I returned to Kabis once again as part of a large family group (about 25 people). They were…read moreremarkably patient with us, especially given that there were several of us with similar/same names and a bunch of last minute changes. (I joked that next time we should provide them with a family tree... I was joking, but I think I might actually do that!) As an orientation, Kabis has three buildings: 1. The main building: This has the lobby, restaurant/bar, a small kid's playroom (new!), the dining area, and (also new!) the hotel's only elevator). 2. The nearby building: All hotel rooms; connected to the main one by covered -- but outdoor -- walkway/shallow stairs 3. A fully separated building across the street: All hotel rooms, except for a Wellness Spa on the lower level (see below for description). Also has a sun terrace outside. Walking into the the main building, the transformation is immediately apparent: They've done some major renovations. The entire main house is transformed: Everything is where it was, but the place was gutted and rebuilt to blend modern (clean lines, hard wood floors) with old (a few key pieces of art and furniture). Our room (#17) was in the main house: a double room, no balcony, on the third/top floor. We heard a little bit of street noise, but minimal church bells. The room was again, a nice mix of modern and old -- bare hardwood floors, white walls, simple wooden furniture, with a lovely new bathroom. Those rooms in the other two buildings tended to be in the older style, and while perfectly serviceable, do feel somewhat outdated. (That said, the balcony rooms are still worth having -- can't beat those views!) I'd bet that they're planning to update those in the next few years. New amenities: "Wellness Spa" aka a whirlpool for post-hiking soaks, an infra-red sauna, and a steamroom. (I didn't use any of these, but I walked through the area and it was lovely and modern.) If you think you'll be using these frequently, you may want to request staying in that same building (they're housed in the across-the-street house, and you can get to them without going outside). There's also a beautiful and idyllic sun terrace directly outside that house, overlooking the valley. Food: Continued to be very good. Dinners sometimes felt like a little much with so many courses, but we persevered. True vegetarians will have to ask about ingredients, but those in our group did just fine -- they couldn't eat every single course, but between the large salad bar and a vegetarian main course (and of course, dessert) every night, they didn't hurt for calories. Kid-friendliness: Last time I traveled here, I had zero kids. This time, I had two -- a baby and a toddler. Kabis staff were very helpful in all respects: Our room had two pack and plays (travel beds/cot, as I believe the staff called them over email) upon arrival, and there was always a high-chair for the baby (and never any complaints about the mess he made on the floor below it). There is a simple playground on the grounds, which has a slide, a swing set (including an infant swing), a sandbox, and a sort of merry-go-round thing. (If you're hiking in the dolomites, this kind of simple playground was pretty common at the Alms.) Other: -Our stay included a 7-day ticket for using the public transportation -Staff was very helpful in pointing out routes/directions for hikes from the hotel -Short walk to village, which has the public bus stop, tourist office (sells a great hiking map), post office, bakery, market, bank, and restaurant (Viel Nois) Recommendations for improvement: -The small kids' playroom in the main building is a wonderful addition! However, the room itself is quite loud/echo-y. I'd recommend a few carpets to dampen the sound. The old-fashioned toys are lovely, but the addition of a simple play-kitchen (such as from IKEA) and a wooden train set would make the space more entertaining for the little ones. -The hotel does offer wifi, as it did when I last visited in 2011. However, the coverage is very spotty -- we had wifi on one side of our room, but not the other, and none at all over on the sun terrace or on the front patio. I'm fully in support of an analog vacation, but consistent, high-quality wifi would have helped me enjoy my time more (I was traveling without a data plan and used the wifi to find my family members and also set up a simple baby monitor using two phones).

Hotel: 5 stars Restaurant: 4 stars…read more Hotel services and facilities are impeccable. If you stay at the hotel, they offer €20 dinner for the guest (salad bar + 5 courses). It is a super great deal especially you don't have to drive outside after sauna. The food looks modern. My only complain is that there are no soul in their food. The plating looks amazing, but the sauces on the plate feels so disconnected. I feel like some of the ingredients are only put on the plant for presentation. And not every ingredients are meaningful on the dish. The morning breakfast bar however, was really great. Lots of local ingredients to choose from and they have a great selections of honey. I would recommend staying at this hotel and try their dinner. Just don't be expecting a Michelin Star meal then you should really enjoy this place.

Loved the hotel amenities and the spa. Service was universally solid, together with the dining…read moreoptions. I would qualify the Alpina hotel experience as a solid 4-star superior. The spa was one of the best I've experienced and every bit deserving of its five-star rating. The alpine ski has miles of mostly blue runs. But what this high plateau lacks in grade it makes up for in high altitude expanse. One of the highlights for me was Nordic skiing. There are extensive trails running throughout with something for every skill level. Next time I'll book it as a Nordic skiing and spa vacation.

The location, the food, the ambience, the service...We could not have asked for more…read more When you come, I'd recommend booking 3/4 board (breakfast & dinner included). The food & wine are great. Breakfast is a massive buffet. And, dinner is a prix fixe menu with three choices for each of three courses. We've been coming every fall for four years now. We love the spa, pools& gorgeous nature surrounding the historic castle.

Stayed here three wonderful days and nighs. The room was extremely restful. The wood scent…read morerefreshing and the linens so soft. The hosts were attentive and gracious. The food...that could be an entire post. D*E*L*I*C*I*O*U*S*! The breakfast buffet had so many scrumptious choices. Dinner, sit, enjoy and savor

This hotel sits on a cliff overlooking a beautiful alpine peak. I have been here during last winter…read moreand it was one of the most magical winter wonderlands. It is located in the heart of alps surrounded by divine natural beauty. The hotel itself is very cute and cozy. It has a huge dining hall/Bar on the ground floor. They also have a numerous spa amenities such as sauna, turkish bath, sleeping room, and my favorite of all hot tub on the patio that overlooks the mountains. A BIG YES!! The hosts treat all their guests like their family. The food was exceptionally good. Everything was made from scratch and served with perfection. The dinner menu changes daily based on the chef's special. Be sure to come with a huge appetite! The breakfast is a buffet style. They serve a wide range of bread, prosciutto, cereal, cheese and beverages. If you are here during the ski season, you can buy the ski pass directly from the hotel. The hotel also has a separate storage room for your ski gears which makes it super convenient. I highly recommend this place. it is a great treat with a fantastic hospitality! Can't wait to go back!

This is an outstanding hotel. Just be aware that if you do not have a car you have to walk about a…read more1/4 mile up a hill to get to and from the center of town. This was not a problem but if you have limited mobility it could be an issue. As to the hotel itself I cannot say enough good things. First, the room was very spacious and had a great view. Second, we got the half board which included breakfast and dinner. The breakfast was outstanding and offered a large variety of items including yogart, fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, a variety of breads. My only complaint is that it did not begin until 7:30 a.m. I like to get an early start on hikes so I would prefer it start at 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. Third, the dinner that came with half board. Each night we had a different menu Every night they had a very good salad bar and then a 3-4 course meal with at least 2 different selections for each course. Usually the main meal included either fish, meat or a vegetarian option. Fourth, the hotel works with Val Gardena Active which offers a variety of daily activities. Their fees are covered by the hotel. We used them to go on 3 different hikes. Fifth, the staff was very helpful and accommodated all of your needs.

Ortisei is a lovely town to visit and while hotel Grones is not located in the center of town…read more(...that a good thing!) it's perfectly situated up top and is really only like a 5-10 minute was to the town center. Grones is family owned and super charming. What's even better, is there are only 25 rooms. A lot of the hotels in Ortisei are cater to families, which is fine but also a lot more chaotic. Grones is certainly family friendly but the rest and relaxation aspect is not lost here. The family is fully involved and you see them daily, which is wonderful. They are personable and literally greeted each once us (there were five people in our group) personally when we arrived. The rooms: We booked a superior room and had views to the valley which was lovely! Our room was decently sized, although the standard rooms are on the petite side and not all of them offer a view. Rooms were very clean, offer complimentary water and wifi. The food: The rates are half board (if you choose), meaning that breakfast and dinner are included. This is common in Europe and often quite good. We ate all of our meals here because they were excellent! Breakfast offers a gorgeous and fresh array of fruit, bread, pastries, charcuterie, cereal, nuts, granola, eggs, and the list goes on. Dinner is four-five courses nightly. The menu also changes each night, so you won't get bored. They are very accommodating to any dietary restrictions as well. The food is fresh and inventive. You get the same table for the duration of your stay which is so nice! You literally don't have think of anything on your stay! Amenities: The hotel also has a pool and jacuzzi in addition to a spa sauna, turkish bath, and steam room. The facilities are really nice and peaceful. Perfect to chill out after a day of hiking or skiing. Hotels in the area are equipped for all summer and winter mountain activities, Grones ensures you have access to everything you need to make your stay in Val Gardena amazing. They're a Val Gardena partner, meaning that hotel guests can take advantage of specials and discounts offered by the Val Gardena visitors bureau. Every morning, the hotel provides a one-sheet at your breakfast table with hiking suggestions, weather provisions and local activities. What makes Grones special is their attention to detail and care for their guests. It's one of those places where you just feel relaxed. Ortisei attracts a lot of tourism for good reason! There are a lot of hotels to choose from, but this one has a genuine feel to it that is hard to come by. We'd stay here again!

Spa: 5/5 Massages and pricing: 4/5…read moreFood (breakfast): 5/5 Food (dinner): 3/5 Gym:4/5 Rooms: 5/5 Overall: 5/5 A true luxury resort with lots of ammenities. We spend a week there in Feb 2023 and had a great time skiing and enjoy the amenities in the resort. There are many spas on the premise. The heated outdoor pool was my favorite. Very easy to get an appointment at the spa and the services are reasonable prices. If I remember correctly massages are $60-70 or so for 50min. They have many classes such and yoga and some that runs in the spa. There is an adult only spa section which was nice and there is a beautiful natural cold plunge. As for the food. The breakfast was great. Dinner was a bit disappointing. We ended up only eating in twice and went out the rest of the nights even though dinner was included in our package. The rooms and the beds are comfy and the gym is well equipped.

Stayed for two nights to use as our base to hike through the Dolomites. Truly a 5 star hotel that…read morecaters to winter and summer activities. Couple that with attentive service, excellent spa facilities and excellent Tyrolean food, you will remember your stay at this resort. There is a large percentage of guests who travel from Munich which is a 3 hour drive. The resort is located in Oritsei which is a quaint mountain town that looks like it served as the original model for many North American ski towns. Nearby is Selva do Val Gardena, another popular spot for skiing and experiencing this World Heritage site.