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There’s something magnetic about South Tyrol. Perhaps it’s the clarity of mountain light against baroque façades, or the whispered grace of old-world stucco repurposed for the modern nomad. One finds a quiet renaissance of hospitality in the Dissertori family's line-up of design-led hotels – Parkhotel Mondschein in Bolzano, Villa Arnica, Hotel Schwarzschmied and 1477 Reichhalter. These are not just lodgings but reawakened buildings that carry memory in their bones, reimagined by brothers Klaus and Moritz Dissertori with the kind of deft touch that transforms look effortless.
Under their umbrella brand, ALTO Hotels, the brothers have become something of a cult name in Northern Italy’s design-led hotel scene. At the heart of their style lies a distinct ethos: casual luxury, with soul. Their projects are restorations, yes, but more than that, they are careful dialogues between past and present. Think heirloom bones wrapped in modern tailoring, where every corner speaks the local tongue yet feels universally understood.
In Bolzano, the gateway to the Dolomites, Parkhotel Mondschein occupies pride of place: a heritage-listed grand dame swathed in white shutters and ringed by ancient trees. With origins tracing back to 1330 and layers added during the Belle Époque, it’s a building with architectural complexity, made whole again through vision rather than preservation for its own sake.
Interior designer Christina Biasi-von Berg of Biquadra worked hand-in-glove with the Dissertoris to revive the space. The mood? Cinematic Italian with a 1960s inflection – mid-century elegance soaked in smoky tones of moss, sienna and smudged greys, softened by warm wood and white sculptural lighting. Public spaces hum with cultural intent: installations by contemporary artists, literary salons, DJs, and a yoga studio nestled inside the old walls. The pool is a moody jewel of dark green tile and terracotta, a spa-like counterpoint to Bolzano’s alpine bustle.
But this is no museum piece. Parkhotel Mondschein is alive – a creative sanctuary wrapped in casual sophistication, where breakfast is artful and unfussy, and the Luna restaurant revives the oldest inn in the city with Mediterranean elegance.
While the document focused more heavily on the first two hotels, it would be remiss not to mention the Dissertoris' flagship of reinvention – 1477 Reichhalter, their first foray into distilled hospitality. A once-dormant inn, this compact townhouse turned design darling lies just down the road from Villa Arnica. Here, whitewashed walls and Alpine wood meet minimalist rigour, forming a new vernacular for traditional buildings: local, clean, unfussy. It’s the cornerstone of their ethos – think fewer rooms, more character; fewer frills, better quality.
Half an hour away, in the village of Lana, Villa Arnica is the Dissertoris’ playful love letter to the dolce vita. A 1925 villa reimagined for the grown-up dreamer, it’s a hideaway wrapped in thick garden greenery, where velvet vintage sofas meet glass globe lights and yellow-striped towels echo the mustard façade. There are just ten suites, making this one of the most intimate spots in South Tyrol – a hangout for aesthetes, loungers and lovers of slow days.
Here, restoration is about keeping the spirit intact. Once a bohemian B&B favoured by creatives, the villa retains its freewheeling charm: Aperitivi served in antique glassware, record players at the ready, and impromptu garden feasts at a communal table. The interiors tread that fine line between nostalgic and fresh, shaped by the same Biquadra team, with rich terrazzo, herringbone floors and Lasa marble layering the past into the present.
Villa Arnica feels less like a hotel and more like the well-appointed summerhouse of a stylish friend who happens to make a great tart and always has a chilled bottle of natural wine on hand.
In Lana, framed by vineyards near Merano, Hotel Schwarzschmied is South Tyrol’s first ‘art of living’ hotel. The Dissertori family have reimagined a 1980s house as a retreat where wellness, design and art align with nature.
Christina Biasi-von Berg of Biquadra crafted interiors in pale timber and earthy tones, anchored by black steel, local stone and spruce. Custom pieces by Harry Thaler and handwoven wool carpets add local flair, while works by conceptual artist Hannes Egger and an artist-in-residence programme charge the calm spaces with cultural intent.
The mood is contemporary Tyrolean zen: fluid, pared-back and contemplative. Bistro Luce sets the tone for living-room hospitality, while pools, yoga gardens, sound rituals and vineyard-facing saunas root body and mind in balance.
What ties these three places together is not a paint swatch or a particular chair but a shared rhythm: a respect for place, an appreciation for the slow unfurling of luxury, and a nose for what’s next in travel before the trendmakers catch up. The Dissertori brothers don’t chase design tropes; they chase feeling. Every hotel in their collection is both a continuation and an evolution – a story told in timber, terrazzo and thoughtful hospitality.
Together, they offer a map of South Tyrol seen through the lens of legacy and imagination. These are not just hotels. They are lodestars of a new kind of elegance – grounded, generous and wholly original.
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Get the insider news and lowdown on what we've been up to, where we've been, and who we've met along the way. Be the first to discover new places and get the scoop on our favourites.