Few sounds are more relaxing than the crackle of burning wood on a log fire. The folks at Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti have figured that out – in the hotel’s suites, there’s a large digital display unit where a traditional fireplace might be, where there’s a realistic-looking ‘fire’ giving off a warming, flickering orange glow, complete with the realistic soundtrack of gently, sizzling, smouldering wood, occasionally throwing up little sparks. It might sound gimmicky, but it gives rooms at this luxurious mountain retreat a surprisingly calming cozy feel.
The spa hotel sits on the edge of Pinzolo, the largest town in the Rendena valley, in Trentino, up in northern Italy. The region is famous for the Dolomites, a range of striking pale stone mountains that’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We drive down from the city of Bolzano, which takes less than two hours, passing through remarkable landscapes of peaks and lakes. The Dolomites are renowned as one of the world’s best skiing areas - Lefay stands in the popular ski area of Madonna di Campiglio. But outside of the peak ski season, the snow-free mountainsides have fantastic possibilities hiking and cycling, though Lefay is a place where guests often choose to do very little except enjoy the facilities. The hotel’s also not far at all from Lake Garda and the other famously beautiful Italian lakes in the north of the country.
Our car passes through the village of Pinzolo and drops us off. Staff are welcoming and immediately helpful, bringing drinks while we check-in. The hotel is a modern, clean-lined, earthy brown building, set on the hillside above the village, with towering mountains framing it and looming on the opposing side of the valley. Beyond the lobby on the fourth floor where we check-in, there’s a large bar and lounge area in front of windows that look out onto the mountains. The hotel interior, also in shades of brown, is also smart and modern, but with leafy abstract paintings and large posters with river scenes on corridor walls to give a feeling of nature.
Our family suite is really spacious, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, all again in earthy colors, from creams to dark brown. It’s immaculately presented, with a large double bed at the heart of the main bedroom, a thick rug, a cushion-loaded sofa and a cool designer wood and glass coffee table. As well as the artificial fireplace, there are stripes of lovely orange ambient light in layers up one wall, and, another touch of nature, an embroidered image of stags and deer in a forest on another wall space. A dividing wooden panel provides privacy for the large bathroom, which has twin sinks with light-edged twin mirrors, a rainshower and a large oval white bathtub.
Two out of the hotel’s three main restaurants are closed during our out-of-peak-season stay, including the forest-inspired Grual Organic Restaurant. But it doesn’t feel like a hardship at all to spend both nights during our stay at the main Dolomia Restaurant, where there are large windows all along the front that look out onto the mountains. There’s another larger take on the digital fireplace idea in the restaurant, too, as well as the warm orange glow of standing lamps and ceiling lights on the ceiling, the whole place pleasantly darkened and cozy, with framed silhouettes of mountain goats, deer, eagles and other local wildlife on the walls. The restaurant’s centerpiece is a glass wine cellar filled with bottles from Italy and around the world.
The food is great – colorful, elegantly presented but hearty and delicious, including a starter of roasted scallops with courgette flower stuffed with ricotta and a courgette cream with mint, an outstanding First Course of ravioli filled with burrata, tomato coulis and basil oil, and a very satisfying turbot fillet with sautéed vegetables and basil oil, my wife giving a happy thumbs-up to lamb chops with thyme sauce and new potatoes.
After a comfortable night’s sleep, we’re back in the Dolomia Restaurant next morning, when it’s far more brightly lit, and start our day with a vast, overwhelming breakfast buffet that’s spread across a separate hall, with counters filled with an appetizing selection of baked goods (five different types of croissants, from wholemeal to custard-filled, plus bread, muffins, chocolate tart…), other areas covered with meat cuts, local cheeses, salad, fruit, cereals, yogurts, juices and Prosecco. Chefs at a cooking station serve up hot breakfasts, including really good omelettes.
We luck out on the weather, with heavy rain falling throughout the day, which means we cancel planned hikes to a nearby valley of cascading waterfalls. But we’re not alone in choosing to spend time at the hotel – many of the other guests are clearly here for spa breaks more than exploring the great outdoors. We take a swim in the indoor pool, which is surrounded by a quiet lounging area. A glass gate opens out from the indoor pool to the outdoor pool, which is heated and pleasant to be in, even if it is raining outside. Scattered around the pool are water stations, from powerful showers to individual bubbling Jacuzzis. Mist and cloud drift slowly over the mountains, the summits poking out of the occasional gaps.
The pools are part of the hotel’s spa, which is spread across three floors. My wife and I spend time in the vast sprawling network of elegant, peaceful rooms, where there’s a spa pool with water features, a longer sports pool for swimming, a quiet relaxation lounge looking out towards the mountains, ‘emotional showers’ and steam rooms, including the Orange steam room with orange tree pictures on the walls, and an even more fragrant Rosemary steam room with an edgy night club-style green light.
On the level above, a whole floor is devoted to massage treatment rooms. I go for a firm sporty deep tissue massage, while my wife enjoys a more gentler relaxation massage treatment. Back down in the main spa area afterwards, there’s a novel ‘salt lake’ experience: a salty steam room in a murky green grotto, followed by 20 minutes of floating in saltwater pool with a chandelier above shifting through different colors, then more relaxation time on a water bed with a cup of herbal tea.
Given the focus on the spa, the hotel is adult-oriented. But children are allowed and made to feel welcome - there’s a large kids’ area with softplay, slide, ball pit, games and toys, where parents can drop their kids off to be looked after by trained staff, if they want to get a bit of spa time.
Before long, we’re back in the restaurant for dinner, happy to relive the glorious pasta from the night before, good enough to order twice, as well as some of the other dishes on the menu: Pappa al Pomodoro (thick tomato soup), pink prawns, burrate cheese, and olive powder, a rich Carnaroli risotto with cheese and porcini mushroom, and a fillet of Arctic char with asparagus, potatoes and Béarnaise sauce. It’s a shame not to have tried some of the hotel’s other restaurants, but I could happily eat like this every night.
The weather clears on our final morning. We sit for breakfast next to the window, looking out over the town, including a little white church below. Friendly staff serve pots of tea and coffee. We tuck into warm crispy croissants and fresh soft Madeleines, and watch as sunlight gradually illuminates the tops of the mountains, bringing out the majesty of the natural landscapes around us. The fires here might be fake, but Lefay definitely feels like the real deal.
Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti costs from $462 USD per night based on two people sharing a Prestige Junior Suite with breakfast. To book, visit www.leafayresorts.com
