Where
Adler Lodge Ritten sits majestically amongst the pines of the Renon plateau, hovering high above the South Tyrolean valley surrounded by the magic of the UNESCO Heritage Dolomite Mountains. Slotting effortlessly into the landscape, the lodge, chalets and pavilions, designed from natural materials and minimalistic blackened wood, give a chic, modern take on a traditional Alpine resort.
Stay
The lodge’s accommodation is a mix of forty-two standalone chalets with front row uninterrupted views, as well as spacious suites with cosy spruce interiors. Cocooned in the landscape, the picture windows invite you to curl up in the capacious bed and watch the light pass across the mountains, as the snow gently falls. Reading, napping or unwinding in your own personal in-room sauna.
Conscious Credentials
‘Adler for Planet’ isn't a performative slogan. The hotel operates entirely plastic-free, sources mountain spring water, and integrates biodiversity throughout. Sustainability and uncompromising luxury coexist here as genuine operational principles, not afterthoughts.
Eat
The all-inclusive experience means you can graze and quaff to your heart’s content - and you certainly won’t go hungry. Head chef Cristian Cinquemani's menu champions the hyperlocal: breakfast features eggs from the hotel's own flock, neighbouring farms provide the cheeses and cured meats and homemade pastries arrive in fragrant abundance. Dinner becomes theatre as an open kitchen stage delivers seasonal ingredients, transformed into precisely executed dishes paired with regional Pinot Noirs and Blancs. Farm-to-table isn't marketing here; it's philosophy.
Spa
The Forest Ritual treatment began with a herbal bath to soak away tension, before a deep tissue massage ironed out any lingering knots and lowered stressed shoulders by a good few inches. The salt water pools, both inside and out, are set with dramatic volcanic black tiling - while the crackling fire in the relaxation area is the perfect place to sip a tea, enrobed in the fluffiest of gowns with a good read.
Make sure you book in to experience the daily Auffgus – a traditional alpine sauna treatment. Gathering with other guests at golden hour in the treehouse sauna, you are immersed in a restorative sound bath, whilst a therapist wafts a towel infused with essential oils, bathing guests in warming, deeply relaxing song and scent. With a quick cold plunge to enliven, you are left on an elemental high.
Do
Days unfold at your own pace: dawn yoga, guided hikes or wine tastings are there for the taking. For those seeking adrenaline, South Tyrolean skiing and alpine pursuits are moments away.??
The Crowd
A mix of German and Italian couples, young and old, who don’t want to compromise when it comes to seeking out the best of wellness, gastronomy and design in The Dolomites.
For The Memory Bank
Swimming in the infinity pool at dusk, muffled into silence by the newly fallen snow, and the inky silhouettes of the Dolomite mountains on the horizon. Utter peace.
Insider Tips
Make the most of the Ritten pass you are presented with at check-in to navigate your way around the region, from the Renon narrow-gauge railway just moments away, to the cable car to scale Renon mountain.
Travel
Fly from Gatwick with Skyalps and you will land at the heart of the South Tyrol, just a short 35-minute hop to Adler Lodge Ritten. The independent airline, owned by a South Tyrolean aviator, is a brilliant way to start your Dolomiti adventure, serving regional wines and snacks on board and a speedy 2-hour flight time with 5-star service.
The Verdict
This is where you go when you need reminding that wellness isn't a buzzword but a state of natural being. Waking to the season's first snow, cocooned in Alpine comfort with fine dining and spa treatments as your daily rhythm, Adler Lodge delivers exactly what you didn't know you needed: genuine retreat.
The Details
From £670 per night, for a three-night stay in February, for a junior suite for 2 people, on an all-inclusive basis.
Images: Copyright Alex Filz
