Soaring cathedral-height windows framing the dazzling Dolomites are just one of many attractions at the region’s newest – and only – five-star luxury hotel.
Clad in larch and fir with warmly furnished interiors of fine oak, chestnut, leather, and stone, Lefay Dolomiti also boasts the biggest, most magnificent spa in the Dolomites, making it a magnet for tony clientele from Milano to Roma to anyone looking for a cosseting relax-and-reboot getaway. The perfect antidote to the aches and pains of a long year.
Owned by the Leali Family, steel magnates, and subsequent founders of Air Dolomiti, Lefaymade its mark in the luxury space in 2006 with the launch of its sister property at Lake Garda. Their multi-award-winning, the no-expense-spared style quickly became an Italian reference for luxury wellness. And now, there’s skiing too.
High-mountain adventure is right on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed doorstep. After a friendly visit to the on-site ski shop for top-of-the-line gear, ski passes, and any ski lessons or mountain guides you favor, a complimentary short shuttle accesses the ski lifts of Madonna di Campiglio.
Nearly lOO miles of slopes lace this peak-rimmed classic, a gem that’s too often an afterthought following the Italian podium placers of Cortina and Courmayeur. Madonna offers a healthy raft of challenging terrain, top drawer grooming, and fabulous off-piste. And the mountain food? Don’t get us started …
THE SPA
Che Bello. Stretching over four entire floors, this 6,000 square yard wonder of wellness is one of the largest to be found in a ski resort and its quality is sublime. Swim in, swim out valley-view pools are purified by electrolysis. There’s a magnesium-enriched whirlpool and long lap pool, no fewer than 20 treatment rooms, a rainbow of nine saunas, steam rooms, and comfy relaxation areas. Not to be missed: the heavenly grotto with salt flotation tank and mud therapy pool. Book this private space to wallow in malachite-infused Genovese mud revered for its antioxidants, energizing and anti-aging magnesium, and rhodolite to stimulate natural immune defenses.
The state-of-the-art gym is open 24 hours and a great roster of daily activities includes yoga, meditation, and specialist classes. A spa menu (or is it bible?) as thick as the evening’s wine carte brims with all things beautifying, relaxing, and de-stressing. Signature Lefay cosmetics are heavenly unguents of horse chestnut, alpine flowers, oils enriched with mountain pine and juniper, mineral alpine salt, and even traditional Alpine butter. The award-winning wellness method combines classical Chinese medicine with Western techniques to rebalance and rejuvenate the body and mind and activate the energy systems. You’ll appreciate taking a mini-tour first to get a handle on The Energy Therapeutic World – five themed areas with different water and sauna-based therapies.
SUITES
All suites, all modern comforts, and all yours to pry yourself away from. (Go on, try.) The 88 grand and generous suites look down the valley, across dramatic peaks, and onto the green woods that border the traditional Trentino village of Pinzolo. The atmosphere is Italian contemporary: a super-king bed dressed with the finest soft linens, an automatic fireplace, a spacious sitting area, and a deep private balcony set with loungers and blankets. Dressed in a masculine palette of chestnut paneling and dark wooden floors, a deep freestanding tub, and large shower are fully stocked with generous custom Lefay toiletries. Sleek buttons open and close vertical wooden slat blinds onto the living areas. Certified by ClimaHotel, renewable energy sources and advanced electrical, thermic, and hydric systems are states of the art. This is traditional mountain stone and wood elevated to glittering modern standards. BUON GUSTO Welcome to Negroni central. Through floor-to-ceiling A-frame windows, the River Sacra weaves down the valley and the snow-capped Dolomiti peaks melt into the distance. Settle into a butter-soft leather sofa in the elegant lounge, and perhaps retreat upstairs to the private library lair for a naughty aperitivo a duo. When you’re ready to go through, two fabulous restaurants favor local favorites and the very best of the Mediterranean diet. The Dolomia features traditional recipes and contemporary Italian flavors-think risotto with wild mushrooms and Trentingrana cheese; at breakfast, you can blend your own super-juices and organic delights are cooked to order. For the most sublime fare, the sophisticated and eventful Grual is a date with delectability. (Don’t be put off by the name-it honors the local mountain and sounds better in Italian.) Dishes pivot pleasingly around locally sourced ingredients from the valley floor, the pastures, and the mountains-it’s called ‘altimetric’ dining, with ingredients and dishes presented according to altitude. Organic, locavore lovelies include delicate roe deer and wild broccoli, mountain potatoes and white fish sourced from nearby streams and, this being Italy, enough fragrant cheeses for as long as we visit, and even more for our inevitable return.
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