Mysterious and magical, the misty mountains of the Alps possess a permanence worthy of deep respect: persisting long before I was born and long after I’m gone. They dwarf rolling ranges of chalets, fields of every tone of green, and wildflower-strewn valleys and forested hills. Their sheer scale proved so good for my eyes as I looked over such an expanse (instead of close-up screens). I dropped into being a human being living in the present and not a human doing, constantly connected, stimulated, and rushing. Here I awarded myself something increasingly rare: permission to pause.
This region of natural beauty, the South Tyrol (also known as Südtirol or Alto Adige), is west of the Dolomites and in the Eastern Alps. Here, amongst miles of tarpaulins covering apple farms and vineyards and enveloped by Mother Earth’s bounty, is Naturno, a typical Alpine valley town, with bike repair and climbing gear shops. It straddles the fast-flowing river Adige, Italy’s second-longest (after the Po), which runs into Verona.
I had come to experience the five Dolce Vita Hotels, whose concept offers both wellness and relaxation. Yet it also encourages introspection, as I got to reconnect not only physically with my body but with myself. The pure Alpine air is as restorative as any treatment, and the nature here became not simply a backdrop but an active participant in my wellness journey, providing its own form of therapy. So life-affirming!
All five hotels place great emphasis on wellness to complement the amazing natural surroundings. All are designed with an indoors-outdoors feel. The huge range of options across the five sites consists of 41 pools, 35 saunas, 31 relaxation rooms and 5 sky spas. They all have the freshest and broadest salad buffets, and the facilities have wonderfully long hours (lunch is from 1-4 pm), and the pools and saunas stay open from 7 am to 11 pm.
Here at Naturno was the entrance to my hotel Preidlhof impressively linked with Lifestyle Preferred Hotels and Resorts, Belvita, Leading Wellness Hotels Sud Tirol, Premium Selection Wellness and Vinum Hotels Sud Tirol. It’s for adults only, keen to relax or else experience alpine adventures.
The staff welcomed me with a lovely, informal warmth.
Modern metallic artefacts adorn its tunnel corridors. Thoughtful attractions such as a selfie booth and tributes to a ‘wall of love’ line a maze that joins the interior of the buildings. Though the hotel was fully stocked, it was intelligently designed to allow a proper sense of space throughout.
The view from my room (one of 71) was in the top building and emphasised the drama of the mountains. Such a winning factor. No unnecessary artwork needed, with less being more. Lots of space and a contemporary design with ‘Alpine-pine’ floors and a glass bathroom.
Perfect for my daily series of chapters of cinematic views. The innocence of my morning began with sunlight pouring through expansive windows. The birdsong orchestra was so good for my nervous system. By night, with a rooftop pool just upstairs, how good it was to swim in the dark under the stars. So poetically recalling the paintings of Caspar Friedrich, the German Romantic landscape artist. As I looked up at the chalet lights halfway up the mountain, I loved imagining another way of living.
There was every imaginable inducement to sleep well with my ‘better sleep basket’ containing oils, candles, earplugs and eye masks and even a dream catcher. A ‘pillow menu’ presented a choice of eight pillows, including scented ones and pip-filled cherry ones and even ones with ‘yak hair and musk topper’. The bathroom had apricot kernel body scrub, and the wardrobe added a backpack and hiking belt for me to borrow.
I walked to take a cable car up to Untertroll. I loved the gradual transition away from my noisy everyday life as the mountains rose around me and the pace of the world slowed. Here, amongst the pure mountain air, a panoramic platform looked out over Merano as I saw the world from an eagle’s perch and perspective. Here are trails perfect for hiking and biking and valley views stretching for miles, past a ‘gorge of 1000 steps’ across to the Texelbahn Cable Car station from which I descended in time for dinner.
Apparently there are nine types of hunger. Well, mine were truly assuaged across my stay with what was called ¾ board, though the lunch buffet certainly sufficed for a full meal. I sat by day out on the lovely Mediterranean-style terrace amongst olive trees and sub-tropical plants. At night, for my more formal dinner, the restaurant indoors comprised multiple rooms with super comfortable seating. It felt so modern and chic with its simple clean lines, most efficient service and the freshest of fare. I loved selecting from the twenty types of bread and from the water menu, which boasted Chateldon water at E19 a bottle. Each meal felt nourishing and not just indulgent: reinforcing the resort’s philosophy that wellness and pleasure need not be mutually exclusive.
Preidlhof is an award-winning spa resort with all the latest innovations, medical equipment and high-tech gizmos. The five-storey sauna tower is its cathedral to wellness with lots of light and glass to capitalise on the setting. Here is the world’s only Deep Sea Relaxation Room, where 12,500 LEDs promote both relaxation and creativity using sound and light. There are olive and wine saunas and even a sauna master! Throughout, there was a sense of mental stillness
So many therapists offered such transformational treatments
I picked one of nine wellness programmes. Some are designed to navigate menopause, grief, trauma or severe stress. My HRV (heart rate variability) helped me discover my biological versus my actual age. Elsewhere was ‘contouring’: a body-boosting treatment using electro-stimulation to target localised adiposity (the accumulation of fatty bodily tissue) and to improve one’s metabolism.
Wandering white-coated clinicians abounded as did ‘monk-like’ patients in their brown ‘toga-towelled’ gowns. There’s a blackboard of daily events I was familiar with: infrared lamps, laughter yoga and forest bathing, but new to me were flow ropes, Kneipp, Anmo Tuina, Papimi, Gua Sha, Flash Filler and Sound and Quartz.
I loved the hotel’s signature massage of my head, neck, and shoulders. It used aloe vera and was impressive in every sense! Rather than simply feeling pampered, I felt lighter, calmer, and soon aware of how much tension I had unknowingly been carrying.
Dolce Vita Hotels have a Hotel Hopping experience affording free access to their other hotels. So I hopped 30 minutes by car to the Alpiana. It’s in Vollan (German) or Foiana (Italian); in South Tyrol both languages are used in keeping with the architectural mix of the Alpine idiom with its clear, clean lines contrasting with the jagged, rugged landscape.
The dark wood-coloured Alpiana tastefully blends with its natural surroundings and, like a countryside residence, has, amongst the chestnut groves, a beautiful private garden charmingly landscaped with lavender, roses, hydrangeas and olive trees. I ate at Lindenhof, which offered its own fresh contemporary dining experience, and I also enjoyed the facilities in the family-friendly ambiance of the Feldhof.
These hotels are ideal for a short break, honeymoon, detox, or a simple reset. I left with something truly valuable: a renewed sense of balance, clarity, and appreciation for the simple luxury of being fully present. And well worth the hotel hops!
