The Sense Experience Resort, a five‑star coastal retreat in Tuscany’s Maremma, has been nominated for the prestigious Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026, reaffirming its status as one of Italy’s most distinctive luxury beach resorts. This guest‑voted recognition highlights the property’s philosophy of experiential luxury, where nature, design and authentic Tuscan identity are woven together to create stays that are deeply felt rather than simply observed.
A Resort Immersed in Nature on the Gulf of Follonica
Set within a five‑hectare natural park on the Gulf of Follonica, near Torre Mozza, The Sense Experience Resort combines a private beach, preserved sand dunes and a heated outdoor pool with sweeping views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Century‑old pines, native Mediterranean scrub and carefully restored dune vegetation form a living backdrop, allowing guests to experience Tuscany’s coastline in its most elemental form.
The resort’s 112 rooms and suites are spread across five low‑rise buildings, with categories ranging from Comfort and Deluxe to themed Suites and spacious Two‑Bedroom Sea View Suites featuring outdoor Jacuzzis. Interiors use natural materials, warm woods and vibrant fabrics to echo the surrounding landscape, all aligned with the property’s guiding motto: “Be natural, be you.”
Experiential Luxury: Guests as Protagonists
Rather than a traditional concierge, The Sense offers an “Experience Specialist” team dedicated to crafting tailor‑made stays, from sunrise beach rituals to cycling, wine routes and multi‑sensory nature walks. Here, guests are invited to become protagonists of their own Tuscan story: time slows, contact with nature becomes a language, and hospitality is expressed as attentive, personalised listening.
This experiential approach extends across the resort, where preserved dunes, sea‑view paths and quiet corners in the pine forest are treated as part of the overall design canvas. The result is a luxury experience defined less by ostentation and more by a feeling of being genuinely connected to place.
Tuscan Flavours, Beachfront Fine Dining and Mixology
Culinary journeys are central to the Sense ethos. Dimorà, the main à la carte restaurant, serves refined Tuscan dishes that champion local ingredients, with the choice of indoor, terrace or beachside dining. On the sand itself, Eatè offers a fine‑dining, toes‑in‑the‑sand experience where creative plates meet sunset views across the Gulf of Follonica.
Evenings continue at the Red Rabbit Mixology Bar, where crafted cocktails draw inspiration from Mediterranean botanicals and coastal aromas. Taken together, the resort’s gastronomic offering presents a modern interpretation of Tuscan cuisine that is both rooted in tradition and unapologetically contemporary.
The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards are determined entirely by traveller votes, making The Sense Experience Resort’s 2026 nomination a direct reflection of guest satisfaction and loyalty. The resort is encouraging past visitors and admirers to support its bid by voting in the Hotels (Italy, Europe) category on the official Travel + Leisure survey site before 23 February 2026, helping bring the emotional identity of Tuscany’s Maremma to an even wider audience.
Backed by Icon Collection, the boutique hospitality group that also oversees Park Hotel Marinetta, Antico Podere San Francesco, Borgo Verde and Hotel Botticelli, The Sense continues to push forward with innovation in service, sustainability and guest experience. Its latest nomination is less a destination in itself than a milestone along an ongoing journey to redefine what coastal luxury in Tuscany can be.
