Palazzo Margherita
Baroque family palace meets cinematic fantasy. Frescoed ceilings, North African mosaic tilework, wicker furniture, courtyard gardens, and a private screening room. Feels genuinely lived-in, not staged. The Coppola family designed or contributed to most rooms personally.
The Salon cinema is on-demand — ask the staff to set it up in the evening with a film from Coppola's personally curated Italian classics collection.
Why It Matters
The only Italian property in the Coppola Hideaways collection, with profound personal significance to the family. Sofia Coppola married Thomas Mars here in 2011. Featured on Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown. One of the few luxury hotels in the largely undiscovered Basilicata region — the garden is protected by the Italian Cultural Heritage Department.
Palazzo Margherita is Francis Ford Coppola's deeply personal boutique hotel in Bernalda, the southern Italian hilltop town where his grandfather Agostino was born. The 1892 palazzo was purchased by Coppola in 2004, restored over five years in collaboration with acclaimed French designer Jacques Grange, and now holds nine individually designed rooms and suites with hand-painted fresco ceilings, tiled floors, clawfoot tubs, and enough cinematic personality to make the whole thing feel less like a hotel and more like staying inside a Visconti film. It sleeps a maximum of 23 guests — full stop. That's the whole point.
Where You'll Stay
9 room types available
Garden Room Three
Rustic chic room with grand barn doors that open directly to the courtyard. Bathroom has a clawfoot tub and separate shower.
34 sqmGarden Room Two
Refined room with vaulted ceilings, a large closet, writing desk, and a clawfoot bathtub positioned by the window. Direct garden access.
30 sqmGarden Suite One
Country-style elegance with direct access to the private courtyard garden. Features a sitting area with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a bathroom with a clawfoot tub and separate shower. One of the larger garden-facing accommodations.
51 sqm
Suite Eight (Gia)
Designed as a gift for Gia Coppola, Francis's first granddaughter. Features a subtle Rococo design with a delicate ceiling fresco depicting Amore and Psyche. A large walk-in closet, separate dressing room, and balcony overlooking Bernalda's main street add drama. The spacious bathroom has a clawfoot tub and separate shower. King bed; can accommodate a third person on a rollaway.
King · 70 sqmSuite Five
Classic Italian country décor with a loft space (suitable for a child or reading nook), a frescoed ceiling, and a balcony overlooking the main square of Bernalda.
57 sqmSuite Four (Sofia)
Named for Sofia Coppola, who celebrated her 2011 wedding at the palazzo. Feminine and poetic in feel, with hand-painted frescoes, a steam shower, clawfoot tub, and a private furnished terrace overlooking the courtyard.
62 sqmSuite Nine (Francis)
Named for Francis Ford Coppola himself, and inspired by his Tunisian-born grandmother. Designed in a North African style with exotic mosaic ceilings, intricate tiled flooring, and rich decorative furniture. Reviewers consistently flag it as the most visually dramatic room in the palazzo.
Suite Seven (Roman)
Named for Roman Coppola. Part of the family-dedicated suite collection, designed with personal contributions from the Coppola family.
Suite Six
One of the elegantly appointed upper-level suites with the palazzo's signature tiled floors and frescoed ceilings. Details available on the official property website.
The Property
Eat & Drink
5 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Visit wine estates in northern Basilicata's Vulture volcanic area, with cellar tours, tastings of Aglianico del Vulture — one of Southern Italy's most prestigious reds — and optional visit to Venosa, birthplace of the Roman poet Horace.
Follow a trained dog through protected oak and beech forests hunting for black and white truffles. Followed by wine tasting in a medieval cave cellar with fresh truffle shaved over eggs.
During summer, guests can experience the famous zip-line suspended on a steel cable between the mountain villages of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa, crossing the valley at 120km/h. About a 90-minute drive from the palazzo.
Complimentary bikes available for guests to explore Bernalda and the surrounding countryside.
The hotel arranges transport to a private section of a beach club by the Ionian Sea (departure 10:30am, return 4:00pm). Guests choose an umbrella or gazebo; lunch options include a chef-prepared picnic or fresh fish at the beach club restaurant.
Daily sessions in the eat-in kitchen with the palazzo's local chef. Learn to make hand-rolled pasta, wood-fired dishes, and traditional Lucanian recipes. Included in room rates.
Visit to Craco, one of Italy's most famous abandoned medieval villages (also used as a film set), followed by a drive to Aliano, the village where Carlo Levi's 'Christ Stopped at Eboli' was set.
Guided excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage Sassi di Matera, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The hotel recommends going with a guide for a complete experience.
A tailor-made multi-day photography expedition across Basilicata's landscapes — ancient Matera, the Calanchi badlands, ghost towns — with professional photographic tuition from Gundolf. Landscape, long exposure, and night photography included.
The opulent Visconti-inspired Salon converts into a private cinema on request, with professional-quality sound and projection. Features Francis Ford Coppola's personally curated collection of Italian classics and documentaries, plus a vast general database.
Guests get exclusive access to a private area of the Murgia plateau UNESCO park with an archaeologist guide, culminating in an aperitivo at a shepherd's hut overlooking the ravines before an exclusive opening of a rupestrian church.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Hotel guests have access to a private section of a beach club on the Ionian coast, approximately 15 minutes away by car. Transport arranged by the hotel.
Complimentary wireless internet available throughout the property.
Daily breakfast is included in the room rate.
The large farmhouse eat-in kitchen is accessible and shared by guests throughout the day.
Visconti-inspired formal salon that doubles as a private screening room. Professional sound and projection system. Access to Francis Ford Coppola's personally curated Italian film collection plus a large general database. Also hosts live concerts and performances.
In-room drinks / minibar included in the room rate.
Individual safes in all rooms.
All 9 rooms are air-conditioned.
The internal courtyard garden with olive trees, fountain, and flowering plants. Protected by the Italian Cultural Heritage Department. The Pool Bar and outdoor dining spaces are situated here.
On-site private parking, no reservation required.
A small but lovely pool set in the historic garden. Reviewers note it's on the compact side but very pleasant. The garden is protected by the Italian Cultural Heritage Department.
24-hour front desk and concierge. The hotel arranges all regional experiences, transfers, and custom itineraries.
Complimentary bicycles available for guests to explore Bernalda and surrounds.
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Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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