Rosa Alpina

Everyone’s got a mental picture of Italy, but in the Dolomites the edges go a bit blurry. Only here, at the foot of these craggy peaks, could you find an Italian hotel that looks for all the world like a Bavarian mountain lodge. Or at least a broadly Germanic one, as strictly speaking it’s a lot closer to Innsbruck than it is to any part of Bavaria — or to Venice for that matter, as long as we’re on the subject of geography. To give it its full name, this is Rosa Alpina, an Aman Partner Hotel, an endorsement that speaks volumes about the quality of the experience on offer.

It’s been family-owned for the better part of the last century — and in spite of that, it’s more cosmopolitan than quaint, as stylish and comfortable (and twice as characterful) as anything the ordinary luxury chains have cooked up. Rooms are somehow at once rustic and chic, the raw blond wood paneling mixing quite well with subtly artful Italian furnishings.

Skiing is a given — the hotel installed San Cassiano’s first lift — but, this being Italy, so is the good life. Here that involves spa treatments and a special emphasis on the cuisine, including a Michelin-starred restaurant, a wine bar and grill, and the occasional pot of fondue. And though it shines in winter, San Cassiano in summer is scarcely less appealing — golfers, hikers, climbers and bikers will find there’s no shortage of activity.

How to get there:

Rosa Alpina is located 80km from Bolzano airport (BZO), 150km from Innsbruck (INN), and 200km from Venice (VCE).