The Luxury Tuscan Hotel Redefining the ‘Digital Detox’ Holiday

There’s no shortage of hotels promising ‘digital detoxes’ and holistic, back-to-the-land living. Often, these spaces can feel quite contrived, like cookie-cutter versions of the same refurbished shipping container, placed incongruously in a forest easily accessible from the M25. The demand for these retreats is high for obvious reasons: burnt-out city-dwellers are becoming increasingly desperate for peace, however fleeting, even if that means forking out great sums of money for a glorified glamping trip. 

Oasyhotel, set in the heart of Tuscany’s Pistoiese Apennines, offers a new spin on this ‘detox’ experience. For one thing, it is truly remote: the hotel is located 40 miles away from Florence, along wild, winding roads that take you into the region’s dense mountain range. Once you arrive at the gates, you are greeted by another car, which only takes you half an hour further into the heart of the wilderness. A deer or rabbit might hop past the window, and there are whispers of wolves and wild boars as the woodland gets thicker. “We have a profound respect for the environment,” a spokesperson from the hotel tells me. “We promote the quiet luxury approach.”

The hotel is situated in the Oasi Dynamo Nature Reserve; a sprawling site of over 1000 hectares, with meadows, mountains, tranquil lakes and thick forest. The land used to be a hunting reserve before it was reclaimed by the WWF, who pledged to nurture both the plants and animals within it, dedicating the space to rewilding and scientific research. The hotel itself is built on that same premise: the restaurants aim to be self-sufficient, using food produced onsite through non-intensive farming; the lodges are simple and sustainable, built from natural materials. Many of the staff are even embedded in conservation themselves, with some studying for Master’s and PhDs, using the site as their own limitless study ground. Thanks to all this, it’s not much of a surprise to learn that Oasy has won National Geographic’s coveted ‘Most Sustainable Hotel’ award.

It doesn’t take long after arriving to realise that you’re committing to a very distinct experience. This isn’t a base you can pop in and out of, or a resort with all the latest technological innovations (there’s no Netflix or TV here, for example, though there is WiFi). Instead, you’re encouraged to be outside, feet on the earth. Days can be spent hiking (there are various recommended routes based on your energy levels), or rocketing around the mountains on your e-bike. There are courses on orienteering for the more adventurous, kayaking, horseriding, wildlife photography, farming, astronomy, or starlit walks to find the site’s newly introduced local wolf packs. Because capacity is so low – there are only 16 lodges on site – it’s pure peace, which feels refreshing in a hospitality industry driven by growth and profit. “We are not permitted to construct new structures and we may maintain what is already there, and this is a limit we respect,” the spokesperson explains. “Sustainability for us means keeping the numbers small while adhering to our principles of sustainability, conservation and community support.” 

This isn’t to say that the hotel doesn’t have more to offer than nature, particularly in peak seasons. After a day spent traipsing through the forest or sunbathing by the lake, you can still indulge in more epicurean pleasures. There are two restaurants on-site serving the finest Tuscan and Emilia-Romagnan cuisine, all with locally sourced and reared ingredients (including delectable, butter-soft steaks and the best Tiramisu I’ve ever had), as well as an art gallery, cocktail bar and a small cinema for the brisker evenings. As an overall experience, Oasyhotel is a gentle call to get back into your body and your senses, to marvel at nature and enjoy the bounties of the earth around you. As a 21st-century hotel, it manages to do what so few before it have: make ‘detoxing’ a luxurious, sensual and indulgent experience. 

Find out more about Oasyhotel on its official website