provides an interesting travel experience; the rooms fell somewhat short of fulfilling expectations at this price point and the hotel, although aesthetically lovely, was perhaps not as impressive as we had hoped. We arrived in Bernalda on a stormy day. The elegant courtyard area photographed with dripping wisteria in marketing photos was a bit of mess (given the weather- of course), and we had the best welcome tour possible in the circumstances- focusing on the Palazzo’s interior and dining spaces (charming). We were shown to our garden view room (number 3). While I accept this room is in the lowest category, the price for entry to the hotel is significant, and we didn’t think the room was good enough at a hotel of this reputed calibre. There was a strong musty smell (something the hotel is aware of), and it was very dark. After speaking to the front desk they kindly moved us to one of the Villa rooms. I was a little disappointed- given our booking included an option for upgrade on arrival if available- that this room hadn’t been offered to us at the outset. Members of staff had mentioned that occupancy was low and so I thought this was a strange omission. Our second room was a single large cavernous room (it felt like 50square metres) with a truly gorgeous marble bathroom. The decorations were very plain. I understand this room type retails for well over 1000 USD. Even with our somewhat lower rate it was somewhat disappointing aesthetically. It was, however, very comfortable. The staff went to great effort to move us as quickly as possible in the storm- which was much appreciated. The other couple we met during our stay was in the Sofia suite and indicated it was quite magnificent. I suspect the named suites are FAR better than the other rooms. The weather briefly improved the next morning and we enjoyed a morning at the hotel’s lovely pool area- it’s a fabulous pool, and the historical garden leading to it is charming. The hotel describes it as small, but with only a handful of rooms, it’s really quite gorgeous. Service is available when requested, but water is provided for free in an ice bucket- a practical and nice touch. Services at the hotel cannot be faulted otherwise. The front desk was always impeccably responsive. The hotel arranged a wonderful complimentary cooking class (which greatly increased my perception of the hotel’s value)- we made friends with a wonderful couple from Boston and subsequently had dinner together. The hotel cinema is very special, also complimentary, and we loved watching ‘The Conversation’ after the weather turned on our second day. Food was a highlight. Our first night with pizza at Cinecitta Bar was fabulous. Given the hotel had (unusually) low occupancy, we enjoyed the atmosphere in this public bar. The pizza was excellent. Our second night we enjoyed a fabulous meal in the kitchen with the couple