The perfect short trip to South Tyrol Italy – Excelsior Dolomites Resort

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Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort

Str. Valiares 44,
39030 S. Vigilio BZ
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Last fall we spent a great short trip in South Tyrol. Personally, I really like the mixture of wellness and adventure. The Excelsior, with its great design and wellness area, as well as nearby excursion destinations such as the Pragser Wildsee lake, was a really wonderful short trip. But see for yourself:

Please note: At the end of the article, I will reveal our favorite excursion destinations during our short trip to South Tyrol!

Spa area – Pool

What can I say… Of course, the infinity pool at the Excelsior is my little highlight! The pool is located at the very top of the hotel – in the Sky Spa. There, above the rooftops of the small town of San Vigilio, you can relax incredibly well and the view is simply fantastic.

We went swimming there at sunrise on two days, as the pool opens early in the morning. Simply beautiful and the perfect start to the day!

Of course, the pool is also perfect during the day for a little relaxation after hiking! There is plenty of space for a short break on the surrounding sun terrace.

But the Sky Spa is not the only place to splash around and relax. In addition to the Sky Spa, as an adults-only area, there is also a large family wellness area. There you will find an indoor and an outdoor pool, a whirlpool and various family saunas.

Sauna area

The Sky Spa not only includes the infinity pool, but also the adjoining wellness area.

The entire wellness area (like the entire hotel) is super modern with lots of wood and yet incredibly cozy and you can feel the connection to nature everywhere, which makes the Excelsior so special.

In these two pictures ↓ you can see another highlight! The forest infrared sauna is practically surrounded by greenery. The two saunas protrude from the building and the large windows bring you very close to the forest and the trees.

We have now become real sauna lovers and so I was particularly pleased about this great sauna! The panorama sauna has a complete glass wall and offers a great view over the roofs of St. Vigil and the mountain panorama. Simply beautiful!

Food & drink

Of course, a proper wellness break also includes delicious food. And what can I say… We were thrilled!

A visit to the Excelsior includes ¾ gourmet board. This means, among other things, that a 4-course menu is offered every evening. During the day, you can already sample the delicacies of the day and choose between various options. With changing themed evenings, you can indulge in great alpine delicacies.

Favorite meal of the day

Well, breakfast is and remains my favorite meal and the Excelsior certainly didn’t disappoint here either!

In addition to the large breakfast buffet, there is also the option to order other delicacies to your table. Our highlight was definitely the freshly roasted salmon. That alone would make me want to go back again! ☺︎

Cocktails

Finish off the evening in the bar? Sounds perfect!

But we hadn’t expected that and have never actually experienced anything like it in a bar.☻ We were both brave and ordered a smoked cocktail. But what we got was almost a magic show. Lights out in the entire bar area, small flames, smoke and a delicious cocktail. I think you have to see and experience everything else for yourself! ☻

Sleep & relax

Anyone who relaxes, discovers and feasts so much naturally needs a cozy place to recharge their batteries for the next day.

The rooms, like the entire hotel, are super modern and cozy with lots of wood. We felt incredibly comfortable there.

Not only the rooms, but also the hotel layout and design are exceptional. The hotel has continued to grow over the years and has been modernized. There is a completely new building with the new rooms and, among other things, the Sky Bar. The two buildings are connected by a corridor.

Excursions

Of course, the hotel is a great place to stay, but the surrounding area is also fantastic. I have summarized our excursions in the area here!

Lake Braies

We had wanted to visit Lake Braies for so long and with our stay at the Excelsior we finally managed to get there. The beautiful lake is less than an hour’s drive from the hotel and made our short trip even more of a highlight!

You may have seen pictures of the blue lake with the reflective mountain range and the pretty boats. It was the same for us and we went back and forth about whether we should actually hire a boat or not. And? We are so glad that we rented a boat. You can hire the boat for €29 for an hour and that’s easily enough, because the lake isn’t actually that big!

Tip: Lake Braies, like many places, is becoming more and more popular and also more crowded. Perhaps you’ve already seen pictures of the lake littered with boats. We’ve often found that it’s really worth getting there early. Sounds so obvious at first but really – it’s so worth it!

During our short trip, we were out and about in October. At this time of year, the boat rental opens at 10:00 am. So there was still enough time to have a leisurely breakfast beforehand and head to the lake. But we were actually almost alone on the lake with two other boats and it was really beautiful and 100% worth it!

Hiking

Obvious, of course, but also an absolute must! The area around the Excelsior is sooo beautiful and offers numerous great opportunities for hiking and enjoying the views.