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Are you planning a trip to Southern Italy and wondering where to stay in Puglia? Whether you want to see the unique trulli of Alberobello, visit the vibrant city of Lecce, or soak up the sun on the stunning beaches of Salento, my hotel recommendation is no doubt one of the best places to base yourself in Puglia to effortlessly reach each corner of the region. Keep reading to learn more about staying at Tobacco Suite, aka the most vegan-friendly hotel in Puglia.

Staying at the Most Vegan-Friendly Hotel in Puglia, Italy | The Wanderful Me

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Just a short few days ago, I was lounging on a chair and soaking up the sun on a pristine Salento beach in Puglia, Italy. With the Mediterranean sun warming my skin, a good book in my hands, and the most turquoise blue waters I’ve ever seen gently caressing the pristine white sand, it couldn’t have gotten any better.

Staying in Puglia, Italy, and exploring this vibrant region blew me away.

As someone who has never visited Italy, let alone considered the underrated area of Apulia as a place to travel to, I was astonished by the amazing cities and villages, coastlines and beaches, historic sites, food, and affordability this region has to offer.

Another thing that really struck me was how undervisited Puglia is by fellow travelers!

While Italians know this region is a gem destination (it gets flooded with locals during the summer months), most of Puglia seems to be undiscovered by tourists, leaving marvelous sites and cities like Lecce, Gallipoli, and the gorgeous coastline near Torre dell’ Orso untouched by touristy crowds and tour groups.

This is what makes it an exceptional up-and-coming destination that will no doubt become more popular in the next few years!

However, for those future travelers who are planning a trip now and wondering where the best place to stay in Puglia is, I have the perfect recommendation. As someone who just returned from a fabulous trip here, you won’t regret staying in the heart of the region!

Personally, my partner and I chose to stay at the Tobacco Suite in Mesagne, which is a small city and a great base in Puglia. From Mesagne, you can easily reach top Puglia destinations like Alberobello, Ostuni, Brindisi, Lecce, Gallipoli, Otranto, and the beaches of Salento within an hour and a half!

Furthermore, the Tobacco Suite is one of the best vegan-friendly hotels in Puglia, as they serve up a range of vegan delights in their breakfast buffet. (More on that below!)

When planning your Italy trip, I highly recommend staying in Mesagne at the Tobacco Suite. Read my guide on why it is the best place to stay in Puglia and a top hotel for vegans visiting this region in Italy!

CHECKING INTO THE TOBACCO SUITE IN MESAGNE, PUGLIA

Upon first glance, many don’t even realize the Tobacco Suite building is a hotel. From the outside, it looks like any other building along the road in Mesagne.

However, after opening the front gate and strolling up the stairs, guests are welcomed with a pristine swimming pool area that features comfortable sunbeds and ample greenery that makes the space feel vibrant and inviting.

The inside of Tobacco Suite is warm and welcoming, too, with a quaint reception area, a spacious breakfast room, and a fully-stocked bar that offers local wine and snacks!

Although, my favorite part of staying in Puglia at the Tobacco Suite had to be their team of gracious staff! They made our hotel stay even better, as each and every team member goes out of their way to make sure you are a happy guest.

(Shoutout to Sabrina who gave Dan — my partner — and I lots of wine recommendations, as well as yummy snacks throughout our stay here!)

After a seamless check-in experience, we meandered up to our floor via the painfully slow elevator (it’s an old building, what can you do?!), sauntered down the quaint hallway displaying photos of the previous tobacco factory, and uncovered one of the most charming hotels rooms I’ve ever stayed in…

Staying in the Cavendish Room

Each room at the Tobacco Suite hotel in Mesagne, Puglia, has a unique name!

Dan and I had the pleasure of staying in the Cavendish room, which was absolutely beautiful and irresistibly charming. This room featured a:

  • Sky-high ceiling with an almost “cave”-like feel that made the space feel cozy, yet expansive.
  • Two balconies with views of the neighboring church and quaint Mesagne roads.
  • Spacious bathroom fixed with a glorious rain shower head.
  • Mini fridge for all of our yummy Puglia olives and snacks.
  • Small kettle for making delicious Italian coffee (which we drank on our balcony!).
  • Large, comfortable bed perfect for restoring our weary heads after a day of exploring.
  • Sustainable toiletries, including an eco-friendly toothbrush and plastic-free toilet paper!

Overall, the Cavendish room was better than I could have ever expected!

It was so restorative to wake up to the bright sunrise and have a slow morning that involved drinking coffee out on the balcony, listening to the birds chirp as they weaved in between the arches of the church nextdoor, and simply being present in the moment.

Vegan Breakfast at the Tobacco Suite in Puglia

One of the main reasons we chose to stay at the Tobacco Suite hotel in Mesagne was because of its vegan-friendly breakfast buffet. As vegan travelers, it can often be difficult to find a place that caters for vegans and vegetarians, with many (if not most) accommodations serving up a breakfast filled with meat and dairy.

However, the Tobacco Suite staff went above and beyond for us with regards to vegan breakfast delights! Not only did they go out and buy breakfast food that was specifically vegan, they also baked us a special vegan breakfast cake!

It was so much more than I could have ever hoped for. (I was honestly expecting just some fruit and dry cereal!)

All in all, the vegan breakfast buffet at the Tobacco Suite in Puglia included:

  • Fresh fruit juices (pineapple, grape, orange, etc.)
  • Coffee drinks with non-dairy milks (soya or rice milk)
  • Toasted bread with jam or vegan nutella (SO GOOD!)
  • Vegan Cornetti (Italian croissants) with an apricot filling
  • Small vegan cookies to dip into our coffee
  • Non-dairy yogurts (vanilla, strawberry, apricot, etc.)
  • Cereal flakes with non-dairy milk
  • Fresh fruit, like oranges, grapes, and more
  • Homemade vanilla and jam cake

If you’re a vegan traveling to Puglia and are interested in staying at a place that caters to plant-based guests, I couldn’t recommend the Tobacco Suite more! I left the hotel every morning feeling full and satisfied. Not to mention, energized from the delicious Italian cappuccino with soya milk!

This is just a small portion of vegan options compared to what we got the day before! We realized we were totally stuffed after eating all the food the gave us, so cut down our portions the next day to reduce our food waste.

Staying in the Heart of Puglia at the Tobacco Suite

While the Tobacco Suite is one of the most vegan-friendly hotels in Puglia, this wasn’t the overall main reason we chose to stay here. That aspect just happened to be a ridiculously awesome bonus!

Actually, we chose to stay at the Tobacco Suite because it’s centrally-located in the heart of Puglia.

When many people do their research on where to stay in Puglia, top destinations like Lecce, Gallipoli, and Ostuni come to mind. While those destinations are great, they are quite large, touristy cities. This means more people, not-so-easy parking (which was stressful!), and lots of traffic.

Instead, Dan and I wanted to have a more authentic and laid-back experience in Puglia, which is why we chose to stay in Mesagne.

This quaint city doesn’t really feel like a city at all, with its charming streets that wind through the historic center, small restaurants filled with locals, beautiful churches that light up in the evening, and relaxed atmosphere that begs you to simply get lost among its maze of walkways.

Not only is Mesagne a charming city to explore, it’s ideally located in the middle of many major Puglia tourist destinations!

For instance, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello with its endless trulli can be reached in an hours drive, while the pristine beaches of Porto Cesareo on the Salento peninsula are easily accessible being just 35 minutes away.

Other Puglia destinations that are easily reached by car from Mesagne include:

  • Lecce — 40 minutes
  • Monopoli — 55 minutes
  • Polignano a Mare — 1 hour
  • Gallipoli — 1 hour
  • Otranto — 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Santa Maria di Leuca — 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Ostuni — 40 minutes
  • Bari Airport — 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Martina Franca — 50 minutes

One of my favorite parts of driving through the Puglia region was driving through the endless olive groves filled with lush olive trees and vineyards brimming with juicy red and green grapes! It’s such a beautiful area of Italy and I can’t wait to go back to explore more of what it has to offer.

Book Your Stay at the Tobacco Suite

As you can see, the Tobacco Suite in Mesagne, Italy, is one of the best places to stay in Puglia. With its easy access to several major Puglia destinations and attractions, as well as its vegan-friendly breakfast buffet, I couldn’t recommend the Tobacco Suite more to those looking for an ideal base in Puglia!

If you’re ready to book your stay at the Tobacco Suite, click here! Or use the button below.

— I’M READY TO STAY AT THE TOBACCO SUITE —

Tell me, are you planning a trip to Puglia and wondering where to stay? Share your Italy plans with me in the comment section below!

Sophie xx

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