We had a fantastic experience here. Friendly staff, warm atmosphere and the view from out balcony was incredible. Stayed for 3 nights and could have stayed a lot longer. Lovely town too - would definitely reccommend visiting and doing the volo d'angelo!

My wife and I like to travel to small towns and spend several days in one place. We feel this gives us a chance to really get to know the place and the people. We hit the jackpot with both the town and the hotel. La Signora Santoro runs a wonderful hotel and restaurant, and Castelmezzano is a beautiful and friendly town.

The rooms are immaculate and well furnished. The views are fantastic. We wish to thank Salvatore for his personalized service and attention. His food and wine recommendations every evening were excellent. Bravo Salvatore! We also want to thank Teresa, who filled in for Salvatore on a few occasions. Teresa is always cheerful and accommodating.

We were a bit concerned that in a small town in the mountains the people might be a little unfriendly because we had that experience in Molveno. It turned out to be the opposite: the people were warm and friendly. Whether buying prosciutto and cheese for a picnic or having a cold Brachetto in a bar, everyone was very nice. In Pietrapertosa we encountered an 87 year old nonna while we were wandering around the oldest part of the town and she invited us to her home for coffee and fresh baked biscotti.

We have nothing but great things to say about the hotel, the staff, the food, and the town.

We drove to Castelmezzano to view the town's astonishing landscape, but we discovered, to our surprise, a way of life that has been lost to most of us. Nature, history, culture, food and drink all came together in a perfect balance. And Signora Santoro, the proprietor of the hotel and its restaurant, was the key that unlocked this experience.

The population of the village is less than 1,000. The town has been built into fantastic towers of rock, which have provided protection for centuries. But also isolation. You can see today how the village survives on an agricultural economy of chickens, sheep and goats, with small plots of food crops planted here and there. The hotel rooms open up onto a panoramic view of the village embraced by the looming rock forms.

Signora Santoro points across the valley to the village of Pietrapertosa, set in equally otherworldly spires of rock. That, she explains, was the Arab village. The history of this area, with Saracens and Normans glaring across at each other from their stronghold settlements comes alive.

The hotel accommodations are comfortable, solid, in unpretentious good taste. And the hotel is beautifully situated with panoramic views from the bedrooms, and easy access to the central square, the church and shops.

But the real experience is in the restaurant. Signora Santoro is a highly accomplished chef, with plaudits from Michelin, Gambero Rosso, etc. What is really extraordinary is her cooking's connection with the place. She asked every morning what we would like for dinner -- that was her menu! We put ourselves entirely in her hands. A pork dish arrives; "that is from my pigs," she announces with obvious pride. She puts before us a salad made from primula that she has picked that morning. She explains that it has been used in the area from prehistoric times for its detoxifying properties. And she tells us of other herbals grown around the village that are used in the local diet. Her cooking, then, not only gives pleasure; it gives health, it gives life.

She sets before us a dessert of some sort of semolina pudding with swirls of colours and flavours, all packed into a miniature canning jar. We pop open the lids to find a disk of chocolate and the layers of pudding underneath. We are peeping like enchanted children. Why the little jars, we ask. She says she doesn't know; she just thought of it that morning. She bustles back into her kitchen chuckling to herself.

Our recommendation: it's not just the hotel; it's the landscape, the food, Basilicata wines, and the spirit of the people. Go and enjoy.

We found this hotel through Tripadvisor and planned to stay one night on our way from Rome to Brindisi As the other reviewer says this is a wonderful place to stay. The views are excellent , the rooms good and the restaurant is everything you expect from a good Italian restaurant; good local food , excellent service and good wine
After dinner we were entertained by a local flag waving procession by the locals in Medieval costume
Breakfast is provided on the 5th floor which is also the ground floor (the hotel is built on the hillside)
We enjoyed our stay so much we booked to stay one night on our return journey; again the stay was memorable