We wanted an authentic “cave hotel” but with a level of comfort and Le Malve Cave retreat certainly met this requirement. Excellently located with easy access to many of the key areas. Be warned though that in order to enjoy Matera you need to be in reasonable physical condition. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful and we can’t fault them in anyway. The room was lovely but of course the size of a cave room is determined by geology and history and not by an engineer so don’t expect them to be the same size as a “normal” hotel. We parked at a public car park that was within 15 minutes walk but the staff at the hotel managed the parking fees which was most helpful.

Nothing much, the breakfast maybe could have been slightly better but that’s being picky.

We loved our stay at Le Malle Cave Retreat. It was ideally situated right in the heart of the historic city just off the via Bruno Biozzi, which provides easy access to the historic sights and many excellent restaurants. Our host, Davide, gave us a very warm welcome provided excellent restaurant recommendations and we can certainly recommend ‘Era’ (a couple of minutes away) as a place to eat. Our room was clean and comfortable, with a beautiful vaulted ceiling and had a small terrace so we could take in the sights and sounds of this incredible city. We chose to park in the nearby public car park (a bit dark and gloomy) but very convenient for the hotel.

The breakfast was a little limited in terms of choice.

Our stay at Le Malve Cave Retreat was absolutely unforgettable. The hotel offers a perfect blend of Matera’s ancient cave charm with modern comfort and thoughtful design. The room was a true haven—peaceful, cool, and beautifully decorated, respecting the historic soul of the space while offering all the comforts we needed. Breakfast was delicious and generous, featuring fresh local products. The location couldn’t be better—right in the heart of the Sassi, allowing us to explore Matera on foot and enjoy stunning views at every turn. What truly made the difference was the hospitality. The team was warm, helpful, and always available to offer great recommendations that made our visit even more special. Le Malve Cave Retreat is not just a place to stay—it’s a unique experience. We would return without hesitation!

Nothing

Amazing cave suite room, staff was extremely nice and helpful before and during our stay, the hotel is well located, but Matera is so big and beautiful that we have to walk around the town to see all the interests places, which we expected. Amazing view of the town just steps away from room. Breakfast was included and could be a little big more variety but was good. Definitely a place that we will recommend. We were able to leave our bags after check out with no limitations to finish visiting the town.

Just that we have to park away form the hotel and carry our bags down hill, but is expected in this type of Unesco town. A back pack will be a better option but is not the Hotel fault. Everything was extremely nice and beautiful.

This is a stunning cave hotel, in the heart of one of the historic Sassi districts, and only a 10 to 15min walk from the main square of Matera. The conversion of the cave rooms to a hotel has been done extremely well, including a shower (with waterfall jets) in a part of the cave. We stayed in room 19, which was stunning. The bed was very comfortable. The hosts, Sara and Gianvito, were welcoming, friendly and kind, and spoke good English (which helps as we don't speak Italian!). An exceptional place to stay in Matera. We would definitely stay there again if we can!

We regret we only booked one night!

The hotel was in a beautiful location in The Sassi. There is plenty of restaurants, bars and a beautiful little bakery nearby. The work that has gone into creating the cave rooms is exceptional. We had an air conditioning problem, but Sara on reception went above and beyond to sort it. She relocated us to another room, which was even more beautiful and spacious than the original one we booked. Both of the ladies we encountered on reception were incredibly helpful, with suggestions for walks and must-see views. The bed was very large and comfortable. You can’t park at the property. We parked in the suggested car park that is nearer to the hotel. It had a charge of €1 per hour or €10 per day. But it’s worth noting that a day does not mean 24 hours, it is midnight to midnight. TIP: If you are on a road trip like we were and just spending a couple of nights, you would be best to just pack what you need into a smaller bag and leave large suitcase in the boot of your car. It will be easier for you. If you have time it’s well worth visiting the ‘ghost town’ of Craco. It’s an hours drive. You can only visit and do guided tour, you can’t walk around it alone. Craco has an official website where you can book tickets or a ticket office on site. Remember your comfortable shoes and a bottle of water, it gets hot! We also enjoyed visiting Gravina in Puglia which was around a 40 minute drive, to see the Ponte Acquedotto, or as we call it ‘The James Bond bridge’. This area is beautiful too. Again, remember your comfortable shoes! 🙂

There was not as much choice for breakfast if you arrive later. I would get there at 8 for the best choice. The food is delicious though. There’s a lot of steps all over the property and rooms are scattered around. This was actually not a problem for me, as I researched the property and knew what to expect. It is right in the Sassi after all. But it might not be suitable for someone with mobility issues.

We were a big group of 13. The location of Le Malve was perfect, we all got different types of rooms which were all unique. Deluxe cave suite 19 I think was the most spacious with a big shower room. Breakfast was very filling with sweet and savory dishes. David and Gianvito at reception were super accommodating and friendly, gave us so much information and always willing to chat. Finally, Matera is the real winner, absolutely stunning, our 2 nights were just enough to leisurely see the whole city.

Nothing

We had a suite which was amazing to stay in a cave - absolutely loved it! The shower was also very cool and the room was very spacious. 5 our of 5 for our room - really felt very luxurious.

Breakfast left a lot to be desired! We would have liked more choice. Every day we got to breakfast there were 3 boiled eggs, and some (if any) cold scrambled egg. The croissants were really hard, actually inedible, like a rock, on a couple of occasions. The bread was also often not there, or there were 1 or 2 sad pieces. The staff were all really kind, but the breakfast could really be improved. We also had no shower gel in our room for the first 2 days (so this was not topped up when cleaning) but once we told reception, they sorted it.

I think a renovated cave stay is an amazing opportunity that should be done if visiting Matera and was a good location. We did appreciate getting help with our bags to the taxi on check out. We had previously walked with them from the car park which was difficult so I would definitely recommend this option.

I was hoping that once I got to the room there would be no steps but there were also steps into our room. Rooms had a glass bathroom that even when ‘mirrored’ you could still see into. Rooms are all different so I’m sure you could request what you would prefer when booking if you know (we were an older group travelling with our mum and our booking was last minute).

The host was excellent. The facilities were nice, and we found it interesting and educational to stay in a sassi. Matera was our favorite village in Basilicata. The breakfast was very nice. I would recommend that she wear shoes that grip well, as a walk up Street entrance to the property offices rather slippery, with shiny foot polished stones. The host was responsive to my expressed concerns, after my wife slipped and fell, trying to negotiate the steps. He said the city was unresponsive to his having repeatedly expressed, concerns about this problem. That being said, he was an EXCELLENT host.

Our ONLY complaint was the slippery access walkway to the property. Everything else was.WONDERFUL!