Lake Caldaro's shores in South Tyrol are where this 1970s hotel designed by Othman Barth is fully committed to its era: sunshine yellows, tangerines, and cult vintage lighting from Japanese and Italian designers. Retro but never novelty; Slim Aarons would have liked it. The Badehaus spa has a bio sauna; the heated pool and paddle boards are at the lake. A particularly good road trip stop.

Bolzano's most iconic hotel address, tracing back to 1320 and carefully restored in 2022, Parkhotel Mondschein blends elegant Art Nouveau detail with a contemporary design sensibility. The rooms are beautiful; the spa is excellent; the restaurant celebrates the extraordinary food culture of Alto Adige. One of those rare historic hotels that wears its centuries with grace and without pretension.

Sibling to the nearby Villa Arnica, Schwarzschmied shares its vineyard and mountain views but with a sharp focus on wellness. There’s a Finnish sauna and steam bath as well as an outdoor pool that’s heated year-round, plus Susanne Kaufmann is behind the spa. There’s a programme of resident yoga teachers with classes twice a day and we love the outdoor sessions for that extra dose of fresh Tyrolean air. Bedrooms are deliberately simple, but smart, and come complete with a backpack to take hiking and biking. The philosophy behind the food matches the rest of the hotel using ingredients from the garden and from neighbouring farmers who drop off their produce in person. Slow, steady, and simple at best.