Rainell Dolomites Retreat

I booked three nights at Hotel Rainell in Val Gardena, from May 21-24, 2026. The war involving Iran disrupted my flight from Singapore to Milan, which routed through the Middle East, and the flight was cancelled. We physically couldn't go ahead with the holiday. I understand hotels have cancellation rules, but this was an extraordinary force majeure situation beyond our control. Even the airline recognized how serious it was and proactively offered free cancellations. I contacted the family-run hotel hoping for some basic understanding. I wasn't demanding a refund, just asking whether we could move the stay to next year so they could keep our business. Management offered no flexibility or empathy. They pointed to a rule allowing rescheduling only six weeks beforehand, which was impossible to meet for an unexpected outbreak of war. They ultimately applied an 80% cancellation penalty of €946. They kept my €362 deposit and required another €602 for a room we couldn't fly to Europe to use. A hotel's customer service and ethics are tested in a global crisis like this. Hotel Rainell chose rigid financial opportunism over compassion and fair customer relations. If a genuine emergency or war disrupts your trip, don't expect support or understanding here. We'll never try to stay again.

We spent our honeymoon here, and my only regret is that we didn't stay longer. The view over the mountains and city is so peaceful. There's a relaxation room, pool, sauna, and red light therapy room. It's a bit of a steep walk, but you can walk right into town to explore, and the hotel is close to everything. The staff were extremely professional, helpful, and kind. The design and atmosphere feel simple, classy, and elevated. Breakfast was fresh and plentiful, with coffee made for you. And dinner was amazing, absolutely a must. This was hands down the best hotel of our whole trip. I'd come back in a heartbeat.

The rooms were clean, spacious, and good quality, though good rather than amazing. Rainell is a bit of a walk up from town, but close to one of the main cable car stations. Staff were very friendly and helpful, and knew a lot about local hikes. They even lent us hiking poles for free when my knee got sore. The food was sensational, almost Michelin quality in my view, and very creative. Great coffee, too, included with breakfast.

We had a fantastic family stay with our three kids. The family room was spacious, comfortable, and well equipped, with the children upstairs and us downstairs, so everyone had their own space. Staff were wonderful about accommodating requests, and the shuttle came whenever we called, which made getting around effortless. It was also easy to walk down to town. We loved the food, both the quality and variety. The wellness area was outstanding, especially the heated pool that goes from indoors to outdoors with a breathtaking view. The sauna and steam room were great, and relaxing in the spa with our favorite drinks was lovely. The ski locker room was very convenient for storing and getting our gear. We had an amazing stay and highly recommend it. We’ll definitely be back for more ski vacations.