Hotel Fanes

The relaxed, cozy feel of Hotel Fanes was one of the best parts of our stay. After a long hike, sitting at the lobby bar in the evening with live music felt like a real vacation. The staff were welcoming and helpful, and the children's playroom had plenty for them to do. Service was top-notch, and everything seemed carefully taken care of. The food was probably the best we had in Italy, from the breakfast buffet to the afternoon snack and evening desserts that were Michelin restaurant level. We had a Superior Junior Suite. It was spacious, but only the living room had a balcony window. The bedroom was separated by a door and had no window to the balcony, so closing the bedroom door at night blocked air from reaching the living room. Even with that small issue, I highly recommend Hotel Fanes and hope to return.

I've been coming here since I was little, and this was my sixth visit. The hotel seems to get better every year, and it's a family favorite. This time I brought my boyfriend, who was so impressed that he wants to come back next year. With relatively few guests and plenty of staff, you really feel special. I loved the food, especially the tartufo pasta, and the van pickup at the ski slope was great. Thank you for the experience, and a special thanks to our dinner server Isma. A couple of little things could be improved: the skypool was a bit cold and could be heated 3-4 celsius higher, especially the jacuzzi, and the weighing scale battery in room 801 was dead.

We arrived after a seven-hour drive exhausted, only to find that we had no idea check-in had to be done at the hotel. We searched desperately for the apartment address we'd found online, and only later learned online that the apartment belongs to Hotel Fanes. A man took us there but didn't speak English and couldn't explain anything about the apartment or basic information. It was freezing when we arrived because the heating hadn't been switched on. Reception is the only place where it can be activated, and I had to call myself to ask for that. Parking was the worst part. The garage had no space because other guests had parked across two spots. I called reception four times to ask them to move the cars, but nothing happened. While trying to park in the limited space, we scratched the left side of our car against the wall. Nobody helped, took responsibility or tried to sort things out. The staff came across as indifferent, unprofessional and unhelpful. Extremely poor service, not recommended.

The property is beautiful, the service was excellent, and we loved the stunning views and extensive spa. The breakfast buffet was outstanding, and the bedding was phenomenal, so soft and plush, with Scandinavian-style comforters. We had a few reservations, though. In September, the atmosphere felt more traditional, older and a bit stuffy than we'd hoped. That's not unusual for a luxury resort in Italy, but we were after somewhere more relaxed and contemporary. Dinner wasn't really our style either: seating is assigned, so you're expected to share the same table, neighbors and view each night. We only ate there once, preferring to try the amazing restaurants nearby. The spa amenities are incredible, including Turkish baths, saunas, high-pressure showers, a sink that dispenses shaved ice, and trays of salts and masks. But the instructions were very unclear. We didn't find the rules packet until our second day, and it was only in German and Italian. By then, we'd apparently been doing a lot of things "wrong." The basement spa requires nudity, and without guidance we were left guessing and feeling awkward, naked and confused. Hotel Fanes is beautiful and high-end, but read up on spa etiquette before you go.