At the time of this publication, Americans are not allowed to make a stopover in Italy and foreigners are not currently recommended. This piece is meant to serve as inspiration (and armchair) until the situation improves.
When Giancarlo dall’Ara first proposed the Albergo diffuso style in the 1980s, it was an artistic solution born out of a tragic situation. An earthquake devastated dozens of towns in the northwestern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Professor Dall’Ara, then a young hotel. Marketing consultant, in charge of finding a way to reactivate tourism in the region.
Instead of building new homes to accommodate visitors, he thought, why use existing homes?Why stay in a hotel when you can stay in the village?
The term albergo diffuso can be roughly translated as “dispersed hotel”, i. e. an asset that offers rooms and suites spread over many buildings in the same city. The style was born to attract tourism to Italy’s smaller destinations, so that they exist exclusively in small borghi, or villages, where picturesque houses are situated within walking distance of each other.
“This type of hotel allows visitors to enjoy the most authentic, if elusive, aspect of Italy: life in its small towns,” begins Professor Dall’Ara. “It promotes exchanges between travellers who need to get to know a territory and locals who open their doors to share their heritage and traditions. “
To qualify as an albergo diffuso, the hotel will need to use existing architecture that has retained its local prestige. Contemporary hotels are not allowed for the sake of safeguarding historic structures. ” An albergo diffuso is like a hotel that is not built as such,” says Dall’Ara. “It’s just been given a new life. “
This type of accommodation offers all the inimitable warmth and charm of Italian hospitality, as well as the quality of a classic hotel. Each albergo diffuso has dedicated non-unusual spaces for guests, adding a lobby for check-in and a dining room for breakfast. “The living room is the square,” says Dall’Ara.
The good looks of an albergo diffuso can be found outside its doors and in the city itself.
The concept could possibly refer to an agriturismo (stay on a farm) or to a bed.
Decades after the Friuli earthquake, albergo diffuso feels like the new frontier of hospitality, a frontier that is poised to expand in a post-Covid-19 world.
Il Borgo dei Corsi is an alhostelo diffuso in the town of Ortignano Raggiolo, Tuscany.
There are more than 140 alberghi diffusi in Italy and one reflects the diversity of Italian heritage. In Puglia, you can sleep in a cone-shaped teal in the captivating town of Alberobello, while near Rome you can sleep in a medieval castle. One of the main promoters of the hotel style is the Sextantio brand, which operates two alberghi diffusi in Italy. The first asset has revived the once-abandoned village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the mountainous region of Abruzzo, while the second accommodation features evocative features. Troglodyte dwellings nestled in the Sassi di Matera.
The Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita is one of the most evocative cave hotels in Italy.
In this time of global upheaval when many of us are looking for tactics to live more sustainably and more meaningfully, this style appeals. 90% of Italy’s alberghi diffusi remain open 12 months of the year – an occupancy rate that most classic hotels struggle with. obtain.
And last summer, travelers flocked to small Italian towns to stay in scattered hotels despite the pandemic. Located off the beaten tourist track, the homes are immersed in nature, ensuring social distancing, but Dall’Ara believes travelers weren’t motivated by their safety.
Some alberghi diffusi are located in towns located inside Italian castles, such as the Castello di ProcenoArray. . . [ ] in northern Lazio.
“The pandemic has made us reflect on the fragility of our lives and our land,” he says. “By searching for the Alberghi diffusi, travellers have shown their willingness to small businesses and villages that are a real asset in our society. “It promises a high-touch experience focused on shared pricing. “When you’re staying in a different hostel, you’re not just joining an exchange of services. You enter into a human relationship,” Dall’Ara says.
Albergo Diffuso Muntaecara offers rooms and suites set in ancient towers and stone houses in Apricale.
With a project and a philosophy based on intrinsic human values, the hotel concept has also been followed beyond the Italian borders. Fully tailored and responsive to the local territory, it is a flexible style that can be adapted to individual territories or adapted over time to meet conversion needs.
“There is a cultural predisposition for this kind of style in many parts of the world,” says Dall’Ara. “When I visited Japan and saw classic ryokan inns, I was inspired by how each of them was physically distinct and at the same time representative of Japanese culture. culture and hospitality. ” In 2018, Yakage-ya became the first diffuso hostel in Japan to qualify through the partnership. Centered around a 200-year-old house, the assets straddle a street and offer rooms clustered around a courtyard, as well as hot springs, an open-air bath, and a hot stone spa.
The Sextantio logo will also export the style to Africa this year with the launch of a new hotel destination comprised of a series of cabins on the island of Nkombo in Rwanda.
Albergo Diffuso Mannois is located in Orosei, Sardinia, just a few minutes’ drive from the beach.