Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, Santo Stefano, Abruzzo, Italy - Explore & Book
"There's nothing quite like this albergo diffuso - meaning something like "scattered lodgings" - anywhere else in the world. Put together by a team passionate about conservation, the hotel is a collection of restored houses and suites dotted around a crumbling hilltop village in the Gran Sasso mountains of central Italy. Thanks to their efforts, the village has been saved from extinction, and its remit now is to pay reverence to its peasant past. This is not a typical hotel: it’s a step back in time, and like its sister project Grotte della Civita, it’s quite unique.With your ancient iron key in hand, you enter a room that seems largely unchanged over the centuries, with rough stone walls, uneven floors, blackened fireplaces and heavy wooden furniture. But don’t be fooled. Extensive studies were conducted with cultural institutions to bring the best of the past alive, and to join them with the best of today’s modern luxuries; so underfloor heating, hidden electrics and swish bathrooms are there too.Sit in the vaulted candlelit restaurant and dine on the kind of food that Santo Stefano's farmers might have eaten centuries ago; explore hilltop villages and castles, or walk in the majestic Gran Sasso mountains. Highs An utterly unique take on a holiday in Italy - this is an authentic cultural experience that gives you a peek into Abruzzo's past while also allowing you to live like a localMeticulous detail has been applied to the project, from the rugged iron keys to the traditional menus - and it showsIn the summer, the dark cave-like rooms are a refuge from the hot sun (it’s cooler up here in the hills); in the winter, they are deliciously cosy - scented with wood smoke and lit by flickering candlesThe landscape is breathtaking - rocky crags, crumbling castles, wild forests and lakesThis area is largely undiscovered by tourists so you can have its lovely hilltop vistas all to yourself Lows The preoccupation with historical detail means that rooms are sparely furnished with no comfy sofas, minibars or TVsThere are no turndowns, room service or fitness rooms - if you're looking for a full-service hotel, this isn't for youAt busy times it can be very expensive - but when you get there you will see the time, love and infrastructure that has been investedThough atmospheric, the rooms tend to be dark - we struggled to identify the contents of our luggage in the dim medieval lightingThe lack of an in-room phone can be a drawback, and the ancient iron keys can be heavy and tricky to use" - Lesley Gillilan
