It's hard to imagine a better host than Luigi. He has created two beautiful guest rooms and a breakfast room in a small house in the centro storico of Bari. There is attention to detail throughout, from the quality of the conversion work to the fixtures and fittings in the house. This is a very high quality bed and breakfast, the best I've seen at this price, by far. Of course, there are concessions to the limited space. Access to the guest rooms is via a spiral staircase, which is narrow and seems steep because of the tightness of the turn. This won't be easy for some people, but again it is a beautifully-designed modern construction of wood and steel. Beyond the guest room floors, the staircase continues up to a roof terrace, accessed by an electrically-operated translucent hatch that opens to gain access to the roof terrace, and when closed fills the staircase chamber with light.
When I arrived, Luigi explained that the air-conditioning is broken in my room. After the first night of poor sleep because of the heat, I contacted Luigi to say that I couldn't stay because of the heat. He met me an hour later, saying that he had contacted the other local rooms he knew, and they were all full. I said I would contact Airbnb, but in the event I chose not to, because Luigi went the extra mile in trying to redress the problem with the offer of a discount and the use of a dehumidifier, which helped make the room fresher. But Luigi did two other things that more than made up for the problem; one was that he arranged for me to eat a meal in a home in a nearby street, hosted by women who spend the day sitting outside their houses hand-making orecchietti, ear shaped pieces of pasta, which they dry on trays in the sun. As I walked down the street with Luigi he was greeted by the women with cries of 'Avocato' (lawyer/soliciter) and their clasped hands waving at him in respect.
Luigi is the perfect host: charming, courteous and always ready to help. I have the utmost admiration for him and his bed and breakfast. I hope to stay again if I come to Bari, and I recommend you do too.