Cave-hotel with original troglodytic architectural elements throughout

Secret Roman spa carved into the limestone walls

Perfectly positioned to explore the Unesco-listed city of Sassi di Matera in Southern Italy

Ever wanted to live like a caveman or cavewoman? Now’s your chance - only in a more refined manner than our Neanderthal cousins. Right in the heart of the Unesco-listed city of Sassi di Matera - an extraordinary place made up of hundreds of cave-houses - this three-star hotel is made up of a clutch of connected cave dwellings, and has a hidden secret beneath - an ancient Roman spa.

Carved out of the limestone more than a millennium ago, you can follow in the paths of ancient Romans, starting in the warmth of the anti-tepidarium (28°C/82.4°F), progressing through increasingly hotter rooms to the steamy calidarium (45°C/113°F). Then cool back down in the natural swimming pool of the frigidarium (29°C/84.2°F).

After using the spa, you can explore this remarkable cave city, then come back to relax on the hotel’s terrace.

The hotel’s 40 rooms have kept their original cave-structures in the roofs, walls and doorways, but have been updated with handmade wooden furnishings and comfortable beds. Many rooms have balconies with views over the town. Most of the rooms are in the main hotel, but seven are in a separate building 250 metres away. All are air-conditioned.

Breakfast consists of a large continental buffet, with pastries, breads, cheeses and cold meats, plus hot drinks, fresh fruit and juices. Many trattoria, cafes and restaurants are nearby for lunches and dinners.

Locanda San Martino is located inside the Sassi of Matera, a few steps from Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the famous Cathedral, dedicated to the Madonna della Bruna.

It represents an excellent starting point to visit and admire the most prestigious places in Matera such as the Museum of Contemporary Sculpture "Il Musma", set up in Palazzo Pomarici, Palazzo Lanfranchi, Tramontano Castle, the churches of San Francesco, San Domenico and St. John the Baptists.

Easy to reach, a few kilometers from Matera, Irsina, one of the oldest villages in Basilicata, Montescaglioso, with the Benedictine Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo, or the archaeological site of Metaponto.