Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Italy
Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, Santo Stefano di Sessanio
Restored medieval hamlet
Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Italy
Renovated
2004
Price
$$$
Rated for
Local Design HeritageOutside the door
Restored medieval hamlet
A fortified Apennine hilltop village where sixteenth-century stone houses and winding alleys double as hotel rooms alongside resident locals.
“Each of the town’s 30 accommodations is unique, from multistory houses with impossibly narrow stone stairways to bedrooms tucked under vaulted ceilings.”
What it’s good at
Exceptional
Rooms scattered among village residents, with heirloom recipes and hand-loomed local wool textiles.
Remarkable
Austere candlelit stone masonry fitted with radiant heated floors and soaking tubs.
Remarkable
Restored sixteenth-century mountain dwellings with open stone hearths and ancient timber beams.
What they say
One Michelin Key
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
The renovation is as sensitive as it gets, and while the atmosphere is strictly classic, the comforts are modern…
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Highland hiking trails across Gran Sasso national park and the vast alpine meadows of Campo Imperatore sit just outside the village.
The rooms
Selected suites feature deep freestanding bathtubs, open hearths, and handmade wool blankets set against smoke-blackened medieval stone walls with heated floors.
Dogs stay too.
At the table
Candlelit tables sit beneath sixteenth-century stone vaults, serving traditional mountain recipes made with local lentils and Navelli saffron.
How it began
Daniele Kihlgren bought and preserved the crumbling medieval hamlet, restoring original stone dwellings without new construction to safeguard its mountain heritage.
Good to know
Stay here
Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, Santo Stefano di Sessanio
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.