By
Baldwin Ho
on
21st November 2024
Lana in South Tyrol has often been described as the perfect starting point to embrace the natural beauty of the region.
It is the largest and oldest apple-growing town in South Tyrol. There is no better place to fall in love with this alpine region than at Alpiana Resort, which is situated on an elevated plateau with majestic views of the locality.
The History
The building blocks of this hotel were laid in 1975 by Josef and Rosa Margesin. Back in the day, it was a cosy and elegant 25-room hotel. Johann and Monika were handed the reins of the business in 1979 and began to systematically renovate and upgrade the hotel. When Junior Johannes began to work in the family business, that was when the resort became an internationally renowned spa resort with unique architectural features and a landscaped garden that was the envy of the region. This was with the help of Johannes' brother, Christian.
The Lowdown
The hotel is situated on the outskirts of Lana. It is nestled amongst the verdant greenery of countless apple orchards and picturesque vineyards. It is no surprise, one of the options for your arrival drink is their local apple juice. Whilst it is situated close to the Dolomites, they are closer to the Texelgruppe Nature Park. Unlike ski resort villages, their main seasons are spring, summer and autumn. The hotel is only open for short periods during winter, in particular the few weeks after Christmas.
Their unique selling point is you book one hotel, but you get access to five hotels with Dolce Vita's hotel hopping offer. All five hotels are within a radius of only 30 kilometres. You can enjoy breakfast at Alpiana, take a scenic drive to Preidlhof for lunch as well as enjoy an afternoon spa break and then finish off with a gourmet South Tyrolean dinner at Lindenhof, which is only 5 minutes by foot from Preidlhof. If you look at the stats, that is access to 38 pools, 32 saunas and 5 sky spas with captivating views.
The Rooms
This boutique hotel has 59 upscale, design-driven rooms that offer a mixture of forest and meadow views or garden and pool views. The rooms make exceptional use of well-sized windows to use natural daylight to the maximum effect. They all have balconies starting from 8m². The largest is the sky luxury suite with a spacious 20m² south-facing pergola balcony, which is connected to an expansive 40m² rooftop terrace on the floor above. There you will find bedding with a glass roof, so you can choose to sleep under the stars. It offers a stunning 360° panoramic view with virtually zero light pollution.
The design of the rooms primarily focuses on earthy tones with hints of petrol blue fabrics. All rooms include a minibar that focuses on South Tyrolean products. The sky luxury suite comes with its infrared sauna, a spacious walk-in wardrobe and a feature that is often neglected - a toilet that is separated from the bathroom to offer added privacy. Only minor details need to be improved on such as supplying conditioner and body lotion for hotel guests in the rooms (they are available at the spa).
The Dining
With their hotel hopping offer, you can dine at a different restaurant every day from Monday to Friday. All their restaurants are focused on delivering an epicurean delight. You won't be surprised to find the chefs' cookbooks displayed prominently at all the restaurants. At Alpiana, they offer a luxury-inclusive experience, where your booking includes a breakfast buffet, homemade cakes in the afternoon, and then a gourmet multi-course a la carte menu every evening. They cater for all dietary requirements.
Often, you might discover special themed evenings, such as a fish buffet for their antipasto course. When they say "fish buffet", it is a smorgasbord of seafood delights from sushi to oysters to salmon platters. It has been known that some guests choose to stick with the buffet instead of moving onto a 3-course a la carte menu.
Sustainability plays a key role in Alpiana, hence, you will find an extensive offering for vegetarians and vegans. They specialise in creating purely vegan South Tyrolean dishes. They are also huge advocates of regional wines, which grow readily in the region thanks to the Mediterranean climate and the protection of the surrounding high mountain peaks from the chilly north winds. You will find the Vernatsch varietal, as well as more common ones like Pinot Noir and Merlot.
The Amenities
Their spacious spa spans three different levels, and there is a total of 2.000 sqm. The highlight is undoubtedly their 'Mountain View' Sky Spa with 360° panoramic view of the mountain vista. There is a perfect spread between quiet relaxation rooms and their sauna facilities, so it is never difficult to find solitude to admire the wondrous surroundings.
For those who find Finnish saunas too hot at a temperature of 90 °C, they also offer a bio sauna at a more moderate temperature of 50 °C, along with woody scents and subdued lighting. On occasions, you might be able to catch an aufguss performance. An aufguss is a wellness ritual where an expert pours essential oil-infused water onto the sauna's hot stones. He or she would then rhythmically wave a towel around to help circulate the fragrant aromas. Apart from entertainment purposes, it is supposed to be beneficial to your health too.
Water is an essential feature of this wellness resort. Most of their pools are heated to 32°C or above. You can swim from their indoor pool to their outdoor infinity pool via a sliding door. They also have a heart-shaped saltwater pool. The pool bar is one of the most popular areas in the hotel, where guests can indulge in the La Dolce Vita lifestyle.
Alpiana Resort
Prices: Starting rate from £162 (includes 3/4 board - breakfast included, afternoon buffet and dinner included)
Address: Via Prevosto Wieser, 30, 39011 Foiana BZ, Italy
Contact: info@dolcevitahotels.com
Instagram: dolcevitahotels
