HOTEL
Pool with summit view

This is how mountain hotels work today: the family-run Hotel Saltus above Bolzano in South Tyrol celebrates closeness to nature – with contemporary architecture instead of chalet chic.

by Jasmin Jouhar | 11/6/2023

In the "Saltus", one certainty about hotels is no longer valid. Namely that the lobby is always at the bottom of the building. If you want to get from your room to reception at the Hotel Saltus, you may have to take the lift upstairs. This is because many of the rooms are located below the entrance level – but not in the basement. On the contrary, guests can look out through large windows into the forest or the surrounding South Tyrolean mountains. The hotel building is nestled on a steep slope on the edge of the village of Jenesien. Although the entrance is at street level as usual, a large part of the hotel is located below, along the slope. The new building by Tara Architekten from Merano comprises a total of seven storeys, but barely rises above the neighbouring houses in the village due to its special structure. The topography of the mountain landscape can be experienced everywhere in the building: when looking through the panoramic window of the lobby and, of course, in the infinity pool on the roof, where you can swim with a view of the majestic Dolomite peaks.

The Hotel Saltus is a family-run hotel with a total of 26 rooms and suites. It is located at an altitude of around 1,100 metres above Bolzano. The lively capital of South Tyrol in the Adige Valley is only a few minutes away by car and easy to reach by taxi or bus – but the journey up the steep serpentines takes guests into another world. Numerous hiking trails start right on the hotel's doorstep, including the eponymous Salten, a high plateau with meadows and larch forests. Up here, farmers graze their cattle and Haflinger horses in summer. Thanks to the regular hiking bus service, guests have access to a large hiking area.

The location in the fragile alpine environment was an important consideration for the three owners from the Gamper-Murmelter family when they added an extension to the original hotel, the Tschögglbergerhof. They designed the Saltus as an "Eco Hotel". The new building with its three cubic sections is clad in local, pre-greyed larch wood and is designed to blend in well with the landscape. The natural porphyry stone from the excavation pit was later reused for floor tiles and as filling material. For the interior fit-out, the architect duo Tara opted for local and sustainable materials such as lime and clay for wall and floor coverings. Electricity and heat are generated from renewable energies. If you arrive by train instead of by car or plane, 5 per cent of the room rate is waived.

The interior of the Hotel Saltus is characterised by peacefulness, focus and closeness to nature, in the spirit of warm minimalism. Natural beige and brown tones dominate, the few pieces of furniture and furnishings are well-placed – roughly the opposite of chalet chic. The lobby is furnished with Scandinavian and Italian design furniture and light-coloured curtains and carpets, while the bar is clad in walnut veneer. Some of the walls and the built-in wardrobes in the rooms are also designed in this style. Together with the light-coloured clay plaster walls and wooden furniture, this creates a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere, which guests can enjoy in the loggia or on the daybed by the large window, depending on the weather. The corridors are also special: they are immersed in deep black and illuminated at certain points. The hotel's facilities include an outdoor and indoor pool on the roof, as well as a spa with sauna on the lower level of the hotel, literally nestled in the forest. So whether you take the lift all the way up or down, the impressive landscape is always present.