Best Hotels in Matera: Sleeping in the Sassi Cave Dwellings

Matera has one of the most distinctive accommodation offers in Italy — cave hotels (sassi hotels or “cave hotels”) converted from the rock-cut dwellings that were evacuated in the 1950s. Staying in a converted sassi cave in Matera is genuinely unusual: rock walls, carved stone, sometimes with the original cistern or grain store visible, with views from the terrace across the Sassi to the opposite cliff face.

Sassi cave hotels

The converted cave dwellings of the Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso are the distinctive accommodation category. These are genuine cave rooms — the walls are tufa stone, the spaces are intimate, and the quality ranges from basic to extremely luxurious.

Budget cave rooms (€70–120/night): Basic B&Bs in the Sassi. Smaller, often without air conditioning (not usually needed — the rock maintains a stable temperature). Some have shared bathrooms.

Mid-range (€120–200/night): Good cave hotels with private bathrooms, often with terrace or balcony views over the canyon. The Sasso Caveoso tends to have slightly better views than the Sasso Barisano. Several well-regarded options in this range.

Top-end (€200–500+/night): Luxury cave hotels with remarkable design interventions — infinity pools cut into the rock, contemporary interiors within ancient cave structures, Michelin-starred restaurants. Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita (a converted former sassi neighbourhood), Palazzo Gattini, and the Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & Spa are the main luxury options. These are some of the most remarkable hotels in Italy.

Upper city (Civita)

The upper town above the Sassi — the historic medieval and modern city — has conventional hotel accommodation. Less dramatic than the cave hotels but less expensive and more comfortable by conventional standards.

Mid-range hotels in the Civita: €80–160/night.

Booking tips

• Book early: Matera has been growing rapidly as a destination since its European Capital of Culture designation (2019). Cave hotels are limited in number and fill up several weeks ahead in spring and autumn.
• Stairs: The Sassi involve significant stair-climbing — ask about accessibility if this matters.
• Car parking: Most cave hotels have no parking in the Sassi (no vehicles). Hotels arrange luggage drop-off; parking is outside the Sassi area. Confirm logistics when booking.
• Summer (July–August): The cave temperature is naturally stable (around 16–18°C inside). This makes them cool in summer — a real advantage in a region where surface temperatures reach 35°C+.