From the editors of Condé Nast Traveler:

Master restorer Martino Solíto reconstructed this nineteenth-century farmhouse on the outskirts of the medieval/Baroque town of Martina Franca using only original materials and furnishing it with local antiques and Louis XVI–style pieces made by skilled artisans. The stunning result is a pink-and-white terra-cotta villa of 18 rooms and five suites swathed in silks and damasks in blue, gold, green, and rose custom-made at San Léucio, the silkworks established by the Bourbon kings in the eighteenth century. Flat-screen TVs, DVD players, and Internet access add a technological touch to the period elegance. In the basement, the Moroccan-influenced spa includes a gym with a sauna and a steam room.—2005 Hot List

When to go: Puglia's mild climate makes it ideal nearly year-round.

Which room to book: No. 109 is the most spacious deluxe double; all rooms have a balcony or a terrace and face the garden

Amenities: Gym, Pool, Spa, 24-hour Room Service, Wheelchair-accessible, Bar/lounge