FORESTIS, Dolomites, Italy

Where it is

The hotel is in Palmschoss, on the sunny south side of the Plose, high above the old cathedral town of Brixen (Bressanone) in South Tyrol. Across the Eisack valley, the UNESCO-listed Dolomites fill the view, from the Geisler peaks round towards the Sella.

The site was chosen more than a century ago for a sanatorium, for its clean air, spring water and sunshine. Brixen's station, with trains to Innsbruck, Verona and Munich, is about half an hour away, and both Innsbruck and Bolzano airports are roughly 90 minutes by road. The hotel can arrange transfers, so you don't need a car.

Suites

There are 62 suites. About 20 are in the restored original house; the other 40 are in the three towers, each around 55 square metres, lined in spruce, glazed from floor to ceiling and each with a sheltered terrace looking at the Dolomites. The towers stand on small footprints, so the forest floor around them is left largely untouched.

Two Penthouse Suites, on top of two of the towers, have their own rooftop pools, and they book up early. Interiors are spare to the point of austerity: wood, stone, light and the view. Because guests are 14 and over, evenings are peaceful.

Spa, food and the rest

Nearly 2,000 square metres of spa spread over two levels, its treatments drawn from four local trees (larch, spruce, mountain pine and Swiss stone pine). Expect four saunas, a pool that runs from indoors out into the forest air, quiet rooms, private spa suites, and space for yoga and training. The daily programme of meditation, guided forest walks and Wyda, an old Celtic movement practice, is there if you want it.

The kitchen calls its style forest cuisine: local, natural ingredients, many from the woods and nearby farms. The main restaurant is terraced so every table faces the mountains, and YERA, a newer restaurant set into the hillside, takes the idea further. There is a rooftop bar for sunset.

The moment

Sunset over the Dolomites, when the pale peaks across the valley turn pink, orange and then deep red, the effect South Tyroleans call enrosadira. Watch it from your terrace or the rooftop bar. By day in winter, ski straight out onto the Plose's slopes; in summer and autumn, the walking trails begin at the door.

Why we chose it

FORESTIS is one of the most original hotels in the Alps: daring architecture that respects the forest, a spa and kitchen rooted in the place, and one of the best views of the Dolomites from any bedroom. It is quiet and contemplative, a place for couples and anyone who wants stillness rather than nightlife. The hotel belongs to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection.

For another dramatic mountain view with a pool, see The Omnia in Zermatt; for wilder landscapes, Awasi Patagonia.

When to go

In winter you can ski from the door onto the Plose, which has around 40 kilometres of runs. Summer is for high trails, biking and paragliding. But the hotel's own guide calls spring, in April and May, the most peaceful time in Palmschoss, and September and October the sweet spot, as summer crowds thin and the air turns clear.

October is a shoulder month, so rates are typically lower than in summer or the ski season. For travellers free of school holidays, a week in late September or October, with golden larches and settled weather, is hard to beat. Check the hotel's calendar for any short closures between seasons.

The longer stay

Give FORESTIS at least four nights; the place takes a day or two to work on you. A week lets you settle into a rhythm of morning walks, an afternoon in the spa and dinner as the mountains glow, with a day trip down to Brixen's old town or by train to Bolzano. Ask about longer-stay rates and treatment packages when you book.