Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita

Great unique stay. The only issue was the lack of clarity regarding parking and bag drop off. If you are staying be sure you DO NOT enter toward the hotel. You must go directly to the parking garage and be shuttled, with your bags, to the hotel. We received a steep fine for driving toward the hotel bc we didn’t understand where to park. There is not much to do in the town. Other than that, our stay was great and breakfast was yummy!

SPECTACULAR and a ONE OF A KIND EXPERIENCE! The Sextantio is like stepping back in time! We stayed in a sassi (cave) room and we were SO glad we did! The caves have been renovated to have modern conveniences but without losing the very rustic feel. The room was surprisingly warm and comfortable even in the chill of late February. The views right outside our room were gorgeous. The hotel staff was amazingly friendly and accomodating. The breakfast was delicious!! I can not say enough about Matera (its beautiful) and especially the Sextantio! Book this one of a kind experience, you will not regret it!

This hotel was a huge disappointment. the room smelled of sewage all night. the toilet is completely exposed offering no privacy. there isn't even a curtain separating the toilet from the bedroom, no TV. atmosphere is spartan. te bathroom florr remained flooded all night after a shower as the water isn't drained. Beakfast room is very noisy. this hotel does not deserve 4 stars 3 at the most.

First, I want to say a few positive things about this hotel. The staff were very friendly and professional, and the location and views over the Sassi of Matera are extraordinary. There are clearly many people who love this hotel and its concept, and if you are looking for a very authentic cave experience with minimal modern comforts, you may find it fascinating. However, if you value things like normal lighting, comfortable seating, temperature control, and conventional room layouts, you should think carefully before booking. Unfortunately, our experience with the rooms was so difficult that we left after about an hour and did not stay the night. We chose this hotel partly because the reviews were mostly positive, but in our opinion the hotel description does not clearly explain the practical implications of staying in a cave hotel that prioritizes historical authenticity over modern comfort. My intention in writing this review is simply to help future travelers understand what the experience is really like. The rooms are primarily lit with candles and very low lighting. In practical terms, the amount of light felt like perhaps 10–20% of normal hotel lighting. Our room, which was a top-category room, also had no windows, just a door. Although the hotel itself faces an amazing view, it was not visible from our room. The furnishings were extremely minimal. Despite being a large suite, there were no comfortable chairs or sofa — only two very hard chairs. This meant that if you wanted to spend any time in the room, the only realistic option was to lie on the bed. The biggest issue for me was the temperature. The room was about 24°C, which is far too warm for me to sleep comfortably. I normally sleep at around 20°C. Although there were two thermostats in the room, during winter the system operates only in heating mode, so it was not possible to cool the room. Opening the door did not help because the cave walls retain heat. I am convinced that one of the thermostats was not operating correctly. I could not turn it off nor adjust the temperature. The room also used a VMC ventilation system. These systems exchange air but does not cool it. Normally they operate very quietly (around 25–30 dB), but this one was quite loud. I measured about 45 dB with a decibel meter on my phone. The staff member who checked the room told us the heating was not running and that the sound was coming from the ventilation unit. The staff kindly showed us two other rooms, but unfortunately both had safety concerns for us. One room had a very high bed that required stepping on a stool to get in and out. I considered this unsafe, especially during the night when someone might need to get up to use the bathroom. The other room had a bathroom that required going down three stone steps, which again seemed risky, especially in low light. At that point we concluded that the hotel simply was not a good fit for us, so we decided to leave. To their credit, the hotel did offer us a 40% discount even though we did not stay. We appreciated that gesture. I am sure the hotel will read this review and I request that they make an effort to do a better job of describing the potential issues the arise from trying to be so authentic.

We chose Matera to Celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary & it was truly amazing ! We stayed for 4 nights in our Cave suite and celebrated our wedding anniversary with a fantastic local produce breakfast in our special room, it really was very special eating our breakfast looking out at the fabulous views. The surroundings and food were outstanding. The wonderful bathtub in the room was a real treat, and the absence of TV is perfect to enjoy the area. The staff were wonderful, always accommodating and the hotel was so unique, the history of this incredibly special place is breathtaking. This is a unique hotel; the atmosphere is unique: you really have the feeling of being in another world. A wonderful experience we will never forget, this hotel is amazing!