Head-to-head · Dolomites
My favorite hotel in the Dolomites and my close second. One is a wellness retreat facing the Odle; the other is the best base in the region, right in the middle of Ortisei. Here is how I would choose.
Stayed at both · October 2026
The best view of the Odle, the best wellness and the best service in the Dolomites, with nothing to do but slow down.
My Forestis review →
A close second 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 →
| Forestis | Gardena Grödnerhof | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | High above Bressanone, about 25 minutes up the mountain | In the center of Ortisei, Val Gardena |
| The feel | Alpine wellness retreat: Scandinavian, light wood and floor-to-ceiling glass | Renovated alpine grand hotel; my pick for the best design in the Dolomites |
| The view | The best view of the Odle of any luxury hotel in the Dolomites | From the outdoor pool, over the rooftops of Ortisei |
| Rooms | 62 suites across a historic lodge and three towers | About 80 rooms, most beautifully remodeled |
| Room to ask for | A high floor in the tower closest to the lodge | Superior Deluxe or above |
| Spa and gym | My wellness winner, with the best indoor pool in the region | An incredible spa, and a gym tied for the best in the Dolomites |
| Hiking | Excellent hikes about 45 minutes away by car | Lifts from town to Seceda and to the Alpe di Siusi |
| Eating out | Nowhere else nearby; half board in two restaurants | My pick for dining off property, with great restaurants on foot |
| Families | Hotel is 14 and over; families book the five-bedroom Forestis Villa | Works for couples and families alike |
| Skiing | You can ski in and out, but the best skiing is elsewhere | Fantastic skiing all around; walk or shuttle to the lifts |
| Best for | Honeymoons, couples, wellness, total disconnection | Couples, families, hikers, foodies |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who stayed at both and personalizes your stay: I push for the right tower and floor at Forestis, secure a renovated room at Gardena Grödnerhof, and book your guides, Seceda lift times and the drive between them. Same rate as booking direct.
Forestis is about disconnecting: the spa, the scenery, the food and the quiet, with the Odle in view from your room, the dining room, the pools and the spa. It is my favorite hotel in the Dolomites.
Gardena Grödnerhof was a close second, and the reason starts with location. It sits right in Ortisei, a genuinely charming town with great restaurants, and lifts leave from town to two completely different landscapes. It is the most well-rounded hotel I saw, for couples and families alike. The one caveat: Ortisei gets busy in July and August.
If you want to slow down, pick Forestis. If you want to hike, eat out and have a town around you, pick Gardena. Better still, do both: it is my favorite pairing in the Dolomites.
Forestis sits on a quiet mountainside facing the Odle, about 25 minutes above Bressanone. It is not a place to hike from the door; the excellent hikes are about 45 minutes away by car, and I book the guides ahead. You come for the spa, the view and the quiet.
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. Seceda needs a time-slotted ticket bought in advance, and the Col Raiser lift from Santa Cristina, about 10 minutes away, reaches the same area. A private guide who knows when and where to go is better still, and I arrange one.
At Forestis, ask for a tower suite on the fourth or fifth floor or above, in the tower closest to the historic lodge or the middle tower. There is no category for it, so only a request secures it. The suites are Scandinavian in feel, with daybed balconies, large bathrooms with tubs and walk-in showers, and heated floors. The lodge suites are good value.
At Gardena Grödnerhof, everything from Superior Deluxe up has been beautifully redone, and the original building was restored so well that, outside of the elevators, you’d never know it 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.
Forestis won my wellness category: 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.
Gardena Grödnerhof has an incredible spa, an outdoor pool over the rooftops of Ortisei, and a gym that ties with Aman Rosa Alpina’s for the best in the Dolomites, which is rare in a town hotel. Expect German and Austrian sauna culture at both: the main saunas are mixed, and swimsuits come off.
Service at Forestis was some of the best I have experienced anywhere, and the seven-course tasting menu was a highlight. Half board covers breakfast and dinner, and there is nowhere else to eat nearby. The hotel is for guests aged 14 and over; families book the five-bedroom Forestis Villa.
Service at Gardena Grödnerhof was warm, polished and consistent across the whole stay, and Ortisei is the best town in the region for dining off property. It works for couples, it works for families, and in winter there is fantastic skiing all around you, with the lifts close.
For me, Forestis, with Gardena Grödnerhof a close second. Pick Forestis for the view, the spa, the food and the quiet. Pick Gardena if you want to hike, eat out in town, or bring children.
Gardena Grödnerhof. Lifts leave from Ortisei to Seceda and to the Alpe di Siusi, two completely different landscapes. From Forestis, the excellent hikes are about 45 minutes away by car. At either, I book the guides ahead; the good ones go early in summer.
Gardena Grödnerhof, for the skiing all around Ortisei; you walk or shuttle to the lifts. 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.
At Forestis, a tower suite on a high floor in the tower closest to the lodge; I request it for you. At Gardena Grödnerhof, a Superior Deluxe or above. Those are the renovated rooms, and the reason to stay.
Yes, and it is the pairing I would book: two or three nights in Ortisei at Gardena Grödnerhof for hiking and restaurants, then two or three at Forestis to slow down with the spa and the view. They are about an hour apart by car, and I arrange the driver.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which room to ask for.
Forestis review → Gardena Grödnerhof review → Forestis or COMO Alpina → COMO Alpina or Gardena Grödnerhof → My Dolomites guide →