Presse

‘ With its newly razzy furnishings (from Svenskt Tenn in Stockholm, as well as the more local Franz, in Bruneck), the Berghoferin is offering a different experience from the five-star package so popular elsewhere. The design is maximal and packed with detail: the hotel is colourful with thought. From its home near a Unesco world heritage site, famed for the outdoors, the owners are trying to nurture a new artistic hub. But so too have they been careful to respect, and retain, the clients they have welcomed for years. They are at pains to make sure everything is perfect: they pack exquisite picnics to take hiking, check the forecasts, clean my walking boots each night. When I stupidly forget to pack them en route to the next hotel they courier them across the valley, where they are delivered in two green silk shoebags. ’

‘ Charm and attention to detail are also at the forefront of the 13-suite Berghoferin Fine Hotel & Hideaway in a tiny hamlet south of Bolzano. The couple who own it describe it as “the smallest five-star hotel at the end of the world” and are discreet about their guests, some of whom stay for weeks. The Sixties hotel, renovated two years ago, feels like the multilayered home of an urbane, well-travelled friend, with its patterned wallpapers, fabrics by Josef Frank and a library of 6,000 books.

Guests are invited to eat by the fire in the cosy bar, on the expansive terrace or in the elegant dining room, all of which are for just 26 guests. There is also a pool, an outdoor wood-fired banya and views over rustling trees, a lily-covered pond, meadows resonating with church bells and the Bletterbach Gorge, which has plenty of hiking paths. There is no skiing or bobsleigh here, but if you are seeking peace and privacy, it is the mountain-top dream. ’

‘ With swish new hotels popping up across South Tyrol and the Dolomites, Berghoferin feels like a secluded, refined pocket of old Alpine charm—an increasingly rare breed in this corner of Italy. I first heard about the hotel through fellow freelance journalist Laura May Todd, a design writer based in Milan, and after staying there, I fully understand her breathless praise. It’s the kind of place I’d happily return to again and again, and one I’ll be recommending to all my design-loving friends and family. ’

‘ Set in the small village of Redagno, south of Bolzano and near the Bletterbach Geoparc, a former 1960s South Tyrolean lodge re-emerges as a mountain resort with a contemplative spirit. A meticulous, philological restoration translates the essence of this quiet corner of the Dolomites, elevating it through period references and a restrained Nordic sensibility.
The 13 suites of Berghoferin Fine Hotel & Hideaway bring together Scandinavian icons and traditional Alpine elements: prints designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn sit alongside vintage chalet furnishings, Kvadrat textiles, and the calming scent of Swiss pine, creating an atmosphere that is at once refined and deeply rooted in its surroundings. ’

‘ Arriving at Berghoferin, formerly a ’60s South Tyrolean lodge, is akin to visiting mutual friends. The owners have built a truly special atmosphere that prioritises privacy and rest, through thirteen suites (each named after the nearby peaks and with a curated library for each guest), that are defined by elevated comfort. Every detail has quite clearly been thought over with the upmost care and attention, from the eclectic crockery and collection of vintage ashtrays and books positioned throughout the guesthouse, to Svenskt Tenn’s Josef Frank prints and antique Alpine furniture that bring spirit to the spaces. There are multiple areas to dine or decompress, including the 15th-century Stubel – one of two remaining from this period – salvaged from a demolished farm building. Wellness is at the heart of Berghoferin: be it the seasonal flavours, which combine Alpine and Mediterranean Alto Adige, championing seasonal and local ingredients, to the all-encompassing spa, comprising Finnish saunas, steam baths, contrast showers, and an open-air pool, plus a Swiss pine banya and a sauna cabin set at the foot of the guesthouse. The best part? The air is crisp and the surroundings are quiet. The worst? You’ll find it difficult to depart. ’

‘ If you love individual, characterful but also very luxurious small hotels in notable settings or buildings, then look no further than this superb example. It’s a genre of hospitality that is sadly in decline but when it’s done as well as this, it makes for an exceptional, memorable and deeply restorative experience. ’

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‘ To stay at Berghoferin, 1.500 meters up in South Tyrol, is to step outside of time and have a new (though in some ways, centuries old) sensory experience. From the wooden terrace you can see the Italian, Swiss and Austrian alps; and that 'top-of-the-world' feeling stays with you. The small winter dining room is a rebuilt 15-century relic of storybook charm; as is the old smoking room, where you can play cosy games of Scrabble. An outdoor Tanya is fired up every evening, and by the pool you can drink iced lemon water on a subbed. The staff are warm and helpful. The result? Impeccable Austrian-style service with Italian panache. ’

‘ Hidden in the pine-clad hills of South Tyrol, Berghoferin Fine Hotel & Hideaway channels the feeling of staying at your most discerning friend’s generations-old family chalet. The rooms are layered with handcrafted textiles and antiques, including vintage sofas newly upholstered in bright patterned fabrics from historic Swedish retailer Svenskt Tenn. Many feature reading nooks with views that stretch across the Italian, Swiss and Austrian Alps. And just outside, the sauna hut is fuelled entirely by wood – a welcome refuge after a winter dip in the heated pool. ’