"Our wedding trip to Puglia was unforgettable, and we are so glad we didn’t skip visiting the Sassi di Matera. Staying at Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita made the experience even more special. The service was impeccable — truly above and beyond in every way. They had everything we needed, and the location was perfect: just steps away from wonderful dining, breathtaking views, and the magic of Matera itself. Spectacular hardly does it justice. The resort is incredibly unique, blending history, beauty, and comfort in such an unforgettable way. Our visit was far too short, and we only wished we could have stayed longer."

"An amazing experience staying in the restored cave suite in the heart of the Sassi of Materia. A unique way to spend some time and imagine what it way have been like - all be it tempered by modern touches like electricity and water! The room was spacious and clean but definitely a cave. The staff friendly and the breakfast authentic and very good. The view across the ravine was exceptional and a great place to have an aperitif. We particularly enjoyed the private Underground Wine & Music Experience guided by Erasmo and Raphael through the historic cave system beneath their family home. The cellist was amazing and the acoustics underground very special. A real treat. The hotels objectives to maintain the heritage of the UNESCO city and to give travellers a unique experience comes at a cost but it was an exceptional experience."

"First of all, our overall ranking of 4 ("good") as opposed to 3 ("average"). There is no way one can rate this place as average. But for all its uniqueness . . . . It's not in the middle of things, but the location is sublime for an amazing -- really amazing -- view. Having a vehicle -- car, scooter, bike, etc. -- can be helpful, to say the least. But a willingness to walk a bit is all you actually need. Just checking in invites you to a different world; kind of an apostrophe in time. Where are the elevators/lifts? They won't be installed for another 2500 years or so. In the meantime, challenging stairs -- many -- await you, and that's just to get to the reception desk. Ambulatorily challenged (even just a little)? Not a problem: Stay elsewhere. Our room -- a suite -- was, pictorially, amazing. But actually being there revealed some issues. Example: Just walking safely in the room was difficult. While the well-intentioned ownership strives to maintain the place's authentic troglodytic past, I'm no troglodyte, nor is my wife. Surely it could be possible to lay down some nonpermanent walking pads (have these been invented yet?) to help ensure a safe (or at least a not-so-challenging) passage between the bedroom and bathroom. The bathing area is housed in a separate room. Getting up to it is a bit on the scary side, but not as scary as the descent. (Five steps up and, ideally, five down. The threat of just one down looms.) A conventional showeris not installed; just a hand-held shower head. Getting into the tub is a challenge, because it is so low to the ground. Getting out is far more challenging, given that all surfaces are wet. Overall, we didn't have too much trouble bathing, because the lack of hot water, while in keeping with 500BC, made bathing intolerable. The bed was nice; a good mattress. A lot of lighting was provided, too, although the lack of instruction -- oral or written -- made turning lights on and off -- let alone dimming -- a somewhat drawn-out experience. Lightng also was provided by large, beeswax candles; a romantic touch, but not particularly effective lumenwise in an otherwise dark cave. Missing altogether, some welcoming guidance about what's what and what's where. Example: The night befire we checked out we discovered, accidentally, that the room had a refrigerator and -- uess what! -- a minibar with price list. Were the negative aspects of walking, bathing, et al. outdistanced by the positive aspects of having a room unlike just about any other in the world? I'm unsure, but perhaps the lack of an international Troglo-Inn chain suggests the awe-inspiring arrival is outdone, by the "Aw" of actually staying there. Note that the room includes a daily breakfast. (No resto.) Most of the offerings were OK, but not great. Example: Getting hot scrambled eggs was not easily achieved. No chafing dishes helped ensure the eggs were more than just cool on the mornings we ate there. We ordered coffee each day and usually it took about 15 minutes to arrive; each cup had to be custom-made, even for Amricano. All in all, if we had to do it over, we wouldn't, especially given the $. We may have gone for a tour, assuming we had no vision or ambulation problems, and then let it go at that. True: We can say, somewhat triumphantly, "We did it." But, somehow, "Maybe next time." sounds even better."