It was a rookie error. When we saw the sign etched onto the sauna’s frosted-glass door – a bikini with a line through it – we’d assumed it meant female guests were required to wear a one-piece. Nope: this being Italy’s South Tyrol, home to a proud spa and wellness culture stretching back centuries, it meant, of course, that this was a designated nude area. What on earth had we been thinking, wasting precious suitcase space on all those swimsuits?
Packing for a stay at Hotel Chalet Mirabell – a luxurious mountaintop retreat perched above the town of Merano, a few kilometres north of Austria – is a daunting task, even for those familiar with local spa etiquette. As well as enjoying direct access to Meran 2000, an alpine resort with elevated slopes that offer superb skiing and snowboarding in the winter; stand-out hiking and horse riding in the summer; and hair-raising toboggan rides year-round, guests are within easy reach of some of the world’s most revered mountain-biking terrain, including the 12-station Haflinger High Trail. Then, you’ve got swimming, wine tours, cookery classes, yoga, meditation, freshwater beach clubs… Mirabell’s multi-course dinners, too, call for dressing up, with the hotel’s three sophisticated dining rooms showcasing menus that take South Tyrolean culinary artistry to new heights. And who knows what you’re supposed to wear when trekking with llamas and alpacas? Grabbing our sunnies – Vallon’s high-altitude-friendly Waylons in new colourway Sage – we signed up immediately and hoped for the best.
Packing for a stay at Hotel Chalet Mirabell – a luxurious mountaintop retreat perched above the town of Merano, a few kilometres north of Austria – is a daunting task, even for those familiar with local spa etiquette. As well as enjoying direct access to Meran 2000, an alpine resort with elevated slopes that offer superb skiing and snowboarding in the winter; stand-out hiking and horse riding in the summer; and hair-raising toboggan rides year-round, guests are within easy reach of some of the world’s most revered mountain-biking terrain, including the 12-station Haflinger High Trail. Then, you’ve got swimming, wine tours, cookery classes, yoga, meditation, freshwater beach clubs… Mirabell’s multi-course dinners, too, call for dressing up, with the hotel’s three sophisticated dining rooms showcasing menus that take South Tyrolean culinary artistry to new heights. And who knows what you’re supposed to wear when trekking with llamas and alpacas? Grabbing our sunnies – Vallon’s high-altitude-friendly Waylons in new colourway Sage – we signed up immediately and hoped for the best.
The mountain backdrop of the outdoor infinity pool
Step into the lobby – the light, bright heart of operations – and the hotel’s unique brand of haute hospitality makes itself known. Yes, there are grand fireplaces and glass display cabinets filled with crisp, dirndl-like dresses and handmade objets d’art available to buy, and yes, every one of the kelly green apples piled high for guests to help themselves to has been polished to a high gloss, but there’s no need to worry about air miles, says co-owner Michael Reiterer, with a twinkly smile: they were picked that weekend from his father-in-law’s orchard. And that poster-sized framed print, near the reception desk? It’s not a professional stock image, but a snap of Michael and his wife Christine on their wedding day, 26 years ago.
The Mirabell story began in 2004, when Christine and Michael opened a modest 16-room guesthouse on a slice of meadowland they’d been gifted by relatives. Since then, it’s been an exercise in slow luxury: an infrared cinema sauna added here, lounge bar there, until the place has evolved into one of South Tyrol’s most acclaimed five-stars. What keeps the buzz alive, though, isn’t just the hotel’s 6,000sq m wellness wonderland or its Bergvillen home-from-homes, with their own private pools, but the way the Reiterers’ model so successfully blends traditional alpine elegance with zeitgeisty free-spiritedness. Just down the hill, Merano echoes this duality, the town’s palms and baroque promenades set against craggy peaks a reminder that this pocket of South Tyrol is as much about Mediterranean languor as it is mountain grit.
In the end, we went with a moodboard best described as “Mongolian goat herder” for the llama and alpaca experience, which was a joy from start to finish. When the sad time came to check out, we left mulling over the fact that, if SUITCASE were ever to run a hotlist on the best stays in the world for apple lovers – and sauna addicts – Hotel Chalet Mirabell would top the list.
Step into the lobby – the light, bright heart of operations – and the hotel’s unique brand of haute hospitality makes itself known. Yes, there are grand fireplaces and glass display cabinets filled with crisp, dirndl-like dresses and handmade objets d’art available to buy, and yes, every one of the kelly green apples piled high for guests to help themselves to has been polished to a high gloss, but there’s no need to worry about air miles, says co-owner Michael Reiterer, with a twinkly smile: they were picked that weekend from his father-in-law’s orchard. And that poster-sized framed print, near the reception desk? It’s not a professional stock image, but a snap of Michael and his wife Christine on their wedding day, 26 years ago.
The Mirabell story began in 2004, when Christine and Michael opened a modest 16-room guesthouse on a slice of meadowland they’d been gifted by relatives. Since then, it’s been an exercise in slow luxury: an infrared cinema sauna added here, lounge bar there, until the place has evolved into one of South Tyrol’s most acclaimed five-stars. What keeps the buzz alive, though, isn’t just the hotel’s 6,000sq m wellness wonderland or its Bergvillen home-from-homes, with their own private pools, but the way the Reiterers’ model so successfully blends traditional alpine elegance with zeitgeisty free-spiritedness. Just down the hill, Merano echoes this duality, the town’s palms and baroque promenades set against craggy peaks a reminder that this pocket of South Tyrol is as much about Mediterranean languor as it is mountain grit.
In the end, we went with a moodboard best described as “Mongolian goat herder” for the llama and alpaca experience, which was a joy from start to finish. When the sad time came to check out, we left mulling over the fact that, if SUITCASE were ever to run a hotlist on the best stays in the world for apple lovers – and sauna addicts – Hotel Chalet Mirabell would top the list.
Bedroom views, left, and a spa relaxation space
Across multiple categories, high-spec beds and linens come as standard, as does a minibar, coffee machine and gorgeous Luis Trenker bath products, whose fresh, woody fragrance mirrors the scent of the air outside. Our valley-facing freestanding bath was a dream, but for quick changes between massage appointments and lunch meetings, we were also glad of the walk-in shower. Money no object? Splurge on the top-tier Spirit of Meran Suite, with its whirlpool tub, infrared cabin and spacious loggia made for golden-hour lounging.
Rooms
Each of 70, chalet-inspired bedrooms brings the outdoors in, with glass-fronted balconies and terraces that make your smart TV more or less redundant. In winter, with the Merano valley and Dolomite peaks cloaked in snow, you can watch puffs of steam curl skyward from the outdoor pool; in summer, the surrounding hillsides are strewn with alpine flowers, bringing Skittles-like pops of colour. Interiors – conceived by Austrian architectural studio Köck & Bachler – balance cosy Tyrolean tropes with contemporary luxe, and come decked out in solid-wood furnishings custom-made by local carpenters.Across multiple categories, high-spec beds and linens come as standard, as does a minibar, coffee machine and gorgeous Luis Trenker bath products, whose fresh, woody fragrance mirrors the scent of the air outside. Our valley-facing freestanding bath was a dream, but for quick changes between massage appointments and lunch meetings, we were also glad of the walk-in shower. Money no object? Splurge on the top-tier Spirit of Meran Suite, with its whirlpool tub, infrared cabin and spacious loggia made for golden-hour lounging.
What’s for breakfast?
Everything you’d expect from a hotel recommended both by Gault Millau and the Michelin Guide, plus plenty of surprises – pickled plums; the weird and wonderful Lattella mango and whey drink – and enough breads, croissants and cakes to fuel even the most ambitious alpine ascent. Expect to make several repeat visits to the mighty charcuterie and cheese sections, ditto the crepe station, and you could easily make yourself late for your 8am yoga by deliberating too long over the rainbow of fruit and veg at the juice bar. Just stick it in the juicer already – and come back to try the fig/mountain strawberry/kiwi combo tomorrow.
Views from the infinity pool
Lunch takes the form of a spread of Italian antipasti, warming soups and just-cooked pasta from the show kitchen, Mirabell’s Kuchl. A patisserie counter tempts with fruit tarts and feather-light pastries, best chased with an Italian espresso if you have plans beyond curling up on a sheepskin-draped swing seat. Dinners, though, are the pièce de résistance, with the five- or six-course à la carte menu (catering to all dietary requirements) a celebration of the South Tyrolean larder. Dishes are sommelier-paired with vintages from a cellar well-stocked with stand-out regional and international finds.
Cheese fiend? Fondue and raclette feasts are served during the summer months on the panoramic terrace.
When you emerge, you’ll find a state-of-the-art gym with Technogym kit, forest-bathing trails and sun-soaked balconies for yoga or post-hike spritzes. There’s a curated boutique selling gifts, accessories and swimwear (which you can take for a spin in the Family Spa, if not so much in the Adults-Only one). Merano is only a 10-minute drive away, although many guests, understandably, often decide they’d rather stay put.
Lunch and dinner
Meals at Mirabell are leisurely, generous and always led by the seasons. All three dining rooms offer vast valley views, and, thanks to guests being assigned the same table for the duration of their stay, you’ll have a familiar server and neighbours at every sitting.Lunch takes the form of a spread of Italian antipasti, warming soups and just-cooked pasta from the show kitchen, Mirabell’s Kuchl. A patisserie counter tempts with fruit tarts and feather-light pastries, best chased with an Italian espresso if you have plans beyond curling up on a sheepskin-draped swing seat. Dinners, though, are the pièce de résistance, with the five- or six-course à la carte menu (catering to all dietary requirements) a celebration of the South Tyrolean larder. Dishes are sommelier-paired with vintages from a cellar well-stocked with stand-out regional and international finds.
Cheese fiend? Fondue and raclette feasts are served during the summer months on the panoramic terrace.
Is there a bar?
There are two. Mountain Blue’s wraparound deck is the perfect stage for a well-mixed Aperol spritz or two, while, in the softly lit Minotti Lounge, live music – a jazz piano or acoustic guitar – transforms post-spa vitality teas and post-prandial aperitifs into a mellow nightly ritual.Amenities
The undeniable star of the show is the 6,000sq m wellness complex, home to the Adults-Only Premium Spa, a hushed retreat of heated pools, show and cinema saunas, steam rooms, ice plunges and soporific chill-out rooms, and the Family Spa, offering more of the same but suitable for all ages – all of it dishing up those spectacular Dolomites’ views. If you don’t know where to start with the huge line-up of treatments, trust us: no one who books the South Tyrolean herbal stamp massage will regret it.When you emerge, you’ll find a state-of-the-art gym with Technogym kit, forest-bathing trails and sun-soaked balconies for yoga or post-hike spritzes. There’s a curated boutique selling gifts, accessories and swimwear (which you can take for a spin in the Family Spa, if not so much in the Adults-Only one). Merano is only a 10-minute drive away, although many guests, understandably, often decide they’d rather stay put.
The hotel has a 6,000sq m wellness complex
If you’re looking to explore one of the region’s seasonal spectacles: time your visit to coincide with the autumn cattle drive through Hafling, Merano’s sparkly Christmas market, or one of two South Tyrolean gourmet festivals held in October.
A heads-up: while the hotel is relaxed by day, evening meals call for elegant attire. Going cabin-case only might just not cut it…
What are the hotel’s eco-credentials like?
Impressive. Mirabell generates its own energy via solar panels and a wood-chip plant, keeps interiors snug with natural wood-fibre insulation and local thermally treated timber, and uses rainwater – not municipal – for toilet flushing and garden irrigation. Slippers are 100 per cent plastic-free, water bottles are refillable, straws are made of glass and there’s a planet-conscious laundry policy. Plus, guests get the South Tyrol Guest Pass, unlocking free local public transport as part of the hotel’s low-impact travel ethos.What about accessibility?
Ramps and lifts provide access to most public areas, including the spa and main restaurant, while several rooms are adapted for wheelchair users.What’s the crowd like?
Bouncy-haired, healthy-looking couples of all ages – the kind who think nothing of getting naked with strangers – groups of friends here for hiking, cycling or just to soak up the mountain air, and – particularly during the school holidays – purposeful, rosy-cheeked families.Within a short walk I can find…
The village of Hafling (Avelengo), with its rustic alpine streets, grocery store and handful of cafés. For fresh-air adventures, there are dozens of trails leading straight into the surrounding hills.Things I should know
South Tyrol is bilingual – German and Italian are both widely spoken – so menus, greetings and signs can be in either language (Bolzano/Bozen, Merano/Meran, etc).If you’re looking to explore one of the region’s seasonal spectacles: time your visit to coincide with the autumn cattle drive through Hafling, Merano’s sparkly Christmas market, or one of two South Tyrolean gourmet festivals held in October.
A heads-up: while the hotel is relaxed by day, evening meals call for elegant attire. Going cabin-case only might just not cut it…
The Lowdown
Doubles cost from £495 a night. chalet-mirabell.com