Digital Detox: Top 7 Hotels to Disconnect

A recent study found that people check their phone on average once every 12 minutes – burying their heads in their phones 80 times a day. A study by global tech protection and support company Asurion found that the average person struggles to go little more than 10 minutes without checking their phone.

Our lives can easily get clogged up with notifications, e-mails, tweets and likes. Even on holidays a constant connection to Wi-Fi networks allow everyday stress factors to follow you to any destination. A digital detox can reduce anxiety and stress; check our list of the top six digital detox retreats all over the world and finally enjoy some moments of pure serenity:

3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat – Zermatt, Switzerland

A world that almost leaves civilisation behind

Wisps of clouds glide past the windows. Ice, snow and clouds melt together to form a uniform scene of white and crystal. Black rocks are the last point of focus and orientation. A small blue gap opens up in the clouds. Not two minutes later, the entire sky is perfectly blue.

This can only be experienced at altitudes of 3,100 metres above sea level. Normally, this is an altitude where you find researchers, mountain climbers and pilots. At the Kulmhotel Gornergrat, you check in comfortably at this altitude.

Lake Placid Lodge – Adirondacks, New York

Check in to check out

Situated in the heart of the Adirondacks, Lake Placid Lodge has all the ingredients for the classic New York getaway. This is a majestic hotel built by hand in the Arts & Crafts tradition, perfectly at home in its lakeside setting. The woods and water enfold the Lodge, the sun warms its wide stone porches. 

Each room has a fireplace at its heart and wilderness visible through its diamond-paned windows.  There are an abundance of activities to enjoy in and around Lake Placid Lodge, though it’s perfectly alright to do nothing at all.

Alphonse Island – Seychelles

Cast away in paradise

The Alphonse group of atolls is considered one of the most pristine, untouched Edens of the world, making it a nature lover’s paradise. The magnificent island threesome comprising of Alphonse, St. François and Bijoutier lies in the very heart of the Indian Ocean as part of the Seychelles outer islands.

Beautiful white beaches line the edges of the dense natural forest, interspersed with the remnants of old commercial coconut groves. Here you will find ancient ambling tortoises, scurrying crabs and an interesting array of bird species. Escape to the exquisite simplicity of a tropical island paradise, leaving behind the impositions of everyday life. Experience the raw beauty of an untouched natural sanctuary and one of the prime protected fisheries in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean.

Kachi Lodge – Bolivia

A once in a lifetime adventure

In the remote corners of the world, an hour flight from la Paz, Bolivia offers some of the most exhilarating vistas: at 3660m high, the salar is one of them.

Disconnect from worldly worries and relax in minimalist luxury surrounded by the Uyuni Salt Flats of Bolivia at the Kachi Lodge, the ultimate glamping site. Set on a wooden platform near a cacti covered island, the six suites turn a stay on the altiplano into the most luxurious adventure. One where comfort and designed interiors meet the great outdoors: from the warmth of the dome-shaped suite, the salar unfolds like a mirror in the rainy season, or crystalline landscapes the rest of the year.

Arctic Bath – Swedish Lapland

Dream-like landscapes and great indoors: Arctic Bath is a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind hotel that immerses guests in the epic scenery of Swedish Lapland, Europe’s last true wilderness.

This hotel and spa is an authentic design masterpiece that floats on the Lule River, near the small village of Harads. Arctic Bath is built in a circular shape that floats on the water in the summertime and sits on the ice in the winter when the river freezes over. Boasting a giant ice bath in the middle, and ringed with three saunas, it includes a spa and treatment rooms as well as baths. 

Awasi Patagonia – Chile

Chilling in Chile

To be alone, or virtually alone, facing the infinite land of Patagonia: Awasi Patagonia offers an experience unlike any other.

A collection of independent villas, in a private reserve, offers total seclusion and stunning views of the forest, Sarmiento Lake and Torres del Paine National Park. Each villa is allocated its own guide and vehicle, allowing guests to explore the magnificent countryside at their own pace and see condors, guanacos and perhaps a puma. At the end of the day, they will return to a warm and cozy main lodge, restaurant and villas inspired by Patagonian shelters.

Castle Hot Springs – Arizona

Historic retreat with natural thermal pools

Endless blue skies stretch out above. Ahead of you the ochre and sepia-hued slopes of the Bradshaw Mountains grow larger and larger. The closer you get to Castle Hot Springs Resort, the further behind the day-to-day world feels. As you arrive, you can almost hear the thermal springs bubbling up all around this boutique retreat – creating the sense of a natural, luxury oasis amid the sun-soaked desert. Castle Hot Springs fuses its early-20th-century glamour with a pared-back, off-grid ethos that makes it the ideal contemporary hideaway.