Eremito Hotelito Del Alma

Eremito Connects You With What Matters Most

"A near-monastic retreat on the edge of 3,000 hectares of protected Italian forest, this rebuilt stone sanctuary pares hospitality back to essentials: nine-square-meter rooms with no glass and handcrafted ceramics, electricity discouraged, no wi-fi, phones, televisions, or mini-fridges, and candlelight everywhere to remove distractions. More than a trendy digital detox, it’s a social haven purpose-built for solo travelers (about 70 percent of guests), where mornings bring meditation and yoga before breakfast, walks in the woods spark candid conversations, and a nonjudgmental atmosphere forges surprising bonds—the atmosphere can be so affecting that guests who met only days before sometimes leave in tears. The guest mix spans the very wealthy to adventurous students thanks to affordable rates. Comfort is thoughtful rather than ostentatious—wrought-iron beds dressed in thick hemp sheets, stone desks overlooking a green valley, underfloor heating in winter, bathrooms with marble sinks, handmade soaps, and huge brass showerheads; local artisans supply the ceramics, and a small spa adds a plunge pool and steam room. Meals are vegetarian and mostly local or garden-grown, and the candlelit dinner is taken in profound silence beneath some 200 candles, dishes and wine passed with expressive gestures as a four-course ritual that begins and ends with the echo of a gong before fireside reading and tea in the lounge. Off-grid yet accessible between Rome and Florence, and now within the Marriott collection, it can startle travelers expecting a standard upscale room, but after the initial shock they tend to leave “fantastically happy,” convinced by an experience that invites you, for a few days or weeks, to disconnect, connect with others, and “get back to being a human being.”" - Mitchell Friedman