There’s a reason for places like Forestis. It’s called escapism.
This self-contained cosmos of minimalist wellness in the Italian Dolomites sees guests move between artfully staged sauna rituals and seven-course forest menus and is the result of the clear vision of well-travelled but locally-born owners Teresa Unterthiner and Stefan Hinteregger.
The linchpin of this hotel is its devotion to location. Every waking hour here is lulled by the ever-shifting beauty of the Dolomites, laid out in silhouette before you.
Who needs Instagram or an Apple Watch, when you have nature to entertain and track the day as the sun rises and falls? Forestis seems to have harnessed well what the Romantic poet William Wordsworth and artist Caspar David Friedrich referred to as ‘The Sublime’.
Wellbeing is in the DNA of Forestis, a place that actually began life in 1913 as a tuberculosis sanatorium created by the Austrian monarchy.
Designed by architect Otto Wagner, it sits on the southern slope of Plose Mountain, 1,800 metres above sea level in the South Tyrolean Alps. Later abandoned during WWI, it was rediscovered in the early 2000s.
As general manager Gunther Kofler explains, “This place was built as a sanatorium for people to recover from tuberculosis: these days people come here to recover from a different type of sickness – our busy lives.”
World of wellness
The original larch chalet building has been thoroughly modernised within. Beautiful spruce clads all suites with nothing on the walls to distract from the spectacle of nature outside. The stepped restaurant has plush booth-style seating – positioned to get the best view of the mountains, as you dine on exquisite dishes by Chef Roland Lamprecht.
In the three new wooden towers connected by underground passages, you will find open-plan suites, all mountain-facing with floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious balconies. At the top of tower one and three, two-storey penthouse suites feature private saunas and lofty outdoor pools, bringing the total number of suites to 62.
The serene spa sits between the old and new buildings, the indoor pool mirrored by its outside cousin which gently steams in the fresh mountain air.
Inside, the double loungers by the pool are as comfortable as any bed in the guest rooms – with hot teas, fruit plates and arty books on tap. Spa attendants appear to almost glide around, anticipating your every need from pine-infused spring water to cosy throws.
Discretely tucked away is a non-textile contrast therapy (kneipp) area with a steam room, herbal sauna, cold water walk-through, and traditional outdoor forest sauna hut and cold plunge barrel.
But this is no ordinary sauna: the twice-daily, 12-minute sauna ritual is hosted by the balletic Sarah, who places ice bombs on the coals to release thyme and lavender or mint and blood orange infusions into the hot air as she twists and twirls, making towel wafting an art form.
Taking it to the next level
The brand new, five-bedroom Forestis villa (sleeping between two and 10 guests) opened on 1 December.
Originally built in 1912 to house the sanatorium’s doctors, all the structural elements – including the original windows and large loggias – have been restored, playing homage to the tradition of Alpine villa architecture influenced by European Art Nouveau.
Minimalist spruce interiors and decor reflects the main hotel’s minimalist, biophilic design, but care has been taken to recreate original features such as vast wood and glass wardrobes.
There’s a Bond-esque feel to the place with an impressive Dolomite stone island in the kitchen, vast cinema-room in the eaves, and wine room and party area in the stone cellar, leading via underground passageway to a private spa and gym with its own indoor-outdoor pool and garden.
High-profile guests will appreciate the discreet entrance to the underground car park too, plus ski in-ski out facilities and bike store.
This villa is a bubble of high-end living in a world where wellness is the new luxury. As Gunther concludes: “You come up to the mountains to breath and decompress, keeping your everyday life down in the valley.”
How to book it
Suites at Forestis cost from €800 per night (approx. £676), including breakfast. Dinner costs from €125 (approx. £105) per person. Forestis Villa is available for exclusive hire from €20,000 per night (approx. £16,793) including breakfast, with the services of a private chef and personal concierge.
