This is an exciting project that unites an entrepreneurial vision, which is far-sighted, original and “artisan”, with a strong sense of belonging to the land of origin. This also characterises the hotel façade, entirely layered in Lecce stone, which reflects the distinctive feature of local churches and buildings that render the city world-known as the capital of Baroque.

The origin of the hotel’s entire construction project was Viaggio Nel Salento, a design competition for hotel rooms that was launched for and addressed to young local architects in conjunction with the Faculty of Design at the Polytechnic of Milan. The competition reflected the hotel design trend where the standardisation of rooms was replaced by a modern and exclusive concept, yet rich with Salento’s traditional hospitality and typical characteristics of the area.

The project guidelines are based on the idea of overcoming the notion of a hotel as a simple accommodation facility in favour of a more conceptual design, according to which the hotel is considered a place where the story of a setting is narrated and proper attention is given to the quality of life and the environment, with the choice of bio and eco-friendly materials.

The jury panel of Viaggio Nel Salento, which included the architect Andrea Montinari, from Milan, Luca Scacchetti, Prof. Giuliano Simonelli, Prof. Francesco Scullica, Prof. Luisa Collina and Prof. Francesco Zurlo of Poli.Design, judged the projects presented according to originality, innovation, technical feasibility, cost-effectiveness and above all proximity to the Salento area.

The tangible result of the design competition was the construction of a 3-star hotel, classified according to national standards, whose purpose is to improve service quality provided to customers by paying attention to the use of durable materials, which are suitable for the climatic characteristics of the area, while still creating a space where innovation and tradition to co-exist.