The Best Hotels to Book in Bari

More London or New York than typical Bari, Dilman’s chic and modern rooms are a rare find in this historic city. The hotel is a prime pick for style-conscious couples or business high-flyers on expense accounts, with its angular, cool white furnishings and warm wooden floors. Floor-to-ceiling windows – in some cases, terraces – really let the southern Italian rays spill in, while the largest rooms come with kitchenettes and exercise equipment, ideal for longer stays.

Wood beams and 16th-century stone walls add vintage atmosphere to Palazzo Calo. But the throw-back feel stops there: statement pendant lights, stone sinks and the occasional colour-pop from minimalist furniture thrust this collection of 12 apartments into 2021. Kitchens come as part of the package, but with breakfast delivered to your suite each morning, plus a prime location within the winding alleyways of Old Town Bari (Bari Vecchia) – minutes from osterie and cafes – you needn’t cook a thing.

A Bari classic since the 1950s, the Palace Hotel doesn’t bother with fleeting trends. This is a stay all about traditional comforts: courteous staff, sink-in leather armchairs, fluffy robes and a hearty breakfast. That’s not to say it’s stuck in the past, mind you. Rooms are splashed with contemporary art, while a roof garden lends timeless views across Bari’s basilica-dominated Old Town – on a sunny day, there’s no finer place in the city to sink a glass of prosecco.

In this city, the sea is never far away from your hotel – Bari is a summer destination for a reason – but this waterside property really frames it, capturing the surf’s calm shimmer in the morning and gliding boats in the afternoon. The building itself, constructed in the 1930s, is just as striking, with its creamy, futurist-inspired curves, velvety lobby sofas and rooftop terrace pool. Sky-blue rooms continue the nautical vibe, as does the Adriatic-facing restaurant, which serves dressed-up treats such as lobster pasta.

Is your holiday not a holiday unless there’s a pool? If so, book in here, where you’ll not get a mere puddle, but rather a rambling, turquoise slick, fringed with trees, stretch-out loungers and perfectly placed umbrellas for when the Apulian sun gets too intense. You might think that all this outdoor space means a compromise on central location, but nope – the hotel is just moments from the central station, and a short walk from the Instagrammable waterfront.

From the open-air, rooftop dining terrace – fringed in blooming shrubs and olive trees – to marbled corridors, livened with elegant orchids and snake plants, this stylish B&B merges the indoors and outdoors expertly. You’re in Murat, Bari’s bustling centre, but rooms maintain a zen-like calm with caramel woods and white everywhere. While it’s stylish enough for a coupley romantic break, both pets and children are welcome – there’s even a babysitting service on tap.

Get ready for regality in this central Murat district hotel, housed in a palatial Art Nouveau building next to the famous, opulent Teatro Petruzzelli. Imposing stone columns at the entrance, sumptuous padded headboards, a marbled lobby with oversized arm chairs – ‘indulgent’ is almost an under-statement. Don’t leave without sinking an Aperol Spritz on the sweeping roof terrace, with unobstructed views to the neighbouring buildings and out to sea.

With just three rooms, all named after Hollywood glamour gals – Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe – book early to snag a spot in this romantic B&B in Bari Vecchia, a tangle of picturesque alleyways. Ancient stone walls are contrasted with millennial colour combos of dusty pink and olive green, with just as much care given to the single room (Sophia Loren) as the doubles. Perfect if you’ll be spending your time out exploring, and just want somewhere cute to crash.