Head-to-head · Dolomites
The two best locations in the Dolomites, tied for summer and just over the mountain from each other. One is right in Ortisei, a real town; the other sits on the Alpe di Siusi meadows with the trails and slopes outside your room. Here is how I would choose.
Stayed at both · October 2026
A close second to Forestis for me: beautifully renovated, well rounded, and right in Ortisei with restaurants on foot and lifts to two completely different hikes.
My Gardena Grödnerhof review →
The only true ski-in, ski-out hotel I saw and my first choice for a ski trip. In summer the trails start at your door, and the price is lower.
My COMO Alpina review →
| Gardena Grödnerhof | COMO Alpina | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | In the center of Ortisei, Val Gardena | On the Alpe di Siusi meadows, just over the mountain from Ortisei |
| The feel | Renovated alpine grand hotel; my pick for the best design in the Dolomites | Mountain wellness hotel, very mountain in style |
| Rooms | About 80, most beautifully remodeled | Very spacious, with big decks, large bathrooms and tubs |
| Room to ask for | Superior Deluxe or above | Ask me first: a chairlift runs right outside the Mountain View rooms |
| Skiing | Fantastic skiing all around; walk or shuttle to the lifts | True ski-in, ski-out; my first choice for a ski trip |
| Hiking | Lifts from town to Seceda and to the Alpe di Siusi | The trails start at your door |
| Spa and gym | An incredible spa; gym tied for the best in the Dolomites | A spa and pool on par with the best in the region |
| Eating out | My pick for dining off property, with great restaurants on foot | A very nice dinner in the formal restaurant |
| Service | Warm, polished and consistent | Good, if a little awkward at times |
| Getting there | Parking in Ortisei is tight in summer | A protected area: cars need a permit, which the hotel handles |
| Best for | Couples, families, hikers, foodies | Skiers, hikers, wellness and value |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who stayed at both and personalizes your stay: I secure a renovated room at Gardena Grödnerhof, steer you to the right room at COMO Alpina, sort the permit and transfers, and book your guides and Seceda lift times. 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 Seceda and to the Alpe di Siusi. Add a beautiful renovation, an incredible spa and great service, and it is the best base in the Dolomites.
COMO Alpina’s huge selling point is location too. You are right on the Alpe di Siusi, and you walk out of your room onto the trails in summer and the slopes in winter. It is not quite the hotel Gardena is, but the price reflects that, and the spa and pool hold their own.
For a ski trip, pick COMO Alpina; it is my first choice in winter. In summer the two tie for location, so pick Gardena for the town and the restaurants, and COMO Alpina for hiking straight from your door. Or do both: it is one of my favorite pairings.
At Gardena Grödnerhof, you walk out into 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. The one caveat is July and August, when Ortisei is busy and the crowds follow you onto the trails.
COMO Alpina is up on those meadows, with mountains towering all around. The area is protected, so the road up is restricted to permit holders. The hotel handles the permit, and a private transfer avoids the question entirely.
COMO Alpina is the only true ski-in, ski-out hotel of the five I saw, and in summer the trails start at your door. For skiing, it is my first choice in the Dolomites.
At Gardena Grödnerhof, the skiing all around Ortisei is fantastic, and you get to the lifts by foot or shuttle. For hiking, the Seceda lift needs a time-slotted ticket bought in advance; the Col Raiser lift from Santa Cristina, about 10 minutes away, reaches the same area. A private guide is better still, and I arrange one.
At Gardena Grödnerhof, everything from Superior Deluxe up has been beautifully redone, and the original building was restored so well you’d never guess its age. The Superior and Comfort rooms keep the original charm, but the renovated rooms are what I book.
Rooms at COMO Alpina are very spacious, with big decks, large bathrooms and tubs. Mind the chairlift right outside the Mountain View rooms: in the shoulder season it can feel a little loud and not very private. In winter I don’t think it would bother you much.
Gardena Grödnerhof has an incredible spa and a gym that ties with Aman Rosa Alpina’s for the best in the Dolomites. Service was warm, polished and consistent, and Ortisei is the best town in the region for dining off property.
At COMO Alpina, the spa and pool stack up very nicely against every hotel I saw, and like most COMO properties the whole place leans into wellness. We had a very nice dinner in the formal restaurant; service elsewhere was good, if a little awkward at times. Expect German and Austrian sauna culture at both: the main saunas are mixed, and swimsuits come off.
For me, Gardena Grödnerhof. It was a close second to Forestis and it is the best base in the Dolomites. Pick COMO Alpina for a ski trip, or to hike straight from your door for less.
COMO Alpina. It is the only true ski-in, ski-out hotel I saw, and my first choice for a ski trip. At Gardena Grödnerhof, the skiing around Ortisei is fantastic, but you walk or shuttle to the lifts.
They tie for location. Gardena Grödnerhof has lifts from town to two completely different landscapes, Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi. At COMO Alpina, the trails start at your door. If you want quiet, avoid Ortisei in July and August.
Both made my list of the best Dolomites hotels for families. Gardena Grödnerhof is the more well-rounded hotel, with a town and restaurants on the doorstep; COMO Alpina puts the meadows right outside.
At Gardena Grödnerhof, a Superior Deluxe or above; those are the renovated rooms. At COMO Alpina, tell me how you are traveling first. In the shoulder season I would avoid the Mountain View rooms, because of the chairlift right outside.
Yes, and it is one of my favorite pairings: two or three nights on the Alpe di Siusi at COMO Alpina and two or three in Ortisei at Gardena Grödnerhof. You get the meadows, then the peaks of Val Gardena, and the transfer between them is short.
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 → COMO Alpina review → Forestis or COMO Alpina → Forestis or Gardena Grödnerhof → My Dolomites guide →