This was my second trip to the Akropolis Museum Hotel......but this time I brought my partner.
We loved how it's boldly keeping the lights on in this part of town.......The Akropolis Museum Hotel is a beacon of hope for what Taranto can be......By staying here, we felt like we were seeing a city on the cusp of a great renewal. My partner and I were delighted to contribute to keeping the hotel open at this difficult Covid time and we look forward to returning in better times.
Parking here is tricky if you're used to spacious car parks, since the laneway to the hotel is directly off the main coast road and is very narrow.......so I'd advise either taking a taxi or using a public car park further down the road near the lifting bridge.
The hotel is located on the historic central island of Taranto old town, which has suffered badly from decay over the years....so while it's fascinating to observe the old buildings and compare them to other cities in Italy, I would advise caution if you're planning on exploring at night because it can feel a bit unsafe out in the laneways in the dark.
The Akropolis is a trailblazer for this area, since they have renovated the building and maintain such high standards. For us, it was really eye-opening to see this side of Italy after coming from Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast and Matera, which are so tourist-orientated. Taranto does not have the same level of tourist industry......and yet it's charming and could be a fabulous location with correct management and renovation.
In light of this, the Hotel Akropolis Museum Hotel is doing a fabulous job by just existing......on top of that however, the staff are also extremely kind and helpful. For example, I mentioned to the night Porter that I may have left a set of keys on my first visit 5 years ago and he went off looking through old lost and found boxes without me even asking him .
We would recommend stating for a night in Hotel Akropolis Museum Hotel to anyone who is touring Southern Italy and wants to experience more than the typical tourist experience.