Spread the love

This year, culturally minded travellers will be privy to an insider’s guide to Ostuni, Puglia, with Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa.

A property as immersed in Italian history as the city over which it presides, the new hotel is offering an incredible range of activities and local experiences.  Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa was founded on a passion for the delicacies and architecture that surround it, so it comes as no surprise that every element of a guest’s stay is tailored towards engrossing them in their surroundings.

With Paragon 700’s Boutique Hotel & Spa unrivalled located between Ostuni’s 700th and 800th historic district, guests can look forward to experiencing all that Ostuni and Puglia have to offer. Every element of the charming city will be at their fingertips, with the hotel team on hand to arrange tailor-made experiences, from bespoke voyages on the hotel’s private boat, to wine tastings, motorcycle tours and cooking classes. Those looking to enjoy the region’s stunning beaches can take advantage of reserved sun loungers at P-Beach, Paragon 700’s sister beach club. Meanwhile, keen golfers will discover 18 seaside holes, just 30 minutes away at the San Dominica golf club, offering an impressive 72 par, 6.3-kilometre course set against the stunning backdrop of the rocky Adriatic Coast.  The hotel will also play host to events throughout the year, from alfresco art classes to open-air cinema evenings.

Whether enjoying a Turkish bath and multi-sensory shower at the hotel’s spa, or plunging into the Adriatic Sea on an excursion. Here are just a few of the activities on offer to for those staying at what is arguably Puglia’s most exciting new opening this year:

Burrata School

Puglia is beloved by locals and guests for many things, perhaps the most enticing of which is the cuisine and specifically fresh Italian Burrata. Guests of Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa can look forward to an exclusive visit to a local cheese maker to see how the famous cheese is made. Guests will be hands on, learning the secrets of exquisite cheese making.  Then finally (and most importantly) there will be cheese tasting!

Picnic in the Olive Garden & Olive Oil Tasting

The landscape of Puglia is one streaked with more than 60 million olive trees.  The city contains the highest concentration of century old olive trees than anywhere else in the world.  On this excursion guests will be taken to an olive oil mill for an authentic tasting experience before settling down to a picnic prepared for them amongst the olive groves- utter bliss!

Cookery Classes

Guests looking to continue their culinary journey in Puglia can join a hands-on private cooking class in a local masseria. The three-hour immersion will offer the chance to discover local ingredients and specialities while cooking typical Apulian dishes, which can of course then be enjoyed for lunch. Guests can take away delicious recipes to recreate at home, evoking tastes of their trip until they can visit once again.

Private Boat Voyages

Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa’s private boat, Dragonfly, is available for guests to charter for a day out on the crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic Sea. Guests can board from the quaint seaside town of Savelletri and spend the day exploring secluded coves and picturesque bays, stopping for refreshing swims whenever suits. The experienced crew will guide guests through the waters to the best spots along the coast and will also be on hand with cooling drinks and a delicious lunch for the ultimate day out on the water. 

Historical Sites

For travellers with a mind for discovery, there are few better destinations.  Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa offer guided tours to historical sites around Ostuni.  From UNESCO World Heritage Site Alberobello: the town of the trulli, to Matera, the city where houses have been carved out of rocks and are still inhabited today.  In the ancient city of Bari guests can look forward to exploring a maze of charming streets dating back to the Normans (XI Century).

Artisanal Shopping
Each of the 11 meticulously restored guest rooms at Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa are different and guests who fall in love with the chic interiors will be delighted to discover that they can buy select furniture and décor to take home as the ultimate holiday memento. The hotel owners have partnered with ‘Made in Carcere’, an organisation working with detainees from Lecce’s Prison for Women to help set them on a path of permanent rehabilitation.  The fashion items and accessories the women produce are for sale at the hotel’s boutique. Paragon 700’s unrivalled location means guests will be perfectly placed to explore and shop Italy’s White City, a haven of boutique shops and markets. Take Vineria I Buongiorno, where delicious Italian wines are accompanied by beautiful souvenirs for loved ones such as a ‘Pumi di Grottaglie’, depicting a symbol of good luck and rebirth.  The team at Paragon 700 suggest guests visit Ad’Opera, a contemporary gallery that features selected antiques and paintings that can even be custom made.

Polignano Grottos

Visit these scenic rocky grottos to discover deep and expansive caves that run in a jagged line along the coastal cliff walls. There are almost 40 grottos of this kind in Polignano a Mare alone. The largest of these is Grotta Palazzese, which is considered one of the most beautiful wonders of the world.  Guests can visit by boat and swim within the mystical caves beneath the stunning Italian coastline for a magical day out to remember.

This enticing variety of activities coupled with insider knowledge and expertise, makes Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa the ideal destination for explorers, foodies, shoppers, golfers, sea farers and wanderers alike. With beautiful Ostuni as their playground, guests will relish in the hotel’s peace and tranquillity, while dipping in and out of the buzz of electric local activity in Italy’s white city as and when they please. With the team at Paragon 700 as personal guides and the stylish hotel as a centre, those staying at this new boutique hotel will return home educated in the verses of Italian history, cuisine and culture and counting the days to their return.