Hotel San Domenico Al Piano

This hotel would be excellent, if the WLAN were better. I had to stand in front of the door of my room to have some weak signal. For this reason, I don’t know whether to recommend for a business trip. Otherwise it is modern, clean, with great breakfast and very well located with respect to the city centre.

To be honest, I was skeptical about this one. I needed to book the hotel last minute (like literally the previous night), so seeing an old-looking building (probably constructed in the 1980s) was not really encouraging BUT I wanted to see Matera, so I went ahead. The hotel surprised me and by a lot. First of all - yes, the building is old BUT all inside is renovated, so all is great. The rooms are good in size (not too small at all, just right) and everything is very clean. You have a full minibar if you want something and the hotel has a working restaurant and staff at reception 24/7. The breakfast is phenomenal (like, literally anything any traveler could want) and the staff are helpful and friendly. The best thing about the hotel is the location. Basically, there is no other hotel in Matera which is closer to the Sassi and the historical center. You just need 5 minutes of slow walking (entrance to the old town square is just behind the hotel :) ) and you are at the viewpoint and the cistern. There is a vending machine for snacks and drinks just less than 10 minutes away down the street from the hotel (in the old town) and any sights and amazing places to eat are within the same 5-10 minute distance. If you want to see the historical center of Matera, this is the place to stay (you won't regret it, trust me!). The hotel is very popular with Italians visiting Matera, so keep that in mind and if you are not travelling solo, like me, better book in advance :) The prime location comes with a single downside and a few things to consider (listing them here as they are just things to keep in mind and not something that is a huge issue) - the proximity to the Sassi means you will be quite far away from the bus station (3 kilometers) and the train station (1.5 kilometers). The distance is not that much BUT it is an uphill slope 90% of the time, so if you have a lot of luggage, better take a taxi. I loved it, so there is nothing I can put my finger at as a bad things, really, I just want to continue what I started above with the things you should keep in mind when visiting. If you come by car, make sure to notify the hotel in advance, as it is within a restricted parking area and parking lots are limited. Also be aware that the hotel is busy (as I said, very popular with Italians visiting) and check-in starts at 15.00, so if you come in earlier than that, you may need to wait. The staff would do anything they can to accommodate you early, BUT if you plan on arriving before noon, better notify them, to get your room ready. The hotel also have luggage storage, just so you know. Did I say I loved it? Just to repeat I can't wait to return!