Rocco Forte Masseria Torre Maizza

Rocco Forte Masseria Torre Maizza

Most mornings here start on a ground-floor terrace looking past ancient olive groves toward the Mediterranean, the scent of myrtle and jasmine drifting in from the orchards that once made this a working farm before it reopened as a 26-room hotel in 2006. Rocco Forte's Masseria Torre Maizza sits on a hillside estate in Fasano, Puglia, about 1.5 kilometres from the coast, with a private beach and a shuttle down to Lido Bambù, the group's beach club near Monopoli. What sets it apart from the region's other converted masserie is Irene Forte Spa, the family's own wellness brand, alongside a genuine sporting roster: a golf course, tennis, horse riding, diving and windsurfing, plus free bicycles for riding out through the vineyards. The kitchen runs a restaurant, a buffet grocery store, a pool bar and a lobby bar, with 24-hour room service and gluten-free and diet menus on request. Rooms and suites, most on the ground floor, look over the sea or the olive groves; the Torre Suite sits on the tower's first floor. This suits couples and small groups who want an estate to explore on foot or by bike, who golf or ride, and who don't mind arranging spa slots and tee times in advance. It suits less anyone who needs a lift, since the property has none and relies on its ground-level layout instead, or anyone travelling on a tight budget: airport transfers run 220 euros each way, extra beds 80 euros a night, and a cleaning tax and possible gala dinner fees are billed separately. The seasonal pool runs April to October only. A 26-room Rocco Forte estate above Fasano's coast, built around an old masseria and olive groves, with Irene Forte Spa and a private beach shuttle. It suits those willing to book golf and spa ahead; it has no lift for anyone who needs one.