Why go here? There are few spots in the Dolomites that offer a theatrical moment quite like Forestis. It is wildly luxurious, yes, but without the slightest hint of flashiness. The setting is, truly, stunning.
On my first morning at the luxurious, eco-friendly Alpine resort, the mountain directly opposite seemed to rise like stage scenery, its peaks glittering with snow. What’s the vibe? Overseen by local architect Armin Sader, the historic building at Forestis’s centre – originally a tuberculosis sanatorium built by the Austrian royals just before World War I – has been thoughtfully extended with a modern wing housing an expansive dining room, as well as three elegant pillar-like towers of glass and steel (designed to echo the verticality of the surrounding woodland) that house the bulk of the resort’s suites and penthouses. In place of the baubled kitsch of most Alpine lodges, the design language of Forestis is one grounded in simplicity, balance, and an overwhelming emphasis on local materials.
The history? The meticulous vision for the project comes courtesy of the couple behind it, Stefan Hinteregger and Teresa Unterthiner. Back in the early 2000s, Hinteregger’s hotelier father peered through wild hedges on a hike nearby and spotted the dormant property at its centre, eventually converting it into the hotel that was formerly on the site. After the project was passed on to Hinteregger Jr, he and Unterthiner were able to fully realise their distinctive take on .