Adler Lodge Ritten

If you’re after a beautiful, perfectly relaxing break with wonderful scenery and delicious food, this is the hotel for you. I came here to stay for a few days in February and I was totally blown away by everything about this place. The photos on their website, while beautifully artistic, simply do not do the views of the stunning Dolomites or the hotel’s fantastic architecture or interiors justice. Please bear that in mind when booking - I promise you will get here in person and be amazed. The views are incredible from every part of the hotel - whether you’re gazing out from the lobby and bar area, the restaurant, the heated infinity pool, the range of suites and chalets, the sauna area in the first - you will find what you see simply stunning. It will take your breath away, and it is so relaxing. I was in a junior suite and it was very comfortable, with a large balcony and extremely spacious bathroom. The dinners are superb and definitely the food highlight. For dietary reasons, I couldn’t try the popular ‘farm to table’ menu, which stays the same all week, but I did enjoy the food from the other menu, where you get a choice of two for every course and which changes daily. They do take into account some dietary requirements in advance - you just need to let them know. Really delicious food, good portions that don’t leave you feeling uncomfortably full and optional wine pairings if you want. Food and drink at this hotel is all inclusive, so you can drink whatever you want while you are here. Lunch runs for a long time each day, from 1-5pm, and you normally get offered a hot dish plus soup there, and then an array of charcuterie and salads, plus desserts. It’s great that lunch goes on for so long, as it means you can drop by after a long day hiking and still get some food in before dinner. Breakfast is strong and also has a good selection, especially on the continental side - lots of cakes, pastries and fruit plus nice variety of juices. I loved the juices! However, I’m a typical Brit, so the one thing I would change about breakfast would be to have the cooked food as a buffet option - as you have to order them from a menu and then they are brought to your table by a waiter. I would personally prefer to be able to get my scrambled eggs, bacon, crepes etc from a hot buffet selection. But I presume I’m in the minority as this is not how the hotel prefers to do things! Staff are really friendly across the hotel, and always happy to help you with any enquiries. I couldn’t drink alcohol when I was there, but one of the bar staff made me a fantastic strawberry and raspberry mocktail each day. The spa is a very relaxing space. There’s a dedicated relaxation room with views of the mountains, perfect for curling up with a book, the heated outdoor infinity pool and two forest saunas. All I would say about the spa is that the actual treatments are perhaps a little expensive, but you would probably expect a mark up at a luxury hotel. If you want to tre