This Mountain Resort Shows You an Unexpected Side of Italy—with Forest-inspired Dining, Healing Wellness Rituals, and a Royal History

Travel + Leisure

14 hours ago

The Dolomites are truly the star of the show here, and the sweeping views do not disappoint.
This is a wellness getaway for the mind, body, and spirit—from fresh-pressed juice in the mornings, to complimentary outdoor activities, to the spa.
Dinner is a choice of a four or seven-course tasting menu using fresh, local ingredients; ordering a la carte is also an option.
In addition to standard massages and facials, the spa has unique options, like tree circle ceremonies and healing wood treatments.
For mountain-loving travelers looking for adventure in Europe, there's no better home base to explore Italy's Dolomites than Forestis.
You can find this luxe hotel on a lofty perch above the clouds with direct views of the mountains. The adults-only hotel is surrounded by dense forests (hence the name), and expertly pairs easy access to outdoor activities with a wellness and relaxation focus. Forestis is a year-round destination, and in the summer, there are plenty of hiking trails to explore, while the winter offers cross-country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities.
And don't be deceived by the chic, modern design—this is a property with a past firmly rooted in the region's history. The main building was once a mountain getaway for the royal Austro-Hungarian family, where some came to recover from tuberculosis in the fresh, pine-scented mountain air. After the end of World War II and the fall of Austria-Hungary, the area became Italian. The property sat abandoned for 100 years, until it was finally bought, renovated, and reopened as a hotel in 2020. In addition to the original main building, Forestis has added two large towers, which house its Tower and Penthouse Suites—the views are stunning.
In contrast to many of the Bavarian-style alpine homes and hotels found in this region, Forestis feels straight out of the pages of your favorite design magazine. Minimalist but expertly curated, details include a concrete spiral staircase in the spa, curved banquettes for dinner tables, a brand new wine cellar made to feel like a wine cave, and fire pits on the stone terrace surrounded by deep outdoor sofas dotted with shearling blankets. Rooms have wood floors, walls, and ceilings, with neutral cream, gray, and black decor. The carefully curated vibe even extends to the on-site food shop and clothing boutique. The long wooden shelves might have just one hat with a simple tree logo on it, or a few bags of pasta lined up just so. Mountain views from the outdoor patio.
Hannah Freedman/Travel + Leisure
But there's an obvious reason the hotel keeps the interiors somewhat understated. From the oversized windows in nearly every common area, to the positioning of the spa pools, to the amphitheater-style seating at dinner, Forestis makes its message clear: The outdoors are the real show here and the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites are the star.
And whether you're a hiking enthusiast, a winter sports lover, a serious foodie, or just seeking a peaceful retreat, this spa hotel has it all. Take a hike or head out on skis with an experienced guide on a route tailored to your level, savor the nightly seven-course tasting menu, enjoy complimentary stretching or meditation sessions, or just relax in a cozy spa nook before taking a dip in the indoor and outdoor heated pools. All with a jaw-dropping mountain view backdrop, of course.
Here's what it's like to stay at Forestis Dolomites.
There are 62 rooms and suites at Forestis Dolomites. I'll cut to the chase—if you're going to stay here, you should absolutely splurge on a Tower Suite. As someone who has reviewed hotels for eight years, it's tough to blow me away, but the epic mountain view from my suite was a seriously pinch-me moment. While the entry-level rooms in the main building are nice, but the views just don't compare. Your bed will still be cozy, but the standard rooms often have small, single windows.
You'll feel like you're practically in the forest from the lofty perch of the Tower Suites. Floor-to-ceiling windows lead to a private terrace and outdoor daybed, which makes for an extremely relaxing place to enjoy a cup of tea after a spa treatment, read a book in the afternoon, or just take in the gorgeous setting after returning from a day out. Even during a rainy day, I couldn't get enough of the covered terrace—the gentle rain only added to the hotel's peaceful ambiance, and watching the mist roll over the mountains was the perfect moody backdrop.
Of course, if a Tower Suite truly isn't in the cards for you, you can still enjoy the scenery from the communal terrace off the lobby, outdoor sofas on the patio, and the spa pool. Or, for a happy medium, opt for a standard Suite, which still has bigger windows and better views, just from a lower vantage point than the Tower Suites. These suites come with slim balconies so you can also still take in some of the fresh mountain air, and separate seating areas with inviting sofas.
If you really want to splash out, each tower is topped with a Penthouse Suite, which each have over 2,100 square feet of space, a fireplace, a spruce wood sauna, an outdoor shower, and a stunning private infinity pool to enjoy the mountain view from. But, if a standalone private chalet is more your speed, consider staying up the road at Forestis' sister property Odles Lodge.
No matter what room you pick at Forestis, all have air conditioning and heating, fluffy comforters, writing desks, ample closet space, and TVs. Bathrooms are luxurious, with heated floors, heated towel racks, and rainfall shower heads. Of course, no wellness hotel is complete without cozy robes and slippers. The robes at Forestis are a very on-brand forest green and have hoods.
One particularly lovely detail I appreciated was two postcards left out on the writing desk when I arrived. Guests can fill them out and give them to the front desk attendants, who will mail them for you free of charge (my parents and grandparents loved receiving this retro souvenir). Floor-to-ceiling windows fill the restaurant.
Let's face it, hotel restaurants can be hit or miss, and oftentimes, they aren't the best representations of local cuisine. As a foodie, I'm here to tell you that the dinners I had at Forestis were some of the best of my entire Italian vacation. Food is no afterthought here.
A forest-to-table experience, dinner is a chef's tasting menu, and you can choose to indulge in either a four or a seven-course experience depending on your hunger levels. If you opt for half or full-board when booking your room, the tasting menu is included in your stay. However, a la carte is also always an option.
The menu changes every day according to the availability of local, seasonal ingredients, so you won't get bored even if you stay for several days. Highlights from some of the meals I enjoyed were homemade tortellini in a deliciously light and frothy sauce, wild herb dumplings with king oyster mushrooms, a perfectly tender veal rump in a mustard seed sauce, confit potatoes with a generous pour of alpine cheese and topped with grated summer truffle, crème brûlée topped with fresh raspberry jam and spruce. My mouth is watering at the memory as I type this.
Breakfast is served in the same dining space as dinner, and you keep your same table for your entire stay. Waitstaff often remembered my coffee order or noticed that I'd eaten all the homemade bread and put out extra for me the next day. Breakfast is a buffet of pastries, fresh fruits, and hand-pressed juices, along with an a la carte menu should you want the kitchen to make you things like eggs, omelets, or pancakes.
The bar just off the lobby serves light snacks and lunch favorites like burgers and sandwiches, along with cocktails, beer, and wine. A dark and moody space, the cocktails are just as infused with a sense of place as the rest of the property, often incorporating ingredients like local berries, handpicked herbs, fir needles, and smoky wood flavors.
The hotel recently opened a new restaurant space and a wine tasting room in June, Yera. The new dining space has a lighter menu but with more variety and options than the bar menu for lunch, while the new wine tasting room is down a flight of steps and meticulously crafted to create the feeling that you're in a wine cave. The tasting room can be booked for private tastings and events.
Forestis is a year-round playground for outdoor enthusiasts. In the summer, hiking trails can be found right outside the doors, and you can join complimentary guided hikes in the morning tailored to your skill and fitness level. In the winter, when the landscape is blanketed in snow, hiking can be swapped for guided ski or snowshoe outings.
In addition to the usual fitness center, there are yoga and meditation rooms, and complimentary stretching, yoga, and meditation classes are held on a rotating schedule throughout the week. Each afternoon, there's also a selection of snacks and cakes in the lobby and terrace area.
The onsite store is a carefully curated shopping experience where you can pick up hats, water bottles, sweaters, jackets, vests, and more. Next door, you'll find a food shop where you can pick up everything from homemade pasta to local jams to chocolate treats.
The staff is also exceptionally attentive, and no detail is overlooked. Valet is complimentary; at check-in, we were greeted with a warm towel and hand-pressed juice on a wooden tray complete with a spring of pine. After a day out hiking, we came back later not only to a clean room, but clean boots as well.
The spa is at the center of Forestis, both in literal location and in spirit. The sprawling space includes an indoor/outdoor heated pool that looks directly out at the mountains. Cozy daybeds and nooks are an inviting spot to relax and soak in the view in between visits to the pool and sauna (though be aware that clothing or swimsuits are not permitted in the sauna). You don't need to book a treatment to enjoy these spaces, and can come and go as you please. (Pro tip: it makes for the ultimate hangout spot if there are any rainy days during your stay.)
Go up the spiral concrete staircase to find several treatment rooms for those who want to take their spa time to the next level (pun intended). While standard massages, facials, and pedicures are available, they're still infused with local touches. For my hot stone massage, an array of stones and wood pieces were presented to me and I was asked to pick the ones that intuitively spoke to me to be used during my treatment (the ones I chose turned out to be associated with stress relief, better sleep, calming the mind, and gaining clarity, which felt very fitting for me).
More unique treatment offerings are also available, from healing tree circle ceremonies based on the ancient practices of the Celtic druids to an energy flow massage that helps restore the connection between the emotional and mental fields for inner balance.
This hotel is for ages 14 and up. However, it is an extremely dog-friendly hotel, and I encountered several dogs, both big and small, enjoying the property and nearby hikes. The hotel will even arrange a dog bed and bowl in your suite upon request, and there is a separate dining area where dogs are allowed if you want to dine with your four-legged friend.
Forestis was built using locally sourced, natural materials throughout the property. A respect for the local environment is infused in the hotel's ethos, and the property has been careful not to encroach on its natural surroundings. Additionally, the hotel has a program where guests can choose to forego daily housekeeping services and towel changes, and the property will instead use that time and energy resources towards planting new trees.
At this time, the rooms at Forestis are not accessible.
Forestis is located in Brixen, Italy, in the Dolomites. You'll need to rent a car and prepare for some windy roads that take you up a steep altitude climb to nearly 6,000 feet above sea level to reach the remote property. But the drive is plenty worth it for the secluded and serene destination.
The town of Brixen itself is roughly a twenty-five-minute drive away from the hotel, and the closest airport is Bolzano Airport (BZO), though it's a small, local airfield that you may or may not be able to get an easy flight to depending on where you're coming from. For easier access, Innsbruck Airport (INN) in Innsbruck, Austria, to the north is about an hour and a half drive, while Valerio Catullo Airport (VRN) is about three hours away to the south.
There are plenty of gorgeous hiking and skiing trails nearby, and I particularly enjoyed the Santa Maddalena Panorama Trail. The trailhead is roughly 30 minutes from the hotel, and it's an easy loop with incredible views that will have you feeling like you're in "The Sound of Music." If you're willing to drive a bit further afield, Pragser Wildsee lake, with its Instagram-famous wooden boats, is about an hour and a half away.
During the winter holiday season, don't miss out on visiting the Christmas markets in Brixen and other nearby towns in South Tyrol to enjoy shopping for local crafts, enjoying the decorative lights, and warming up with mulled wine and fresh biscuits.
I highly recommend opting for full or half-board to get the most out of your stay. The meals at Forestis are truly divine, and you'll definitely want to eat all or most of your meals at the property.
Forestis Dolomites is a part of American Express' Fine Hotels + Resorts program, and if you book your stay with a qualifying travel card on the Amex Express travel site, you'll get fun perks like late checkout, early check-in, daily breakfast for two, and, if available, a complimentary room upgrade. The hotel is also a part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a program that lets you earn and redeem points on a collection of luxe, independent hotels across the globe.
Nightly rates at Forestis Dolomites start from $850.
Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values.