17 Best Hotels in The Dolomites, Italy

This friendly, intimate hotel in the center of town combines history with modernity in its spacious, minimalist suites—some with original ceiling frescoes—inside a house dating from 1450. Guest rooms, all suites, are done up in muted colors and use reclaimed wood in the furnishings. Many visitors come just for the top-notch restaurant, where owner Florian Fink is the chef. Perhaps the most unique feature is the spa inspired by Roman baths, which includes a sauna, steam bath, and hot and cold Roman baths.

You’ll get a warm welcome at this charming family-run hotel in the Sarentino Valley, which has incorporated natural materials into the design and an innovative philosophy into the menus, including a substantial cellar of natural wines. Bright, large rooms use local Alpine woods and have sleek, modern furnishings and views into the Sarntal Alps. Restaurant Alpes serves traditional dishes with a modern twist; La Fuga (Laboratory for Future Gastronomy), held for part of the year, offers a modern take on natural food and wines, served over many courses. Ask to get a peek at the impressive wine cellar, which holds more than 600 types of wine, mostly natural. The expansive spa offers a wide range of relaxing treatments, including pine, juniper, and hay baths, as well as an impressive outdoor “farmer’s bath,” with two saunas, a pool, an outdoor relaxation room, and two outdoor wood tubs. If you're after a vacation from your vacation, this is it.

At this recently renovated cozy inn—more than 500 years old and still one of the region's best—each room is unique, and many are filled with antiques and paintings. The name comes from the 1551 visit of King John III of Portugal, who stopped here while leading an elephant (a present for Austria's Emperor Ferdinand) over the Alps. Housed in the large park are a pool, tennis courts, and the separate Villa Marzari, with 12 rooms and a sauna. Two in-house gourmet restaurants (one with a Michelin star) serve tasty fare.

Individually designed guest rooms in a centuries-old Bolzano landmark feature modern furnishings with clean lines, as well as contemporary art paired with 19th-century paintings and sketches. The small and intimate surroundings are enhanced by attentive service, perks like whirlpool baths, and views of the Gothic cathedral across the square. Guests can also use the Parkhotel Laurin's swimming pool.

If you're in Merano to pamper yourself, you can't do much better than the Hotel Terme: as its name suggests, it's connected to the expansive Terme Merano (a stay here includes free, unlimited access via a "bathrobe tunnel"), and it also has the rooftop Sky Spa with indoor and outdoor pools and saunas. Most guest rooms have brightly colored walls and furniture contrasted with hardwood floors; some include balconies with mountain views. Although the Sky Spa can only be used by guests ages 14 and up, the ground-floor indoor and outdoor pool and saunas are accessible to all. The hotel's prime position means a quick walk into town for shopping and dining, or you can eat at the on-site Olivi Restaurant or Bistro La Piazza.

The stone and brick chambers, prison cells, and chapels in this labyrinthine 13th-century castle (occupied by Trento's prince-bishops in the 16th century) today contain spare, rustic guest rooms with carved-wood trim, lace curtains, and heavy wooden beds—some of them canopied. Modern-art installations grace the grounds. The popular restaurant (nonguests welcome) serves lightened-up versions of ages-old seasonal recipes from the area for dinner, while the café-bistro offers breakfast and vegetarian four-course lunches from mid-April to September.

Located in a quiet, panoramic spot, this chalet is ideal for exploring the mountains or simply relaxing amid the beauty of the Alps. Family-owned and -operated for more than 40 years, it is a prime example of the hospitality found in the Dolomites region. Rooms are cozy with balconies offering panoramic views of Lake Antorno and the Tre Cime.

This refined, amenities-filled hotel has a distinctly Germanic vibe and lots of mountain atmosphere—from its outdoor hot tub and sauna to its simple guest rooms, with light-wood paneling, white accents, and balconies, to its underground fondue room–wine cellar (24,000 bottles with a focus on biodynamic producers). The hotel houses three restaurants plus a delightful "cheese room" and "chocolate room." Other facilities include a ski room, a kids' play area, a spa with an indoor pool, sauna, and Turkish bath, and a gym.

On the shores of beautiful Lake Misurina and just a few kilometers from renowned winter resort Cortina d’Ampezzo, this grand hotel has simply furnished rooms that range from standard fare to full apartments. The on-site spa offers massages, a Turkish bath, and a sauna and Jacuzzi. There are year-round activities offered on the lake, and there's a kids' club available as well.

Loyal skiers return year after year to this old-school mountain retreat, where each unique room has antiques in characteristic Dolomite style (almost all have wooden balconies) and the main terrace bar is one of Cortina's social centers. De la Poste has been under the careful management of the Manaìgo family since 1936. A refined main dining room—with high ceilings and large chandeliers—serves nouvelle cuisine and superb soufflés; there's also a more informal grill room with wood paneling and the family's pewter collection as well as a cigar room dedicated to guest Ernest Hemingway.

Each room has its own contemporary design, some have saunas with hot tubs and stunning views, and all enjoy a prime location near Piazza del Duomo. The friendly owner gives good suggestions about what to see, do, and eat in the area.

This clean and spacious B&B is just a short walk from ski lifts and the bus stop, and all guests have access to the spa and pool areas. Listed prices are for hotel rooms (which often have a week minimum stay), but there are also mini-apartments available on a weekly basis that offer an equally great value for the area. A discount is available at the restaurant for hotel guests.

Unpretentious Alpine chic meets contemporary decor, with warm pine, ceramics, rich textiles, and wood-beamed ceilings—and all but one of the guest rooms have balconies. La Genzianella is also a bike-friendly hotel: there's safe storage, a sportswear laundry, mountain-bike rental, maps, and even an instructor. The lovely spa includes a sauna, steam bath, and treatment rooms. Lifts to the Alta Valtellina are 50 yards from the entrance, and there are lockers for ski equipment.

Right in front of the Plan de Corones chairlift, this is a great base for a skiing or hiking vacation, with bus service to the ski slopes and a spa and pools on-site to unwind after a big day out. The hotel can help to arrange discounted ski passes with advance notice. In the warmer months, staff can help you find the best hiking in the area; the hotel even has its own guides. The decor is typical of the region, with warm wood and fabrics, and plenty of amenities. Some rates include breakfast and dinner, which are rotated regularly for variety, and discounts are offered for stays longer than four nights.

An exercise in Art Nouveau opulence, presiding over a large park in the middle of town, this elegant hotel features art-filled guest rooms, handsome public spaces, and an exceptional restaurant. The register is filled with the names of Europe's grand nobility, including Archduke Franz Ferdinand (whose murder in Sarajevo sparked World War I). The bar is popular with locals, especially for Jazz Fridays (held from October to May). Restaurant Laurin is superb, using only local ingredients and bringing a lighter sensibility to rustic regional dishes; ConTanima restaurant, in a glass house within the hotel gardens, serves up wonderfully creative cuisine.

At this comfortable lodge with a distinctive wooden facade, flower-bedecked balconies catch the sun, and contemporary guest rooms and suites have views of the forested slopes. The restaurant serves home cooking as well as international dishes.

You need to make your way north to the Campo Carlo Magno Pass to reach this grand if dated hotel, the former summer residence of Habsburg emperor Franz Josef, replete with verandas, Persian rugs, and bay windows. A modern wing has been added, but there's still tons of old-world charm. In summer the golf course attracts a tony crowd. Note that the hotel requires minimum night stays during many months.