Sextantio Albergo Diffuso

We enjoyed the Superior room, especially the fireplace, which gave us a fun taste of old times, though at a modern-day price. Breakfast was decent, and they did offer my vegan wife some alternatives, but the options were quite limited. The truffle hunt with Andrea and Hugo the dog was great. Hugo found two truffles and we were given one, though we didn’t do anything with it. The experience wasn’t as described, since we didn’t eat it with a glass of wine. The room itself was great, but the other experiences fell short. Dinner was mediocre for a very high price, and the servers’ limited English led to several order problems.

We loved slowing down here by candlelight. The rooms use natural materials, and the whole place has a romantic, almost cinematic atmosphere. From the village, iconic sights are easy to reach, then you can return to a quiet, private escape. The hotel is spread through the beautiful, quaint village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, with lovely views across rolling hills. Breakfast was top-tier, with fresh pastries, cheese, ham and juice each morning. I went back for several rounds of the apricot/plum juice and fruit tarts. It’s absolutely worth making time for a stay while traveling around Abruzzo.

The rooms are spread throughout the village in a distinctive “diffuso” setup, bringing new life to its ancient heritage. Staying here lets you disconnect from the modern world and experience an older expression of Italian culture that has mostly disappeared. Set in a beautiful medieval village in rural Italy, Sextantio Stefano di Sessanio is surrounded by rolling hills and mountains. The experience is built around preserving regional ancestral culture and sharing those customs with guests, with local traditions reflected in details from the linen to the food. It really feels like stepping back to life from hundreds of years ago.

Every room is in its own restored “residence”, fitted with luxury features, and the service was great from check-in through departure. It made for a memorable stay. We stopped for one night while driving from Tuscany to Puglia, which worked well. Dinner focuses on local ingredients and recipes, which is commendable, but for us it meant a LOT of bread courses. Breakfast was more enjoyable. A unique, stunning place for a stopover, with a twist.