An Italian design villa set amidst the Puglian olive fields
Press trip — invited
Beautiful stone houses are plentiful in Puglia. Most of them whitewashed, some built in a more light beige shade. All of them charming, but few as luxurious as the Villa Margareta.
Located just outside Ostuni, one of Puglia's prettiest town, Villa Margareta offers four large bedrooms each with their private bathroom, and a pool area perfectly equipped for sunny days in Puglia. We spent four nights in this Puglian home, and it felt like exactly this—our home. When in Puglia, travelers usually stay at either masserias (farmhouses repurposed into intimate hotels), the traditional trulli (smaller cone-shaped houses, usually with access to a shared pool), or private holiday homes. Villa Margareta is of the latter, owned by a Norwegian family and decorated with a mix of Italian décor and contemporary Scandinavian design.
When staying in rental homes, I often get the feeling that something is missing. No matter how beautiful or well-designed, there's always that little compromise as compared to being in your own home. Perhaps it's a kitchen utensil, a comfortable duvet at night, or the lack of storage that means all of your belongings stay in the suitcase throughout the stay. Villa Margareta was different. This place had e v e r y t h i n g. A juicer to squeeze local oranges in morning. The biggest bed, I've ever slept in (pretty perfect, when you're three people in it!). Heated flooring as it gets surprisingly chilly down south as soon as the sun sets. And of course, great service provided by Puglia Paradise, the local holiday home rental agency who invited us to experience the villa and Puglia. They have handpicked the finest villas and trulli in Valle d'Itria in Puglia, and offer five star service with a complimentary 24 hour personal concierge and a PDF guide to help you explore the area.
Being able to cook dinner in the evening, enjoy it at home and relax in the comfortable longe area was priceless
If you are considering a stay in Puglia, do check out their site as all of the properties are beautiful. You might think that this luxury villa is out of most people's budget for accommodation, but it is in fact very reasonable—especially if you are a couple of families traveling together which the large villa can easily accommodate. Being able to cook dinner in the evening, enjoy them round the large dining table, and kick back in the comfortable longe area (or, even better, the beautiful bath tub) at night was priceless. Traveling with a baby is a lot of fun and I was surprised as to how smoothly everything went; but come 8pm and we were just completely exhausted. Which made staying in a spacious home and not a hotel with only one room or other guests to consider the perfect choice for us.
Sadly, the weather wasn't on our side, why we didn't get the chance to enjoy the pool area enough. I did go in once though, just a quick dip one late—and somewhat chilly— evening, because I have to whenever I have the chance. It's a bit obsessive, and Esben thought I was crazy, but if I don't, I know I will regret it next time it's sunny and warm.
It did convince me that we will have to go back to Villa Margareta during the summer and do nothing but spend lazy afternoons poolside. If we get the chance that is, as the villa is pretty much booked for the season. However, Puglia Paradise offers many more beautiful accommodations in the region. A region that completely swept us away, even in the rain—but more on that in a new blog post soon.
