Head-to-head · Dolomites
Two hotels that work for almost everyone, couples and families alike. One is the best base in the Dolomites, right in Ortisei; the other is the most luxurious hotel in the region, in San Cassiano. Here is how I would choose.
Stayed at Gardena Grödnerhof · Toured Aman Rosa Alpina · October 2026
A close second to Forestis for me: a beautiful renovation, an incredible spa and a great gym, right in Ortisei with restaurants on foot and lifts to two completely different hikes.
My Gardena Grödnerhof review →
The most luxurious hotel in the Dolomites, built around its suites, in a village made for skiing and hiking. Come in winter or summer.
My Aman Rosa Alpina review →
| Gardena Grödnerhof | Aman Rosa Alpina | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | In the center of Ortisei, Val Gardena | In the village of San Cassiano, Alta Badia |
| The feel | Renovated alpine grand hotel; my pick for the best design in the Dolomites | Classic Aman: warm wood, marble and calm |
| The building | Restored so well you’d never guess it is decades old | A beautiful restoration, though some original walls show their age |
| Rooms | About 80, most beautifully remodeled | The suites are the reason to come |
| Room to ask for | Superior Deluxe or above | A suite |
| Spa and gym | An incredible spa; gym tied for the best in the Dolomites | A lovely spa; gym tied for the best in the Dolomites |
| Skiing | Fantastic skiing all around; walk or shuttle to the lifts | A ski room, and the lifts about two minutes away by shuttle |
| Hiking | Lifts from town to Seceda and to the Alpe di Siusi | A fantastic spot for hiking nearby |
| Eating out | My pick for dining off property, with great restaurants on foot | Fantastic service in the lobby restaurant |
| When to go | Spring, early summer, September and October; busy in July and August | Winter or summer; San Cassiano is quiet out of season |
| Best for | Couples, families, hikers, foodies | Overall luxury, families, skiers |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who knows these hotels personally and personalizes your stay: I secure a renovated room at Gardena Grödnerhof, confirm the winter minimum stays at Aman, and book your guides, lift times and the drive over the Gardena Pass. Same rate as booking direct.
Gardena Grödnerhof was a close second to Forestis for me, and the reason starts with location. Ortisei is a genuinely charming town with great restaurants, and lifts leave from town to two completely different landscapes. Add an incredible spa, a great gym and warm, polished service, and it is the most well-rounded hotel I saw.
Aman Rosa Alpina is the most luxurious hotel in the region, in a fantastic spot for skiing and hiking, and equally good for families and couples. The suites are the star. By comparison, though, Gardena did an incredible job restoring its original building, and at Aman a few of the old walls show.
For most trips, I would book Gardena. Pick Aman if the most luxurious stay and a beautiful suite matter most, and come in winter or summer, when San Cassiano is buzzing. If you want quiet, avoid Ortisei in July and August.
Gardena Grödnerhof sits right in Ortisei. Take the Seceda lift and you are in the jagged high country of Val Gardena; take the gondola to the Alpe di Siusi and you are in rolling meadows. Seceda needs a time-slotted ticket bought in advance, and in July and August the crowds would be frustrating. Spring, early summer, September and October are when it shines.
Aman Rosa Alpina is in San Cassiano, in Alta Badia, about an hour from Ortisei over the Gardena Pass. The location is fantastic for hiking and skiing. In October it was a ghost town, but I could see it buzzing in winter and summer.
At Gardena Grödnerhof, everything from Superior Deluxe up has been beautifully redone, and outside of the elevators you’d never know the building is decades old. The Superior and Comfort rooms keep the original charm and are spacious, but the renovated rooms are what I book. It is my pick for the best design in the Dolomites.
The design at Aman Rosa Alpina is very Aman, with lots of wood and marble, and the suites are the stars, with beautiful views of the forest, the village and the mountains above. Book a suite; they are the reason to stay.
The gyms at Gardena Grödnerhof and Aman Rosa Alpina tie for the best in the Dolomites, which is rare for a town hotel like Gardena. Gardena’s spa is incredible, with an indoor pool and an outdoor pool looking over the rooftops of Ortisei.
Aman Rosa Alpina has a lovely spa with an indoor pool. Expect German and Austrian sauna culture at both: the main saunas are mixed, and swimsuits come off.
Neither is ski-in, ski-out. At Gardena Grödnerhof, the skiing all around Ortisei is fantastic and the lifts are close by foot or shuttle. At Aman Rosa Alpina, there is a ski room and the lifts are about two minutes away by shuttle. For skiing from your door, look at COMO Alpina.
Both are among my picks for families. Service at Gardena Grödnerhof was warm, polished and consistent. At Aman Rosa Alpina, service in the lobby restaurant was fantastic, though our arrival was a little awkward; everything after was excellent.
For me, Gardena Grödnerhof. It was a close second to Forestis on my trip, and it is the best base in the Dolomites. Pick Aman Rosa Alpina if you want the most luxurious hotel in the region and a beautiful suite.
Both are great, and neither is ski-in, ski-out. Aman Rosa Alpina has a ski room and the lifts about two minutes away by shuttle; at Gardena Grödnerhof, you walk or shuttle to the lifts around Ortisei. For true ski-in, ski-out, look at COMO Alpina.
Gardena Grödnerhof. Lifts leave from Ortisei to two completely different landscapes, Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi, and I book the time slots and a private guide. Aman Rosa Alpina is also in a fantastic spot for hiking.
Both. Gardena Grödnerhof works for couples and families, and Aman Rosa Alpina is as good for families as it is for couples. Both made my list of the best Dolomites hotels for families.
At Gardena Grödnerhof, a Superior Deluxe or above; those are the renovated rooms. At Aman Rosa Alpina, a suite. They are the reason to stay.
Yes. Ortisei to San Cassiano is about an hour over the Gardena Pass, so a few nights at each works well. I arrange the drivers, and confirm any winter minimum stay at Aman Rosa Alpina before you plan around it.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which room to ask for.
Gardena Grödnerhof review → Aman Rosa Alpina review → Forestis or Gardena Grödnerhof → Forestis or Aman Rosa Alpina → My Dolomites guide →