ADLER Balance

A really lovely mountain-modern style, with all kinds of seating areas in the super nice spa. There are little snacks through the day, gourmet-level dinners, and an activity schedule with pretty much everything you might need. It’s such a good mix of relaxing and sports, great food and great staff. Couldn’t have imagined a better holiday, I’d go back anytime!

We booked the day spa but didn’t stay at the hotel. The pools, saunas, and relaxation areas were unlike anything I’ve experienced, and the therapists were very skilled. We had 55-minute massages and wished we’d booked 75 minutes instead. The welcome was the weak spot: it felt clunky, with plenty of misunderstandings and not much guidance on where to go or what we could use.

The Mountain View balcony room was huge, much bigger than anywhere else we’ve stayed in Europe, and had a beautiful view. The spa was one of the best I’ve visited. Barbara gave a wonderful massage, and McKayla did a great facial. It’s also an easy walk to restaurants, shops, and the cable cars to Seceda. They’ve thought of so many details to make the guest experience feel perfect. We’re planning to try another Adler Resort on our next trip to Italy.

The spa was the best part of our stay, but even there, the pool jets were frustrating. There’s no button to turn them on when you want; they just start and stop randomly. I’ve never seen such a poor design in a spa. We stayed four nights and left disappointed. The room was okay, though nothing special, and the bathroom light only worked by motion sensor. There was no switch, so getting up to pee in the middle of the night meant being hit with bright light. As a light sleeper, I had a horrible time falling back asleep. The dinners were another big letdown. We ate twice on the “dolomiti” side and twice on the “balance” side. At “dolomiti,” the food looked and tasted like it had been made by a kid, with simple, bland dishes. We were served undercooked pasta twice, and I can’t understand how an Italian chef managed that. The desserts there were the one good part. Some tables were about 50 meters from the buffet for appetizers and desserts, which seems unreasonable. “Balance” was okay but nothing exciting, and its desserts were low quality. Both sides had very little choice, so if you don’t like something like seafood, there’s nothing left for you. Most staff seemed young and didn’t have the experience for a hotel of this class. They weren’t outright rude, but the service lacked the polish you’d expect. With so many problems during our four-night stay, I can’t understand the five-star rating. At over €500 a night, I wouldn’t recommend it. There are better hotels nearby for similar or less money.