Schgaguler Hotel

In the UNESCO-listed Dolomites village of Castelrotto, a relatively undistinguished 1980s-vintage hotel has been transformed into the truly unique Schgaguler Hotel. The Milan-based architect Peter Pichler has kept the peaked silhouettes, but replaced the façade with a minimalist grid of white concrete and vast expanses of glass, resulting in a building of real architectural distinction: recognizably Alpine but unlike any chalet we’ve ever seen.

Naturally, it’s not just the front view that’s remarkable. The rooms are plentifully supplied with sunlight, amplified by the blond wood and the gray-on-white color scheme. Furnishings are sparse and stylish, and comforts are plentiful; some suites include in-room soaking tubs, and the gable suites, on the top floor, are five meters high at the apex of the ceiling.

Wellness culture is taken seriously in the Dolomites, and the Schgaguler features a suitably elaborate spa, with an indoor swimming pool and massage pool as well as an outdoor whirlpool. And the restaurant highlights the particular advantages of South Tyrolean cuisine: a combination of Alpine heartiness and Mediterranean delicacy. It’d be easy enough to stay in, but the Dolomites await; in summer, paradise for hiking, biking, and climbing, and in winter a heavenly ski destination.