1477 Reichhalter

The South Tyrol town of Lana, in the German-speaking Dolomites of Northern Italy, is — as that description might suggest — a place that defies stereotypes. You’ll find echoes of both German and Italian cultures, of course, but it’s a place with a character all its own. And the same can be said of its hotels, thanks in no small part to 1477 Reichhalter, a 500-year-old structure updated with mid-century modern design pieces, refashioned into a contemporary-yet-timeless boutique hotel.

It’s a sibling to the similarly characterful and understated Hotel Schwarzschmied and Villa Arnica, and all three share not just owners, concepts, and designers, but an atmosphere: an inimitable sense of a hotel that’s an object of discovery, rather than a self-selling commodity. Which is another way of saying there’s a confidence about 1477 Reichhalter that many a boutique hotel would do well to emulate.

Both in its public spaces and in its eight unique rooms, plenty of well-aged surfaces remain to remind you of the building’s heritage — 1477 is the year of its foundation, after all. Every one is balanced by a contemporary gesture or a piece of modernist classic furniture, resulting in a place that feels authentically timeless. Add an unpretentiously excellent restaurant and a location right in the heart of this charming Alpine town, and you’ve got the recipe for an experience you won’t soon forget.