Don Ferrante

Don Ferrante in Monopoli, Italy, a Michelin Key Selected property, is widely acclaimed as a luxurious and romantic 5-star hotel offering an exquisite experience in the heart of the historic center.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

The overall sentiment for Don Ferrante is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing it as "magical," "charming," and a "perfect place." It holds a "wonderful" rating of 9.2 based on 475 reviews, with high scores for location (9.7), cleanliness (9.5), comfort (9.6), and staff (9.5). Many consider it Monopoli's best hotel and well worth the cost.

2. Key Highlights

Guests consistently praise several aspects of Don Ferrante:

• Location: Situated directly on the cliffs overlooking the Adriatic Sea, in the heart of Monopoli's historical center, it offers stunning sea views and easy access to both the old town and nearby beaches.
• Design & Ambiance: The hotel is a beautifully restored ancient fortress, featuring a rustic and authentic design with vaulted limestone ceilings, white walls, and ancient stone. The ambiance is described as elegant, romantic, and intimate, with inviting patios and terraces.
• Rooftop Terrace & Pool: The panoramic rooftop terrace is a major highlight, offering incredible views of the sea, a small plunge pool with hydromassage jets, a solarium, and a bar perfect for drinks at sunset.
• Service: The staff is consistently described as amazingly friendly, helpful, attentive, and professional, dedicated to ensuring a memorable stay.
• Amenities: The hotel offers a seasonal outdoor pool, a lounge bar, in-room massage services, free Wi-Fi, and personalized services like private tours, cooking classes, and transfers.

3. Room Quality

Don Ferrante offers 17 rooms, including six suites, spread across three separate buildings (main hotel, guesthouse, townhouse). The rooms have a unique design with stone walls and elegant furnishings, blending traditional and modern elements. They are air-conditioned and equipped with free WiFi, flat-screen TVs, laptop safes, and high-quality Frette linens. Guests frequently highlight comfortable beds and well-lit bathrooms. Some rooms boast balconies or roof terraces with stunning sea views, while others offer views of the old town. Suites can feature amenities like fireplaces and hydro-massage showers.

4. Dining Experience

The hotel's restaurant, Locanda Don Ferrante, serves a rich continental breakfast buffet daily in an atmospheric 16th-century gunpowder store with a stone barrel-vaulted ceiling. Breakfast includes freshly baked pastries, local cold cuts and cheeses, cereals, yogurt, tarts, fresh juices, and cooked-to-order eggs and bacon. In summer, the seasonal restaurant on the terrace also serves amazing local seafood and Mediterranean flavors for lunch and dinner (typically open from May to September for lunch and June to August for dinner, closed on Wednesdays), offering incredible views. Guests have praised the quality and taste of the breakfast, with some calling it "the best breakfast in Puglia."

5. Service & Staff

The staff at Don Ferrante receives exceptional praise for being incredibly friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, attentive, and professional. They are dedicated to ensuring a memorable stay, readily providing local recommendations, helping plan day trips in Monopoli's old town, and assisting with transport. Services also include private transfers, in-room massages, and personalized itineraries.

6. Location & Accessibility

Don Ferrante boasts an outstanding location, perched on the cliffs within Monopoli's historical center, offering panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea. It is ideally situated for exploring the town's whitewashed houses, narrow alleys, historical churches, and magnificent palaces on foot. The hotel is close to local beaches and offers a free shuttle to affiliated private beaches approximately 7 km away. For transport, it is well connected by the SS16 national road, and Bari and Brindisi airports are about a 40-minute drive away. The hotel can arrange free pick-ups from Monopoli train station (5 minutes away) from 8 am to 7 pm and offers private transfers to airports. While parking in the old town is restricted, guests can drop off luggage at the hotel entrance, and public and private parking options are available nearby. Attractions like Fasano Zoo and the caves of Castellana Grotte are also within a 20-minute drive.

7. Value & Pricing

Many guests feel that Don Ferrante, as the only 5-star hotel in Monopoli, is "worth every penny" for its luxurious and romantic experience. While specific price ranges vary, a 1-night stay for two adults can start from approximately $209.49, excluding taxes and fees. The hotel consistently scores highly for "Value for money" (8.4).

8. Common Complaints

While overwhelmingly positive, a few minor criticisms have been noted:

• Pool Size: Some guests describe the rooftop plunge pool as "small" or "tiny."
• Room Perception: One review mentioned a "smaller than expected" room, and another reported a "disappointing" underground room with no windows and a bathroom not separated from the bedroom, which they felt did not live up to 5-star expectations for the price.
• Limited Communal Areas: One guest felt there was barely anywhere to sit in communal outdoor areas for hotel guests, beyond the rooftop.
• Breakfast Location: A minor complaint highlighted that breakfast is served indoors rather than having an option to be on the roof terrace.

Sources

1. orminatours.com
2. booking.com
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4. selectedbyrg.com
5. mrandmrssmith.com
6. charmingpuglia.com
7. hotels.com
8. donferrante.it
9. expedia.com
10. booking.com