Falling asleep in a tree looking up at the stars, among works of art, in the ice of an igloo or in a cave carved out of stone is no longer just a dream.
Aristocratic castle flats, simple dwellings in lighthouses by the sea or bizarre transparent glass bubbles can be transformed into extravagant bedrooms. Here are the most unusual hotels in Italy for an extraordinary travel experience.
Unusual and unusual hotels in Italy
Tree house
A tree house is a childhood dream of getting away from the world and isolating oneself in nature, suspended between earth and sky. As adults, it is still possible to realise it. There are numerous tree houses in Italy. For example, just outside Florence, there is Casa Barthel, a holiday home and artist's residence surrounded by pine trees with glass bedrooms through which to admire nature. The Aroma(n)tica Treehouse, on the other hand, overlooks the Piedmont hills in the province of Alessandria. It is a nest suspended in the lime trees of San Salvatore Monferrato, in shabby chic style with a swimming pool and a lush Mediterranean garden. Near Bolzano then there is a tree house suspended 3.5 m high: Caravan Park Sexten is immersed in the splendid setting of the Dolomites and offers rooms with sensory shower, whirlpool and sauna. In the province of Viterbo, the agriturismo La Piantata offers a romantic wooden nest on a centuries-old oak tree with a four-poster bed and a view of lavender fields. Near Cuneo, Il Giardino dei Semplici has set up two tree houses in a maple and oak forest with breakfast served in the greenery. A few kilometres from Merano, Hotel San Luis offers several tree houses built as lofts in the foliage.
If you are looking for a real tree suite, go to the Meisters Hotel Irma in Merano: an elegant retreat among the pines with a panoramic hot tub and breakfast served on the terrace.
Bubble rooms
In those moments you will discover that the most beautiful ceiling is the starry sky. For those who want to sleep surrounded by nature without giving up the comforts of an elegant hotel room, try glamping, the glamorous campsite. Its latest evolution is that of the Bubble Hotels, futuristic transparent bubbles located in the most beautiful places on the planet, and now also in Italy, where you can relax admiring breathtaking views and listening to the sound of nature. Among the most beautiful Bubble Hotels in Italy is certainly the Relais dei Cesari on Lake Maggiore. In an old farmhouse from the 19th century, you will find five-star bubbles, the Bubble Suite and the Geodetic Luxury Suite. Una Bolla sotto le Stelle, on the other hand, is an essential bubble room with a panoramic view over the hills of Montepulciano and the valley of Lake Trasimeno. In the province of Fermo, the Casa dei Nonni offers absolute relaxation amidst the Sibillini Mountains and the hills of the Marche. Not far from Messina is the Villarè farm, an urban farm that offers the Green Bubble Room, semi-transparent, immersed in nature among the fragrant vegetable gardens of the large estate overlooking the Strait of Messina.
Cave houses
In Matera, one of the oldest cities in the world, you can sleep in the so-called sassi, dwellings dug out of the tufa rock where people lived with animals until the 1950s. These ancient cave dwellings set in the stone overlooking the Gravina river and the Murgia park, as in a scenic natural amphitheatre, now house boutique hotels, diffuse hotels and charming residences.
Luxurious suites with private pools, spas carved into the tuff and panoramic windows combine ancient charm with modern elegance. Among the best hotels in the Sassi di Matera with rooms in caves is definitely Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, a diffused hotel with views of the Murgia Materana and breakfast served in a deconsecrated 13th-century church. Equally impressive are the rooms carved out of tufa rock at the Sant'Angelo Luxury Resort, Hotel in Pietra, Caveoso Hotel and Corte San Pietro. One of the newest hotels in the Sassi of Matera, theAquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & Spa offers rooms carved out of the tuff and equipped with the latest technology, which wind their way through glass windows, patios and panoramic terraces and recreate the atmosphere of an ancient village.
Lighthouse by the sea
The only lighthouse in Italy that is also used as a hotel is the Faro di Capo Spartivento at the southern end of Sardinia. If you want to experience sleeping where the lighthouse keeper once lived, immersed in the blue sea and the silence of nature, interrupted only by the sound of the waves, book one of the 6 junior suites in the lighthouse that still lights the way for sailors. Here the days pass in total freedom, you decide when to have breakfast, from which corner of the terrace to admire the sunset and agree with the chef on the lunch and dinner menu. Feel free to choose a bottle of wine from the cellar or a volume from the library as if you were at home.
Trulli
If you want to try living like the Apulian farmers of yesteryear who built temporary homes in the countryside, book your holiday in a trullo. These white dry-stone conical constructions have made the village of Alberobello famous, but are typical of the whole of central-southern Apulia. Very cool in summer and cosy in winter, trulli are ideal for a holiday in any season. Among the most beautiful trulli in Apulia are those of Villa Baraquiel, completely restored in luxury and equipped with a swimming pool, surrounded by fragrant gardens and beautiful olive groves. In the Alberobello countryside, we recommend the Trulli del Bosco for those who love the tranquillity of nature. In the Valle d'Itria, Trullo Tulou is an authentic dwelling with vineyards and olive groves as far as the eye can see, Trulli Suite 2P then are a haven of peace with a hydro-massage pool.
Between Martina Franca, Alberobello and Locorotondo is Il Trullo Ulivo - Il Colle del Noce. Villa Tria is a charming historic villa whose trulli roofs are reflected in the swimming pool. Trullo Suite Martodda, finally, is a dwelling dating back to 1714 immersed in the Locorotondo countryside.
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Igloo
You don't have to travel to Lapland to sleep in an igloo, you can now enjoy an Eskimo night in Italy too. If you want to experience the thrill of sleeping in a room made entirely of ice surrounded by nature at high altitude, book at theBella Vista lodge in Val Senales, Trentino Alto Adige. You will find real igloos with a romantic atmosphere at the foot of a glacier. Don't worry about the cold, inside you will find a double bed with warm sheepskins, sleeping bags that wrap around and warm you, and just outside, a Finnish hot tub and sauna. Still in Trentino Alto Adige, but near Lake Misurina, there is the Dolomiti Igloo Village, the world's largest igloo village. Inside the igloo, thanks to the insulating capacity of snow mixed with air, the temperature never drops below zero. Meals and services are provided in the chalet, but couples looking for romance can request a candlelit dinner in their room. Then there is the Spirit Igloo Village in Friuli Venezia Giulia, which houses twenty igloos at an altitude of 1800 metres, which can be reached by snowshoeing. For those also looking for a bit of fun, the village also hosts the I Spirit Igloo Bar for a cocktail while listening to the DJ
Luxury castles
If you want to identify with the princes and princesses of yesteryear, there are numerous castles in Italy that have now been converted into luxurious hotels. Among the most beautiful in Italy is certainly the Castello di Velona Spa Resort & Winery, situated on a hill overlooking the Val d'Orcia, a few kilometres from Montalcino. On the hills of Montalcino is the Porrona Castle, which belonged for five centuries to two of the greatest families of the Sienese nobility, the Tolomei and the Piccolini. Today it is a luxury hotel with 25 elegant rooms and suites located within the original medieval complex. The 10th-century castle is an elegant hotel with thermal water pools and terraces from which to admire olive groves and vineyards as far as the eye can see. Still in Tuscany is Como Castello del Nero, a 12th-century castle with Renaissance frescoes and contemporary design that also houses a starred restaurant and an elegant wellness centre. Also noteworthy is Guarene Castle in Piedmont, built in the 18th century as the summer residence of the Roero counts. It is an imposing three-storey historic residence, surrounded by vast and elegant Italian gardens, with views of the Alps and the hills of Monferrato. In Trentino Alto Adige, on the other hand, is Fragsburg Castle, which has towered over the spa town of Merano for almost 400 years. Surrounded by wild vines and an enchanted garden, the castle houses a delightful five-star hotel and an 'alchemic spa'. In Veneto, we recommend the spectacular CastelBrando in Cison di Valmarino, on the slopes of Monte Castello.
Umbria boasts, among others, the castle of Montignano, which dates back to 962, then became the noble residence of the Matalucci family in the 18th century and, finally, a charming hotel with spa. Nestled between Etna and Taormina, then the Castello San Marco Hotel & Spa is a princely residence in 17th-century Sicilian Baroque style.
Convents and monasteries
For those who want a holiday of peace, tranquillity and spirituality without forgoing the comforts of a hotel, we recommend booking into one of the many convents and monasteries dotted around Italy. For example, in Ragusa is the hermitage of theGiubiliana, acquired in the 18th century by the Nifosì, a wealthy family of landowners whose current heir, Vincenza Jolanda Nifosì, has decided to restore the ancient estate and convert it into a five-star hotel. In Taormina, on the other hand, is the San Domenico Palace Hotel, housed in a 15th-century Dominican monastery offering enchanting views of Mount Etna and the entire bay, and which over time has attracted many famous writers, artists and composers. In Amalfi, an ancient Capuchin monastery overlooking the sea now houses a wonderful 5-star hotel of incredible charm. In Umbria, the Relais Monastero di San Biagio is an elegant hotel with wellness centre, housed in an ancient monastery in the peaceful Mount Subasio Park, with an adjoining laboratory of natural remedies produced according to the recipes of ancient herbalists.
Still in Umbria is the Eremito Hotelito Del Alma, a fascinating 14th-century hermitage restored according to the canons of bio-architecture and green building. It is an ecohotel that combines the austere essentiality of ancient monasteries with contemporary luxury. Not far away, the charming hotel Abbazia San Pietro in Valle, located in Umbria between the Marmore Falls and Spoleto, is a period residence that can accommodate a maximum of 50 people. Finally, in Tropea, there is the historic Convento della Pietà, dating back to the 16th century, which now houses holiday flats with views of the Calabrian coastline.
iRooms
Essential design, LED lights, waterfall showers, ipads and the latest technology in every room. iRooms are the rooms of the future. Located in the centre of Rome, these futuristic rooms are just the paradise for those who love technology and want to be hyper-connected even on holiday. The iRooms offer panoramic views of Rome, jacuzzis, private spas and massage chairs. The Zen room with oriental decorations is ideal for those in search of peace, the iMovies room is the paradise of cinema lovers who will find a wall in front of the double bed on which to project films and TV series.
iLove is the lovers' room with a tropical rain shower, chromotherapy and iPad light control. Finally, iZen is ideal for those who, after a day spent walking around the eternal city, want to relax in their own room with a private spa in a cave.
Contemporary art hotel-museum
A dream for those who really want to experience art. In a Sicilian village near Cefalù is L'Atelier sul Mare, a contemporary art hotel-museum. Each room has been designed by an international artist and furnished with works of art that make it unique. La Bocca della verità (The Mouth of Truth), Doppio sogno (Double Dream), Mistero per la luna (Mystery for the Moon), Io sono il blu (I Am Blue), are just some of the names of the art rooms in this unusual hotel. Immersed in unspoilt nature, between the crystal-clear sea and the Nebrodi mountains, L'Atelier sul Mare was founded by Antonio Presti, the former creator of Fiumara d'Arte, Europe's largest open-air sculpture park. A magical place, ideal for those who want to spend a night in a museum to fall asleep inside a work of art.
Author: Francesca Ferri
Italy
