Preidlhof Dolce Vita Resort: Where La Dolce Vita Meets Alpine Luxury

The History

A family-owned hotel that was founded in 1966. Three generations later, it is still under the ownership of the Ladurner family. The passion for hospitality is as strong as ever, with various family members working in the different departments of the resort. Joining the Dolce Vita Hotels group has meant they have the financial clout to promote themselves to a wider audience. In the group, there are five family-run active and wellness hotels in South Tyrol.

The Lowdown

The hotel is situated in Naturno, South Tyrol's only certified alpine wellness village. Enjoying 315 days of sunshine each year, the surroundings are all about wellness and nature. Whilst it is situated close to the Dolomites, the mountain ranges you see from the hotel are those in the Texelgruppe Nature Park. Unlike ski resort villages, their main seasons are spring, summer and autumn. They 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 Preidlhof, take a scenic drive to Alpiana for lunch 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 five sky spas with captivating views.

The Rooms

Stylistically, the rooms do vary, with more contemporary decor in the main building. Whereas in the historic building, the rooms are decorated with more European nutwood and offer a more alpine feel. You might find a four-poster bed along with a cosy fireplace. The rooms are all south-facing with picturesque views of Vinschgau Valley.

They offer numerous unique features to guarantee a great night's sleep. Apart from a comfortable box-spring bed, they offer a pillow menu catering to your preferred firmness. They have a sleeping under-the-stars option with an alternative bed in the balcony area. You have two separate door signs for turn-down services, depending on whether you want to sleep indoors or outdoors. The crisp, alpine air is often much preferred to an air-conditioned environment. They also provide headphones in case one partner wishes to sleep and the other wishes to enjoy music or the television.

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 Preidlhof, they offer a luxury-inclusive experience, where your booking includes a breakfast buffet, afternoon buffet, and then a gourmet 6-7 course tasting menu every evening. They cater for all dietary requirements.

Often you will find they focus on South Tyrolean cuisine. Typical dishes might include South Tyrolean "spätzle" noodles or a consommé of South Tyrolean beef with bacon dumplings. Dishes that are rarely seen outside of German-speaking countries. They always have an antipasto and a dessert buffet, as well as happily offering you seconds. This is one restaurant where you won't be going to bed hungry.

Being a wellness retreat, you won't be surprised to discover numerous healthy options. They have a homemade lemonade menu that aids in weight loss and detox, such as their cucumber and ginger lemonade. In what could be a world-first, they have a mineral water menu. It lists the level of carbonation and the nutritional benefits of various brands.

The Amenities

Wellness resorts don't come more impressive than Preidlhof. It has a sauna tower that is adults-only and offers 16 different sauna, steam and relaxation experiences. If the Show Panorama Sauna at 90°C is too fiery for you, then you can head to the salt lounge at 35°C. Although the former is where you will find their impressive aufguss performances. 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. On occasions, you might be lucky enough to catch an aufguss champion performing at the saunas of Preidlhof.

They have the world's first Deep Sea Relaxation Room. Guests are immersed in a light, sound, and vibration experience with over 12,500 LED lights dancing across all sides of the room. Two pools are must-visits including a 50s indoor pool, that is filled with thermal waters at 31°C all year round. The second is the sky infinity sports pool that has a majestic view of the local town and surrounding mountain ranges.

Lastly, they have an on-site wellness doctor, Dr. Alexander Angerer. He is on-site for several days each week to provide a health overview, recommend lifestyle changes and provide supplements to ensure you leave the hotel feeling on top of the world.

Preidlhof Dolce Vita Resort

Starting rate from £186 (includes 3/4 board - breakfast included, afternoon buffet and dinner included)

Address: Via San Zeno 13, 39025 - Naturno - South Tyrol, Italy

Contact: info@preidlhof.it

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