Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita

The most fabulous stay- this hotel is like no other we had stayed at; the location is surreal, set within the stone/ caves it felt like stepping back in time without losing the luxury of a hotel. Set within the UNESCO area the hotel has kept the charm of the area, with candles, original keys and other small touches. The breakfast was incredible with a large array of fruits, meats, cheeses, yoghurts, cereals, traditional cakes, breads etc. The staff provided an impeccable service, providing recommendations for restaurants, the room was spotless and extra touches provided for our honeymoon.

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Unique showstopping location. The caves have been carefully and beautifully restored. Breakfast was fresh and extensive, with lots of options for all diets. Terrace has an incredible view for some drinks and snacks, an amazing place to wake up to. Excellent location within the sassi. The set up with the garage and shuttle to the hotel was well organised for those driving.

Caves, being caves (not a fault of the hotel group), are fairly humid. Even with the air conditioning systems be prepared for natural humidity in the room that can make clothing/bedsheets feel slightly damp. Having said that the cave temperature remained cool in the high temperatures.

So incredibly unique. Staff was excellent and accommodating. Everything was clean and felt as authentic as possible with most modern amenities.

Understandably, you trade in some important amenities and things you might take for granted in order to experience the stay in an authentic way. So the lack of privacy from bathroom/bedroom, the lack of lighting, lack of air conditioning are all things you must to forgo if you want to stay here. That said, I slept incredibly well, surprisingly felt apart from my family when using the toilet and shower even though there were no walls and managed to do my hair and makeup without any light but the open door. The breakfast was lovely, though more fresh fruit would’ve been nice. It felt quite picked over, even at the 9am seating.

The location and views were excellent. Prime location to either sassi and the outside space which seating for everyone was really nice to have. Very peaceful surroundings. The staff are exceptionally helpful, a special Thankyou to cristina who went above and beyond being personable and telling us all about the history and recommending spots for us to visit. Cristina really topped the icing on the cake to making our stay so special. The inside was very clean, the most unique hotel we have stayed in and it is a very romantic and special hotel. The facilities of both bath and shower, separate bathroom space was nice. And the addition of having in room massages and food was optional (we didn’t use) but it was lovely to have offered!

Absolutely amazing, only slight downside was it smelt a bit damp in the morning after the use of the shower but we totally understand it comes with staying in the cave!

What an interesting and unique experience at Matera’s Hotel Sextantio la Grotte Della Civita. The ad, photos, description and post-booking followup emails gave an accurate representation of our stay. The checkin engagement was perfect. Their partner-shuttle service worked as described. Our hotel concierge presented a fabulous overview of the city and of their property. For a July stay, our cave room was sufficiently cooled but remained humid; there was adequate electrical and plumbing for comfort. The linens, bed comfort, breakfast buffet and entire staff were outstanding. After watching the YouTube video and experiencing the museum guided tour/video presentations, we spent a fair amount of time reflecting on the tough living conditions for families making a living and raising their children over the centuries.

We can offer no constructive comment for improvement.

Breakfast staff are the loveliest- the silver haired lady in charge will remain fondly in our memories as the warmest, sweetest caretaker of all the Sextantio guests

There was nothing I didn’t like about the hotel. But maybe some people should know that it’s a cave so don’t expect yr room to necessarily have modern comforts- eg only some rooms have refrigerators. And our rooms only had tiny blurry mirrors. If you’re ok with that kind of minor inconvenience for a few days- as we were- then Sextantio is a very special experience we highly rate

The hotel consists of a series of caves carved into the limestone hundreds of years ago, but thoroughly updated. Each room is totally unique. A wonderful breakfast buffet is served in a large cave that once served as a church. The only downside is that it is a hike to get to the room, and so the hotel is not appropriate for the disabled or those with medical issues. The location couldn’t be better and each room has panoramic views.

Well where to start? From start to finish we were blown away. The hotel is in Matera which gets it off to an excellent start - the whole place is jaw dropping. But this hotel is next level. In the sweltering heat our bags were carried up efficiently and they looked after them as we arrived very early well before check in - no bother 'of course we will look after the bags, not a problem'. When we checked in later the staff were so very charming and sweet. We received maps of the area and the ideal walk to take and we had a chilled lemon water in the (amazing) breakfast room whilst the history of the area and the conservation project was explained. I am not one for too much info but this was genuinely fascinating and just left me wanting more. And then we were off to our room. I just cannot put into words how wonderful the room was. The whole place is steeped in history - you feel it everywhere you go. But despite being in a cave and imagining quite vividly the squalor that has gone before - the luxury is immense. The bed! It's enormous and so very comfy - I had the best nights sleep. The bath, the candles - the charm of it all. I was in heaven. Opening the doors to the outside world the view is off the scale. And as for breakfast - I almost don't want to ruin the surprise. It is fabulous, I could have grazed there all day. I have wanted to stay in this hotel for years and finally I have achieved it. It exceeded all my expectations. I can only hope I will be back.

Nothing

We loved everything about the place and our stay!!! Starting from the communication before arrival, provided information about parking passibilities, picking us from parking, welcoming us, explaining about the project and its mission. The place is unique and in great location with amazing view. Each member of the staff was smiling and welcoming. The breakfast was amazing and so tasty. I had birthday and was treated with such attetion and surprises!!! We are recommending everyone to have this amazing experience!

- The rooms were by far amazing and kept in their original state. - staff was very friendly, kind and helpful - the rooms were very clean and a lot of beautiful details - the breakfast was great as well

- getting to the hotel is quite complicated unless you get a taxi or use the shuttle included in the €28 parking garage cost - the air conditioning is controlled by the receptionists