Travel offers an escape from the stressors of daily life, but it’s not often that we’re graced with real opportunities to reset and recharge away from notification pings and news alerts. In today’s zero-distance world (thanks, technology), even the remotest destinations are connected to “the grid.” But there are some hotels that double as sacred spaces for seclusion, for mindfulness, and most important, for connection—not the digital kind—with the immediate world around us. Here are eight hotels where checking in really means checking out.
5 Stars | Website | Borg El Arab International Airport
42 | 1 swimming pool; Bar; Pet friendly | 7
Fatnas Island; Temple of Amun; Shali Fortress
Reaching Adrère Amellal’s isolated location in Siwa is a trek—the desert oasis is nine hours by car from Cairo—but it’s a boon for those wanting to go off the grid. Sandwiched between mythical White Mountain and a smooth-as-glass salt lake, the electricity-free compound has 40 rooms, all hand-constructed of kershef (a mix of mud and sun-dried rock salt) and furnished exclusively with pieces made by local artisans. After sunset, farm-to-table dinners and musical entertainment are enjoyed by candlelight.
5 Stars | Website | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
5 | Sauna; Outdoor guides; Private chef | 1
Sheldon Mountain House; Ruth Glacier; Denali Summit
In 1966, Alaska pioneers Don and Roberta Sheldon built a humble mountain cabin on an icy nunatak with grand plans to expand their adventurers’ retreat. The next generation of Sheldons would deliver on their progenitors’ promise half a century later, constructing a two-story hexagonal structure filled with extravagant amenities and top-notch design details. Plus, guests staying at Sheldon Chalet are gifted with front-row seats to nightly aurora borealis shows and thrilling alpine expeditions.
4 Stars | Website | Stockholm Västerås Airport
12 | Pet friendly; Sauna; Breakfast included | 1
Skarsjon; Galleri Astley AB; Ebba Brahes lusthus
Sweden’s most primitive hotel is nestled inside a pine and spruce forest near the town of Skinnskatteberg in the remote Västmanland region. The eco-lodge—which operates entirely free of electrical power—is made up of a dozen moss-covered cabins originally built by retired forest workers to preserve the tradition of kiln charcoaling. Today, the huts are kitted out with comfy cots, fireplaces, and fur blankets to keep toasty on frigid Scandinavian nights.
5 Stars | Website | Nanyuki Airport
8 | Outdoor terrace; Room service; Bar | 1
Loisaba Conservancy; Loisaba Conservancy Headquarters & Workshop; Masai Village
Sitting on the edge of an escarpment inside Kenya’s 57,000-acre Loisaba Conservancy is the most secluded of hotel group Elewana’s 16 properties. A sense of privacy reigns supreme, with just eight stilted tents on-site overlooking the park; each is exceptionally spacious and luxuriously appointed, with expansive outdoor decks and cozy writing nooks.
4 Stars | Website | Canouan Island
22 | Beachfront; Spa; Fitness center | 2
Petit Saint Vincent; Palm Island; Tobago Cays
There’s no better place to withdraw from modern society than at a private Caribbean island like Petit St. Vincent in the southernmost Grenadines. There are fewer than two dozen cottages on the ultra-slow-paced tropical isle—and zero technology in the rooms and internet in select areas of the property. Without telephones, guests must make room service through “flagpole communication”: raise a yellow flag for service, or a red flag to not be disturbed.
5 Stars | Website | Alicante Airport
93 | 1 swimming pool; Spa; Pet friendly | 1
Mundomar; Terra Mítica; Terra Natura
The award-winning SHA Wellness Clinic in Alicante, Spain provides leading-edge integrative health solutions—and does it with a heaping dose of luxury. Led by clinical experts, the week-long programs at this stunning medi-spa-on-the-Med range from comprehensive detox to weight management and “healthy aging,” each leveraging a combination of holistic therapies, medicine, and nutrition to yield life-changing results. Naturally, stepping away from screens is encouraged throughout your stay.
3 Stars | Website | Gladstone Airport
112 | Spa; Private beach; Bar | 1
Heron Island; Wilson Island; One Tree Island
Heron Island, a teeny-tiny coral cay on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, is best known as one of the world’s greatest diving sites. (French ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau even placed it in his top ten.) The destination’s only resort is also one of Australia’s greenest, having earned an Advanced Eco-Certification by Ecotourism Australia for operating sustainably. But the real draws are the undersea wonders that abound—natural distractions that will render futile all the tech you packed.
5 Stars | Website | Mataveri International Airport
30 | 1 swimming pool; Spa; Bar | 1
Ahu Tongariki; Orongo; Playa Pea
This 30-room retreat from luxury eco-chain Explora is the ideal gateway to discover the mysteries of moai-strewn Rapa Nui (or, Easter Island), one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world. No televisions, no Wi-Fi, no problem: The LEED-certified resort presents guests with dozens of signature outdoor activities across the volcanic isle, from tours of archeological sites to wilderness hikes, and it’s also just five short miles from the town of Hanga Roa.
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