The Place
The name is fair enough: this is a magnificent Tyrolean Art Nouveau mansion that started in 1913 as a butcher’s shop with flats above. Decades later, in 1964, it was converted into a bed and breakfast, before becoming a hotel in 1972. It’s a key feature of the pedestrian zone in the graceful town of Ortisei, known for its traditional figurine shops. The same family has owner-managed the hotel for four generations.
Rooms are unpretentious but smart and get the sun at least half the day. All have recently been refurbished in a distinctive, traditional-but-modern mountain chalet style. Expect colourful headboards and armchairs. Book a ‘comfort room’ for panoramic views of the Dolomites.
A wellness area, including a swimming pool, sauna, and infrared cabin, is on the ground floor. For spa treatments, guests need to head over to the adjacent Hotel Angelo Engel, where they get 10 per cent discount if they book ahead.
Dinner is served in a rather formally decorated dining room, which brings some contemporary touches to the otherwise traditional Tyrolean interior design. The menu is short but imaginative, with classic Italian dishes and South Tyrol wines. In summer, they do a barbecue and make Alpine signature meals such as ‘Kaiserschmarrn’, a fluffy shredded pancake with rum-soaked raisins and powdered sugar.
A small café, The Classic, with a sun terrace, is an intimate retreat, open until 10 pm in the summer.
The nearest cable car station is a four-minute walk from the hotel.