Head-to-head · Dolomites
The two most talked-about luxury hotels in the Dolomites. One is a wellness retreat facing the Odle; the other is the most luxurious hotel in the region, in a village made for skiing and hiking. Here is how I would choose.
Stayed at Forestis · Toured Aman Rosa Alpina · October 2026
The best view of the Odle of any luxury hotel in the Dolomites, the best spa and some of the best service I have had anywhere. Come to slow down.
My Forestis review →
The most luxurious hotel in the Dolomites, in a fantastic spot for the lifts and trails, and as good for families as it is for couples. Book a suite.
My Aman Rosa Alpina review →
| Forestis | Aman Rosa Alpina | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | High above Bressanone, about 25 minutes up the mountain | In the village of San Cassiano, Alta Badia |
| The feel | Alpine wellness retreat: Scandinavian, light wood and floor-to-ceiling glass | Classic Aman: warm wood, marble and calm |
| The view | The best view of the Odle of any luxury hotel in the Dolomites | Intimate: the forest, the village and the peaks above |
| Rooms | Tower suites with daybed balconies; lodge suites are good value | The suites are the reason to come |
| Room to ask for | A high floor in the tower closest to the lodge | A suite |
| Spa | Two pools heated to around 32°C, three saunas, steam, cold plunge | A beautiful spa with an indoor pool |
| Skiing and hiking | Ski in and out, but the best skiing and hikes are elsewhere | Fantastic for both; lifts about two minutes away by shuttle |
| Families | Hotel is 14 and over; families book the five-bedroom Forestis Villa | As good for families as it is for couples |
| Dining | Half board in two restaurants; a seven-course tasting menu | Fantastic service in the lobby restaurant |
| Best for | Honeymoons, couples, wellness, total disconnection | Overall luxury, families, skiers and hikers |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who knows these hotels personally and personalizes your stay: I push for the right tower and floor at Forestis, confirm the winter minimum stays at Aman, and arrange the trains, drivers and guides. Same rate as booking direct.
Forestis is about disconnecting. You come for the spa, the scenery, the food and the quiet, and you look at the Odle from your room, the dining room, the pools and the spa. It is my favorite hotel in the Dolomites.
Aman Rosa Alpina is the most luxurious hotel in the region, and it sits where you want to be for skiing and hiking. The views are more intimate than dramatic, and that is the trade.
If the mountains are something to look at, pick Forestis. If they are something to ski and hike, or you are bringing children, pick Aman.
At Forestis, the view of the Odle is unmatched among the Dolomites’ luxury hotels. The best of it is from the fourth or fifth floor and above, in the tower closest to the historic lodge and in the middle tower, where you are above the tree line. There is no room category for that, so only a request secures it. It is exactly what I push for.
At Aman Rosa Alpina, the suites look onto the forest, the village and the peaks above. Beautiful, but if a sweeping panorama is the point, Forestis wins.
The Forestis spa is the best in the region: indoor and outdoor pools joined by a glass door and heated to around 32°C (90°F), a blacked-out sensory room, a swimsuit sauna, and a separate area with three saunas, a steam room, a cold plunge and a heated plunge pool. My 90-minute deep-tissue massage was excellent.
Aman Rosa Alpina has a lovely spa and the gym is tied with Gardena Grödnerhof for the best in the Dolomites. At both, expect German and Austrian sauna culture: the main saunas are mixed, and swimsuits come off.
Aman Rosa Alpina is the one for an active trip. It is not ski-in, ski-out, but there is a ski room and the lifts are about two minutes away by shuttle. It is also a true luxury hotel that welcomes children. San Cassiano was a ghost town in October, so come in winter or summer.
Forestis is not the best base for hiking or skiing; the excellent hikes are about 45 minutes away by car, and I book the guides ahead. The hotel is for guests aged 14 and over. Families book the Forestis Villa: five bedrooms, a team of 14, and its own pool and spa.
Service at Forestis was some of the best I have experienced anywhere. Half board covers breakfast and dinner in either restaurant, and the seven-course tasting menu was a highlight. There is nowhere else to eat nearby, so for more than three nights you rotate the two menus.
Service in the lobby restaurant at Aman Rosa Alpina was fantastic. Two small things surprised me: some of the original walls show their age, and our arrival was a little awkward. Everything after was excellent.
For me, Forestis. It has the best view, the best spa and the best service in the Dolomites. Pick Aman Rosa Alpina if you want the most luxurious hotel in the region as a base for skiing and hiking, or you are traveling with children.
Aman Rosa Alpina. The lifts are about two minutes away by shuttle and there is a ski room. You can ski in and out at Forestis, but the region’s best skiing is elsewhere. For true ski-in, ski-out, look at COMO Alpina.
Forestis. It is my honeymoon pick in the Dolomites: the views, the spa, the food and the quiet.
At Aman Rosa Alpina, yes; it is as good for families as it is for couples. The Forestis hotel is for guests aged 14 and over, but children are welcome in the five-bedroom Forestis Villa.
At Forestis, a tower suite on the fourth or fifth floor or above, in the tower closest to the lodge; I request it for you. The lodge suites are good value if the towers are beyond the budget. At Aman Rosa Alpina, a suite. They are the reason to stay.
Yes. Forestis is about 25 minutes above Bressanone and San Cassiano is in Alta Badia, so a few nights at each splits a trip between quiet and the mountain. I arrange the drivers between them, and Aman also pairs well with Aman Venice.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which suite to ask for.
Forestis review → Aman Rosa Alpina review → Forestis or COMO Alpina → My Dolomites guide →