The Best Tech-Free Hotels for When You Need a Digital Detox
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Weekly screen time reports getting out of control? Perhaps it’s time to focus a little less on recharging your devices and a little more on recharging yourself. You certainly wouldn’t be alone in coming to this realization—the “digital detox” trend has exploded in popularity in recent years as more and more travelers look for ways to escape the blue-lit hue of everyday life.
There are remote properties like Soneva Jani in the Maldives, where you’ll be too in love with your overwater bungalow (and too many time zones away from the office) to care what’s happening back home. Other properties take a more rigorous tack: At Brenner’s Park-Hotel & Spa in Germany, rooms in some categories can completely disconnect from Wi-Fi and electronics with the press of a button. Sound enticing? Plan to check in and tune out at one of the (practically) tech-free hotels below.
Twin Farms
Barnard, Vermont
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What started as a Vermont farmhouse constructed in the late 18th century has evolved into one of New England’s most sophisticated resorts. Today, Twin Farms consists of 28 individually designed cottages and suites spread across 300 bucolic acres, where you can go hiking and biking during the warmer months and ski via a private chairlift in the winter. The all-inclusive rate includes three exceptional meals per day (Twin Farms is known for its excellent farm-to-table cuisine) and all your activities. Cell service might be hard to come by in these parts, but you’re hardly going to miss it.
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa
Little Torch Key, Florida
The journey to Little Palm Island begins at the Welcome Station on Little Torch Key in the Florida Keys (a mere 40 minutes by car from Key West International Airport), where you’ll catch a boat out to this adults-only private island oasis. (Alternatively, you can take a seaplane from the mainland or from Key West.) Spread over six acres, the resort offers thatched-roof bungalow suites that come with all the modern comforts—minus televisions or phones (cell phones are also discouraged in the resort’s public areas). There’s a pool and plenty of beach access, as well as a spa with Balinese and Thai-inspired treatments. After your stay, it’s a quick skip and a jump back to reality on the mainland. It’s all so accessible, yet worlds away from your computer screen.
Ambiente: A Landscape Hotel
Sedona, Arizona
Instead of doomscrolling, you’ll spend your time at Ambiente hiking, sunbathing by the pool and stargazing under dark skies. This sleek, modern hotel consists of freestanding cube-shape guestrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering some of the best views of any hotel in Sedona. Combined with the town’s longstanding reputation as a wellness hub (something to do with energy vortexes), you’re sure to find an unplugged stay here deeply rejuvenating.
Thatch Caye, a Muy’Ono Resort
Dangriga, Belize
With just 15 oceanfront cabanas and overwater bungalows, this serene resort puts the “private” in private island. Wi-Fi is available only in the common areas, so that you can focus fully on tropical living and not on what’s happening on social media. There’s a natural saltwater pool and plenty of hammocks for long, lazy naps; down on the beach, you can step straight into the water to go snorkeling. The all-inclusive rate covers all meals, most beverages and roundtrip boat transfers from Dangriga Airport—so all you have to do is show up.
Lapa Rios Lodge
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
An essential part of any digital detox is peaceful surroundings, and Lapa Rios offers some of the best. The lodge is hidden away within a private, 1,000-acre slice of pristine Costa Rican rainforest, so you can focus less on checking your email and more on waking up to the chattering of toucans. Each of the 17 bungalows has gorgeous views of the ocean or the forest, a large private deck and—best of all—no phones or televisions. The lodge staff can organize surf lessons, rainforest hikes, in-room massages and more, so there’s no shortage of activities to keep you occupied.
Remota Patagonia Lodge
Puerto Natales, Chile
After flying three and a half hours from Santiago to Punta Arenas, then driving another two and a half hours to this secluded Patagonian lodge, it’s safe to say you’ll be thoroughly off the grid. It should come as no surprise that cell service is hard to come by at Remota; there is Wi-Fi connectivity in the lodge’s common areas, but due to its reduced speed, you won’t exactly be streaming your favorite shows with ease—not that you’ll want to. There are so many excursions, from trekking to horseback riding to sightseeing glaciers by boat, that you’ll hardly have time to look at your devices.
Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa
Baden-Baden, Germany
Located in the Black Forest, the spa town of Baden-Baden has long been a destination for affluent Europeans looking to convalesce in decadent fashion—and throughout its 150-year history, Brenners has been where they all want to stay. The hotel is located in the center of town and overlooks the picturesque Lichtentaler Allee; it’s also steps from several museums you can enjoy sans smartphone. Flawless service, a state-of-the-art spa with a hydrotherapy circuit and (select) rooms with a button that disengages all Wi-Fi and electronics make this a prime spot for your digital detox.
Soneva Jani
Madehufaru, Maldives
The two-story bungalows at this Maldives resort are nothing short of palatial—and most of them stand over water, with their own slide down to the electric-blue sea. Between snorkeling, exploring by boat and simply basking in the glory of your private paradise, there are plenty of activities to fill your days, but if you really want to make the most of your time, book a personalized wellness package comprising treatments tailored by the resort’s Ayurvedic practitioners to help you achieve your health goals. By the end, you might not even remember—or care—where you left your phone. While you’re occupied at the spa, the kids can hang at The Den, a two-story, technology-free playground inspired by childhood wonder.
Booking With Chase Travel
Chase Travel is the first stop for your next adventure. At chasetravel.com and via the Chase Mobile® app, eligible cardmembers can earn and redeem points for hotels, flights, activities, rental cars and more.
Select cardmembers receive accelerated points earning or cash back when booking through Chase Travel, and Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers will earn 8 points per dollar on Chase Travel purchases, including hotel stays booked through The Edit by Chase Travel℠. Sapphire Reserve cardmembers who book through The Edit will also receive special benefits including daily breakfast for two and a $100 property credit, along with early check-in, late checkout and a room upgrade, when available.
Looking for inspiration? Eligible Chase cardmembers can explore hotel reviews and editor-curated guides at chasetravel.com.
Lead photo: Twin Farms.
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