Chiostro Dei Domenicani

“Lovely old convent building”

This is a gorgeous old convent, restored as a small-ish hotel with the main emphasis on the large halls and open-air spaces for public events (weddings etc). The rooms are on the upper part, very pleasant, tasteful and comfortable, all opening onto small or larger terraces around the main courtyard… more

This is a gorgeous old convent, restored as a small-ish hotel with the main emphasis on the large halls and open-air spaces for public events (weddings etc). The rooms are on the upper part, very pleasant, tasteful and comfortable, all opening onto small or larger terraces around the main courtyard. Breakfast is very good, served in one of the corners of the beautiful cloister, downstairs. Our stay was blissfully quiet, as there were no events taking place, except a lunchtime celebration that was wrapping up as we were checking in. I am not sure if any rooms are made available to external guests when evening events take place - I would hope not, as it would be impossible to have any peace during those times. In any case, the emphasis on such events is clear throughout the building, with a sea of furniture and all sorts of accessories for large receptions lying around, making for a slightly awkward feeling to 'mere' hotel guests. The location is a bit of an oddity, too. It is at the outskirts of Lecce, in a nondescript modern part of town that one would not choose to visit in itself. Access to the historic centre is not something one can comfortably do on foot (half an hour each way), and although the hotel offers a shuttle, this is obviously not something bespoke for each visitor's schedule, so a car is essential. But the hotel does not offer parking. This is perhaps the most problematic aspect of this otherwise charming place, because relying on the limited street parking available is possible in quite times (such as our visit) but one can easily imagine this being a problem in busier times. Service was pared down during our stay, with the main restaurant closed for servicing and only a very few rooms occupied. But the staff present were all charming - especially the two lovely and super-competent reception ladies! - keen to help with any requests. P.S. On Tripadvisor there are two different entries for this property, one listed as a hotel and the other as architectural sites/things to do. This is very confusing - I had to delete my review from 'things to do' and repost it here, and I expect that guests trying to find reviews of the hotel might miss out as others may have posted them for the other listing. I wonder if there is a way for the property to ask for a consolidation of the two... I am sure it would help, as many positive comments do not appear in the 'hotel' section.

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“Nice building , just to visit not to stay”

To me it was a 3 stars hotel. Breakfast was not good . Not a good variety in bread and cheese. Cheap breakfast. What ever was finished in the room it was not replaced. We had to tell them every day to replace something. Every time we showered it was a flood of water.