Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti 5*

The resort is located in the pedestrianized historic center of Ortisei – Sankt Ulrich, an eclectic German, Italian and Ladin speaking community in South Tyrol.

This charming town of Alpine chalets and pastel-colored Tyrolean houses sits at 4,055 feet in the verdant Gardena Valley, surrounded by the majestic UNESCO-protected Dolomites.

Boutiques, gift shops and ski rental shops are a few minutes’ walk away, as well as the cable car and funicular that take you to the magical pistes and hiking areas of the Alpe di Siusi, the mountains of Ceceda and Rasces. Also within easy reach is the legendary Sellaronda, the world’s largest ski carousel. Guests can drive through the restricted traffic zone to the hotel’s private parking lot. Bolzano, which is well connected by rail, is approximately 22 miles away, and the nearest international airports are Innsbruck (72 miles) and Verona (115 miles). The hotel service combines Teutonic activities with Ladin warmth.

The amenities and activities offered are extensive. Guests also have access to the extensive SPA complex, which boasts thermal indoor and outdoor pools (warm enough even when the temperature drops below zero), saunas, Turkish baths, hot tubs, salt grottoes, exercise rooms and relaxation areas. There is a children’s club, which will delight the little ones with entertainment, excursions and lunches, and for adults there is table football and billiards – all for free.

Beauty and wellness treatments from Ayurvedic to Zen massages are available for an additional fee, as well as fun wine tastings in the cantina. The traditional-modern decor is clean and neutral – harmless, but quite soft: the walls and parquet floors are covered with pale larch or cream paint. Bathrooms are tiled in soothing beige tones, with spacious walk-in showers (some also have bathtubs).

An ordinary breakfast buffet can easily be turned into an early lunch if you go from diced or grated fruit, muesli soaked in Tyrolean yogurt and sweet pastries, meat snacks, cheeses, smoked fish and salads, to live cooking stations of pancakes, poached and scrambled eggs.