The Check In
As soon as property gates swing open, view of the toothy Geislergruppe massif is so perfect you might wonder if it’s actually a giant postcard pasted to your car’s windshield. Rest assured: It’s real. In the lobby, part of the original 110-year-old rifugio, a wall of glass doors opens out to a balcony overlooking the dramatic peaks. Save for those historic picture windows, the reception is a vision of Scandinavian minimalist hygge, lined wall to wall in crisp blonde wood paneling. If the hairpin turns on the drive up Plose Mountain hit a nerve, this zen immersion—along with the affably mellow front desk team—will instantly put you at ease.
The Look
The blend of old and new is so fluidly melded, it’s nearly imperceptible. An all-glass hallway, for example, links the property's main historic rifugio with three newly-built modern towers. All of the rooms are simple and elegant— pine-wood wood panelling, floor-to-ceiling glass windows and contemporary furniture made from reclaimed materials. Outside, an old chalet appears frozen in time (a condition of its landmark status), while the rooms in the trio of tower additions unmistakably alpine modern. Still, the new structures are every bit as integrated into the woodsy landscape.
The Rooms
All 62 rooms and suites, whether in the towers or the historic building, are designed to draw the eye outward to the showstopping, jagged peaks across the horizon. To maximize intoxicating mountain views, a tower suite is a must for its outdoor daybed and roomy terrace. A pair of penthouses that sit atop two of the twoers are set up like alpine apartments with full kitchens, dining rooms, spacious living rooms, rooftop pool terraces and spruce-wood saunas. The design feature of note here is that each of the bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling glass panels contain smaller windows that can be openend to let in the alpine air. South Tyrol materials are in heavy use, including the Dolomite-stone bathrooms and earth-tone textiles made by local Italian artisans.
Food & Drink
The restaurant's semi-circular booths—reserved by room number for the duration of guests’ stays—trickle down a slope like an amphitheater, with the main focal point being of course, those grand Dolomites. There are two nightly tasting menus: one a “detox” option, and the other composed of heartier dishes. Both are ambitious displays of the local ingredients, many of which are foraged right outside the resort’s door: pickled pine shoots, braised root vegetables, mountain cheese, and pumpkin among them. Cocktails are served in the bar—a moody outlier painted all black and serving up drinks mixed with house-made infusions and more foraged ingredients like fir and bark. Breakfast is an affair in its own right, with an expansive spread of breads, meats, cheeses, fruits, and no fewer than five kinds of freshly churned butter. Still, there’s something entirely humble about it all, pastoral as it is, like haute country cuisine.
The Check Out
Click in on a pair of skis or hiking boots and zip right out of the resort down to the Plose Mountain chairlift. From there, a number of intermediate slopes can be accessed, while more challenging runs are found in nearby Kronplatz and beyond. The region’s mountaintops also happen to be great places to grab a local meal, whether is fondue with rum hot chocolate at Rossalm (on Plose) or the fine-dining cuisine of local celebrity chef Norbert Niederkofler at AlpINN (on Kronplatz). Down the mountain, the village of Brixen is home to a surprising concentration of contemporary attractions, from sustainable fashion and beauty products at Kauri to art shows at StadtGalerie. Still, at least a full day should be reserved for doing virtually nothing at all at the resort: soaking in the heated indoor/outdoor pool, lounging on the sprawling lawn, and practicing yoga (or its Celtic counterpart, Wyda) in daily led sessions.
