Hotelchain: Relais & Châteaux
Location: San Cassiano – Italy
Classification: 5 star hotel
Official website: rosalpina.it

Peacefully located in a small town named San Cassiano, the beautiful Rosa Alpina (part of the Relais & Châteaux chain) is a gorgeous five star hotel with the most wonderful staff one could wish for!

 

First of all, let me tell you something more about the village. San Cassiano is small town in the middle of the Dolomites, located 1500m above sea level. People are amazingly friendly over here and the ski area of Alta Badia is right here. There’s a complimentary shuttle service for Rosa Alpina guests to/from the ski slopes. In just 3 minutes they will bring you there (I did time J).

Entering the Rosa Alpina is entering a world full of luxury and attention to details. The most wonderful staff checked us in and gave us all the information about the hotel and surrounding areas that we needed to know.

We were escorted to our wonderful room and were pleasantly surprised by how large and beautifully decorated our room was! Wooden floors, a comfy couch, an oversized king bed and large bathroom … our room had it all! Housekeeping did a terrific job here, twice a day our room was completely made up and turn down service was offered every night.

The staff at the Rosa Alpina is one to remember. Not too formal yet professional… just the way I like it! Every request was taken care of in a very friendly way. We met the owner of the hotel, Hugo Pizzinini, and loved the way he talked about San Cassiano and the hotel. His passion truly reflects the high standards of the Rosa Alpina. It is a hotel with a great history and tradition. There are pictures all over the hotel, showing you the evolution of the hotel. Very impressive!

Recently, they added a new part of the hotel with several rooms, a gym and a spa area for adults. The spa area was just amazing. It was so nice to relax here after a full day on the slopes. A Finnish sauna, bio sauna, a steam room and (cold) dip pool can be used at no additional charge. I also have to mention that the place was immaculately clean!

 

Besides this adults-only area, there’s another relaxation area with indoor pool and jacuzzi. Oh, the lounge seats around the pool are one of the best I have ever seen! So soft … so comfortable… Kids are welcome too at the Rosa Alpina! There’s even a special play area for them where they can play and just be kids J

 

After our first night and lovely breakfast (I will tell you more about the breakfast later – it is just delicious), we were ready to ski! We thoroughly enjoyed our day at the Alta Badia Super Ski area. Featuring 130 km of ski slopes, it is huge! Most slopes and ski lifts are connected to each other and one could easily ski here for a week without skiing on the same slope! On top of that, they’re directly linked with other ski areas featuring another 500 km of slopes. We liked the overall quality of slopes and ski lifts. Everything is well maintained and prices at the restaurants and bars are fair. This part of the Dolomites has many advantages: first of all – 300 days of sun per year! And we could tell … The sun was shining all day long! Secondly, it offers stunning mountain views and it was nice to see how the Italian villages are integrated in the area.

This ski area will please anyone, from beginners to experts… there are slopes for just everyone! For more information, visit their official website: altabadia.org.

There are two restaurants at the Rosa Alpina, one fine dining culinary restaurant rated with 2 Michelin stars – St. Hubertus and the more casual and traditional restaurant Fondue Stuben . The first night we had dinner at Fondue Stuben and started with a great appetizer and had a pizza (of course – we are in Italy!). The food was outstanding as was the service! Dishes at St. Hubertus are like paintings. Everything here is done with style and absolute eye for details. The high level of service reflects all over the place.

Every morning, a large breakfast buffet is waiting for you! It is the perfect start of the day with plenty of healthy and freshly made food options. The chef will prepare several egg dishes for you. The restaurant itself is very nicely decorated with a mountain theme. I particularly liked the freshly squeezed orange juice!

The Rosa Alpina is a true five star hotel with a high level of comfort and service. It is the perfect hotel for a luxurious getaway in the mountains. It is run by an exceptional staff and a special mention to Stefania Bellé – the resident hotel manager – and Hugo Pizzinini. They did an incredible job, making our stay at the Alpina Rosa one will we never forget!