If you’re planning a trip to Italy and want something beyond Rome, Florence, and Venice, this is the kind of stay that makes your itinerary feel elevated.
L’Antico Uliveto is tucked into the rolling hills along Italy’s Adriatic coast, in a lesser-known region called Marche. Located in central Italy between Bologna and Puglia, Marche offers sea views, countryside calm, and far fewer crowds than Tuscany. It feels authentically local, and that’s part of the charm.
The hotel itself is a renovated 19th-century villa overlooking the Adriatic. Olive trees, soft hills, and coastal breezes set the scene. But the real reason you come here is underground.
The spa is carved directly into natural rock, creating a cave-like wellness experience you would never expect from the outside. There’s a hot tub built into natural stone and a traditional Roman bath circuit that moves you gradually from the tepidarium, a gently warmed room designed to relax the body, into the calidarium, a hotter steam-filled space that encourages circulation and detox. You’ll also find a salt cave for deep breathing, a Kneipp path where you walk through alternating warm and cold water to stimulate circulation, a sauna, aromatherapy “emotional” showers, and quiet relaxation areas carved into rock that feel more like a hidden grotto than a hotel spa.
Breakfast is included, the sea is minutes away, and the setting feels untouched compared to Italy’s major tourist hubs.
This is the Italy most Americans don’t see, and that’s exactly why it’s worth building into your itinerary.
