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#2 of 52 hotels in Matera
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita in the Sassi di Matera - UNESCO World Heritage Site in Basilicata region - is the most extreme expression of a Historical Minor Heritage. A heritage, which represents the almost paradigmatic expression of this Minor History, marked by rocky caves, inhabited until the first years of the fifties. The sassi (stone settlement) have been turned into 18 romantic boutique bedrooms, simply furnished, candlelit and calming. Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita is a cultural project born to bring hospitality experience outside the schematics, not classifiable as "stars" and far from any traditional concept of luxury, so much so that the New York Times deemed it one of “the most extraordinary destinations in the world”, the Times “one of the ten most beautiful hotels on the international scene” and the Tatler guide of Condé Nast has included among “the one hundred most beautiful hotels on the planet”. They talk about the luxury of emotions.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
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Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita has captivated many travelers with its enchanting cave rooms that blend authenticity with modern comforts. The hotel, celebrated for its unique candle-lit dinners, is lauded for its value, offering an experience that justifies the premium price. Guests consistently commend the cleanliness and the high-quality amenities, including the modern bathrooms and hearty breakfasts.
The attentive service provided by friendly staff is frequently praised, enhancing the stay. Situated near the old town, its location is also ideal for exploring local sights and dining, adding to the hotel's charm.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Enchanting
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Excellent
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Outstanding
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Celebrating our 30th Wedding Anniversary in Matera was sublime
We stayed for 3 nights in our Cave and celebrated our wedding anniversary evening in their chapel, I was speechless by the whole evening, the surroundings, wine and food were outstanding
The team were wonderful, always accommodating and the hotel was so unique, the history of this very special place is breathtaking
A wonderful experience we will never forgot
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michele Centonze, Marketing at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Responded 4 weeks ago
Dear Clare, thank you for choosing Sextantio for such an important occasion! We are glad you enjoyed the experience in our cave room and above all our exclusive candelight dinner, the perfect way to celebrate an anniversary! Thank you also for the nice words to all staff, we really hope you could come back in future. We suggest you to visit our sister hotel in Abruzzo, Sextantio Albergo diffuso in the small village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, in a magic medieval atmosphere!
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Everything about this hotel surpassed my expectations, from the comfort of the hotel to the surprise of how special and fascinating Matera turned out to be. Of course, I had seen the photos and knew it would be beautiful, but it is impossible to understand how breathtaking it is until you are there.
I cannot forget the moment that we first arrived at the hotel, blown away by the majesty of the view of Murgia and then entering our room for the first time, candles lit, entering another time and exotic place.
I love that the furniture is all restored original pieces from the caves, adapted to make everything very comfortable and losing none of the authenticity (minus the animals living inside with us!).
The staff is both warm and friendly and extremely helpful. I am afraid I would leave someone out if I named everyone that helped me plan our stay before we arrived, but they made our stay seamless and connected us to the best activities for us, dinner reservations, transfers and the best guide in Matera. You definitely want to ask for Alessio to be your guide for both the Murgia walk and the Sassi tour. He comes from one of only a handful of families that were actually living in the Sassi during the 1980's. He also has a degree in medieval history and is EXTREMELY interesting and informative.
One of the greatest highlights for me of our 2 1/2 weeks traveling around southern Italy was the cooking class I took at the hotel with Nunzia! I cook and bake a lot, but love to collect new skills and recipes when I travel and this was no average class. To begin with, I entered the cave church/breakfast room which had been set up just for our private class, lit by candles, table set out with all of the ingredients, including some exceptionally fragrant herbs that permeated the room. Nunzia is a person whose love for local cuisine and joy of cooking and sharing what she knows is written all over her face and in her actions. Spending time with her was part of the value of the experience and she patiently let me practice my rusty italian, doing the class all in italian. She guided me through making pasta without a recipe and artfully how to shape the cavatelli and calzone and the other dishes. I had such a wonderful time and can't wait to try out the new dishes on my friends and family. A couple hours later, she served the food we made in a private dinner for my husband and I in the candlelit church. It was DELICIOUS and an experience we will never forget. I promised to send Nunzia photos of the dinners I make using what I learned from her and next time I am in Matera, we are going to do another class focused on sweets and bread!
I heard a couple of other hotel guests commenting on the fact that they had a tub but no shower, so you may want to make sure you do, if that matters to you. I have very long hair, so prefer a shower and we did have one. Other than that, be sure you plan enough days in Matera. We had two full days and one half day and it was NOT enough to see all we wanted to see and do.
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Date of stay: September 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michele Centonze, Marketing at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Responded 24 Sept 2021
Dear Carol, Many thanks for staying with us and for your amazing words, we really appreciate each of them. Hope to welcome you back in the near future. Warm regards. Sextantio team.
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A visit to Matera is a unique experience, but for the ultimate experience, stay in a cave at the Sextantio. This property has been tastefully renovated, and the experience of sleeping in a cave is unlike anything we had enjoyed before. Our cave was huge and the space was well utilized – we even had a small refrigerator! Breakfast is terrific – a buffet set up in a 1300s era chapel with a huge selection of fruit, breads, pastries, meats, and cheeses. Service is provided by a very attentive staff and a table outside overlooking the gorge made us want to sit for hours! The room is serviced twice daily – something we have not seen during the pandemic – and the entire property is spotless. The location is great – a short walk to several good restaurants with easy access to the town interior. Do yourself a favor and stay here – you will not be disappointed!
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Date of stay: September 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matera is fascinating. This hotel has taken a very ardent perspective of providing an authentic experience but that doesn’t line up with the cost. The rustic nature of the rooms and common space lead me to feel that it was overpriced by about 30-50%. I never want to leave a hotel feeling cheated but I definitely left Sextantio without understanding the cost to amenity ratio. When you enter the realm of a €300+ hotel, there are details that are simply expected. Charge that and inevitably face those expectations. Sextantio falls short on fixtures, finished and furnishings. Lastly, when checking in I was offered rigid breakfast times and had already missed the best time (8:30-9:30) this being forced into earlier or later. For the cost, this is just unacceptable. Offer to deliver to my room? Set up outside? But their breakfast assignments are like a cheap hostel or summer camp.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michele Centonze, Marketing at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Responded 30 Sept 2021
Dear guest, Thank you so much for staying with us and for appreciating the authentic experience. According to our cultural project, the mission of Sextantio is to save all form of the territorial identity – the Landscape, the history, the architecture, local materials and local cultures, from the craft tradition to the cousine of the area. The guidelines for conservation are: 1. Maintaining the original use, form and materials of the building. The dimensions of doors and windows should not be changed, nor should the internal divisions of rooms. Where possible the original layout and use of the rooms should be retained. 2. Architectural fittings used to replace those which have been lost are sourced from the local area. Where possible, reclaimed materials should be placed in the same context. The difference between classical restoration and this vernacular conservation is that in rural heritage much architectural salvage is interchangeable between locations – not designed by a specific architect for a particular situation. 3. Our approach to conservation includes the retention of traces of life found in the fabric of the building – part of the life-cycle of former residents in the places where they were born, lived and died. You could call this “extreme restoration”, because in most restorations ancient signs of life are covered up or removed, but for us they are part of the history of a village. This approach to conservation involves research into rural heritage. Research allows us to place objects in their correct context, to illustrate the passage of time, to display what may be called the ‘building’s wounds’. The internal restoration involves careful research. The peasant culture of these hill towns has a consistent thread. Furthermore, as stated in person, we have three shifts for breakfast just because of the Italian laws connected to the pandemic. When the hotel is full, in order to avoid gathering in a small room, we only invite guests to choose a preferred time, and we are always open to in-room delivery or breakfast outside, which we manage and organize with great pleasure daily. Kind regards.
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Location: Located in the old center of Matera and a great base to visit the whole town on foot. We did stay for 2 nights and we did visit Gravina, Castel Del Monte and Bari from Matera. The shuttle to the parking is only included once incoming and once outgoing so we did not use the hotel parking. In front of the hotel there are beautiful views to the mountains and the gorge.
Check in: Great check in with lots of information about the hotel, the project, the cave, the city, ...The people at the reception are very helpful to tell you about the things to visit, the restaurants, walks to the Parco Regionale della Murgia.
Rooms - or should I say cave: The experience starts when you open the big wooden door with the huge ancient key. The cave did not feel humid or cold and did not smell musty at all. There is minimal lighting and we left the candles burning all night long, which contributed to the feel of the place. In our cave, there was a space with a table and a very comfortable double bed, a second space with bath tub and sink and at the back a space with the toilet. In between the spaces there is no door. This did not bother us at all but is maybe good to know. In front of our cave, there was a wooden table and this was a very nice spot to enjoy a drink.
Breakfast: Perfect breakfast in the old cave church with lots of atmosphere, prepared with fresh and local products and very good service.
If you come to Matera and are considering a stay in the old center in a cave, I would definitely recommend staying at Sextantio Le Grotto hotel and not settle for a less expensive option. It is possible to visit Matera from the trulli region or Bari but after sun set when all the day tourists are gone, Matera shows its true magic.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michele Centonze, Marketing at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Responded 7 Jun 2022
Hi Linda, Thank you very much for your kind words, so glad to hear those. We are happy you appreciated the experience in our caves and also our staff and breakfast too. We really hope to welcome you back soon here in Matera or at Sextantio Albergo Diffuso in Abruzzo region, an authentic experience as well. Ciao ciao!
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There were three things I didn’t like about our stay: 1. It was only one night, 2. the cat didn’t come in until morning after breakfast and 3. I didn’t find the stool for the bed until we were leaving. It’s a beautiful place, the short history of the caves given at check-in really help appreciate the care that went into this design. (We stayed in a cave hotel in Cappadocia that had been renovated beyond recognition as a cave.) The upgrade certainly didn’t hurt; but a room lit mostly by candles, the other lighting hidden, no traffic noise, no tv…. Sigh. Husband went out to explore (warning - 100 steps up to the town) I opened a bottle of Prosecco from the fridge and soaked in the huge tub. Sigh. Hated to leave the room to go to dinner (restaurant closed - Covid), and would have liked another night to sit on the stone patio with wine and snacks. One work of warning: the steps leading up and down to the hotel are very old stone and could be problematic for some people. Our room was at ground level so I don’t know what getting to others is like. I’d ask if you might have problems.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Use the recommended parking garage, ask about steps etc if anyone has any mobility issues.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place was an incredible experience, not just your average hotel. First off, Matera is a special place and Sextantio is the creme de la creme of places to stay in this ancient town. If you are looking for something special, curated and unusual you should look no further. Yes this is a cave hotel but remodeled in such a way as to not lose the feel of the original space. It has very lovingly been restored and that feeling is evident when you step into your room. The furnishings, radiant heat in the floors, niche lighting all lent to the comfort and ambiance of the space. While you will find comfy beds and fast WiFi don't expect bright vanities or Nespresso machines in your room. We were given an upgrade to a Superior room, #3, which was huge with a lovely tub for two which we found ourselves loving. Breakfast was fresh, plentiful, and delicious set in the deconsecrated cave church on the premises. All of the staff are the professionals you would expect at a hotel such as this. Friendly, efficient and willing to assist however they can. We booked the Sassi Experience and would highly recommend our guide Cosimo. Our short side trip to Matera was only two nights and I wish we had arranged for at least one more. We left too much untried but that will just give us a reason to return. When we do it will absolutely be to stay at Sextantio again.
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can a cave be a luxury hotel? It is for sure a great experience. If you come to Matera and spend the night, it would be a shame to stay in a regular hotel.
All caves are different; we chose one with an extra single bed because it was the way to get a king size. There’s a nice bathtub in the room, that becomes an obstacle at night and forced us to leave a light on.
The bathroom is behind a wall, with no door and the shower is open air, so close the toilet before showering and place the towels aside. The only mirror is small and vintage, but you can ask for extra ones at the reception. The floor is uneven but heated (it was January). The room had a small table for two, always set with a fruit basket and we were welcomed with all candles on.
The closet is small and there are no drawers, but some shelves in rustic wood. They have good wi-fi internet, but no TV.
Breakfast is served in a beautiful cave and they will tell you its interesting story.
A taxi can take you to the main road access, and from there you must climb a flight of stairs. If you’re driving your own car, it’s imperative to hire the parking through the hotel, as we did. We got the location of the parking garage, and they were expecting us with the van ready to transfer to the hotel, a 10 minutes drive.
I surly recommend this exotic, romantic hotel.
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Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Location
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michele Centonze, Marketing at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Responded 11 Feb 2023
Dear guest, thanks for your kind review and for choosing Sextantio for your stay. We are glad you appreciated the uniqueness of our experience. We hope to welcoming you in future and we suggest you also our "sister" hotel in Abruzzi region, Sextantio Albergo Diffuso in Santo Stefano di Sessanio. Thank you again!
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How many times in your life will you be able to say you slept in a cave? Well this one checks that box, and is simply put an amazing once in a lifetime experience. First I must say THE VIEWS!!! Perhaps my favorite thing was just sitting outside of our room drinking a glass of wine and watching the light change on the mountains across from the hotel.
The rooms are all different because they are built into the old cave homes of Manteca. What they have done to each room is as unique as the city itself so I could not really tell you which one is best. Ours was special as it also had a large window and a shower making it well lit. At the same time one of the other guests let us see theirs and it has a catacomb bathroom shower and some other chamber for who knows??? Very cool!!!
The staff is amazing. From help with lugging our luggage to the the room itself (many old steps) to reception to the amazing staff serving breakfast we were extremely well taken care of. I will also give a shout out to room service who had 3 people come in and take care of the room all at once for a less than 10 min turnaround (a first for me and I wonder why more hotels don’t do this).
All I can say is “Treat Youself” and stay here!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:GO FOR A HIKE! Matera is amazing to see from the other side of gorge!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michele Centonze, Marketing at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Responded 7 Jul 2022
Dear guest, thanks for your kind review and for your nice words. We are glad you appreciated our conservative project and the unicity of our caves. Also thank you also for the compliments to our staff. We strongly invite you to follow the other Sextantio projects, in Santo Stefano di Sessanio and in Ewanda. We hope to welcoming you in future! Warm regards
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Beautiful cave hotel. We stayed overnight to check out Matera, and the hotel is unusual and very, very beautiful. We enjoyed it very much.The modernization of the caves are very subtle yet effective. The rooms are dark because it's a cave, and they light the rooms with a few lights and lots and lots of candles, which gives it beautiful ambiance. WiFi connectivity was better than some of the more modern hotels we've stayed at in the area, and we had a shower with good hot water and water pressure. The bed was also comfortable. Breakfast was an amazing spread of lots and lots of cakes, cheeses, 4-5 different foccacias and plenty of fruit. Older people or people who have trouble with mobility might struggle a bit here because the floors are uneven, the rooms do not have good lighting and there are small steps everywhere. Our friend's suite had a bath to bathe in but no shower (which we've sometimes seen in Eurpean hotels). The mirror was one small, antique mirror hanging over the sink. However, if you are open to letting go of some of the modern comforts you might be accustomed to, it is definitely worth it for at least one night as a base to check out Matera.
One note about getting to the hotel. While you may have read about having to walk up your belongings into Matera's maze of streets to find your hotel, Sextantio couldn't make it any easier. They have a designated parking garage, from which they provide transportation to the foot of Matera. From there, you have a set of stairs to walk up, but they put all your luggage in a little trolley, so you don't have to handle any of it yourself.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michele Centonze, Marketing at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Responded 30 Dec 2023
Dear Yukarik, thanks for your kind review and for choosing Sextantio for your stay. We are glad you appreciated our restoration project and the atmosphere of our caves. A special thanks for the compliments to our buffet breakfast. We hope to welcome you again in future and we suggest also to experience our sister hotel Sextantio Albergo diffuso in Santo Stefano di Sessanio, in Abruzzi region.
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We stayed 5 nights and still didn’t get to see all of Matera and the surrounding area. It is stunningly beautiful especially at night with lots of restaurants to choose from. So I’d recommend 3 for you.
Hello Rebecca,
Thank you for your message.
Yes, baths have a shower extension. When you make a reservation through the hotel website, you can make your preference about a room equipped with a shower, with a bathtub or with both, you can choose.
Thank you and kind regards.
Michele
Hello Ssi, by contacting the front desk, you will get the instructions to easily get to a parking lot out of the Sassi area (ztl and pedestrian area). They will take care of everything. Ciao ciao
There are more places to choose from in the Matera area.
PRICE RANGE
S$251 - S$352 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
sextantio civita caves hotel matera
LOCATION
ItalyBasilicataProvince of MateraMatera
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Are there any historical sites close to Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Parco delle Chiese Rupestri di Matera (0.6 km), Cripta del Peccato Originale (6.6 km), and The Rupestrian Church Of San Giorgio (0.2 km).
