Hotel Montchalet

The spa is fully fitted by Starpool and feels more like a private wellness suite than a resort spa. There is a Finnish sauna, a state-of-the-art steam bath, a sensory shower and an ice waterfall — the full hot-and-cold circuit, done properly.

The indoor pool is lit with chromotherapy, which gives the water a changing colour through the day. Booking.com also lists an outdoor hot tub for open-air soaking.

Instead of rows of loungers, the relaxation room uses Nurelax waterbeds — floating platforms paired with audio-guided meditation. There is also a fitness room with Technogym equipment and a beauty centre for cosmetic treatments and massages.

Because the hotel is small, the spa stays quiet. It is the kind of place where you take your time rather than move between stations. Book treatments ahead in peak season.

Every room is a suite, finished in the hotel's own "modern, Alpine and refined" style — alpine materials with contemporary lines, marble, mirrors and indirect lighting. The hotel was designed as a piece of craftsmanship rather than a standard five-star build.

Booking.com lists several categories. The Standard and Standard Double Suites have a bedroom with a king bed and a living room with a sofa bed. Above that come the Suite with Terrace, the Suite with Mountain View, the Comfort Suite with Turkish Bath, and the Comfort Suite with Spa Bath and Garden.

At the top are the Suite with Sauna and the VIP Suite, which adds a spa bath, a Turkish bath and a sauna in one space.

What to expect: all accommodation is a suite, not a standard room. King bed plus sofa bed in most categories. Terrace, garden or mountain view in higher categories. Private Turkish bath or spa bath in selected suites. Coffee machine, kettle, minibar, flat-screen TV, bathrobes and slippers.

For a couple, a Suite with Mountain View or a Suite with Terrace gives the alpine setting without needing the full spa-in-room upgrade. For an anniversary or honeymoon, the VIP Suite keeps the whole wet circuit inside your own four walls — Turkish bath, spa bath and sauna, private to the two of you.

There are two restaurants. Restaurant Montchalet serves traditional South Tyrolean cooking, reworked in a refined way, for breakfast and dinner. Restaurant Gourmet Pizzeria Class takes the same regional ingredients and applies them to pizza, in a more relaxed setting.

The Lounge Bar is a quiet, glass-walled space overlooking the internal garden and the pool — a good place for a drink before dinner. Breakfast is widely praised in guest reviews.

Dietary requirements and vegetarian options can be arranged; state them when you book. The hotel also offers a children's menu.

Montchalet sits on the hill above Ortisei at Paul Grohmann Str. 97, in Val Gardena. Guests describe it as quiet but still walkable to the shops and restaurants of the village — a rare combination in this valley.

Ortisei is the main village of Val Gardena. The Seiser Alm / Alpe di Siusi lift area is close by, and the Sellaronda is reached from the valley. The hotel offers a free shuttle service, and there is a ski pass sales point on site with the Dolomiti Superski service.

Parking is free and private, including garage and EV charging. Free bicycles are available for guests, and bike and car hire can be arranged.

By road, Ortisei is reached from Bolzano, and by rail via Bolzano or Klausen with onward bus connections. The main international airports are Innsbruck, Verona, Venice and Munich. Transfers can be arranged — confirm details and any charge with the hotel.

Best time to visit: winter for skiing in Val Gardena and the Sellaronda; summer for hiking and the Alpe di Siusi; spring and autumn for quieter spa stays and a village that is still open.