Where to Stay in Val Gardena
Val Gardena ski resort is so expansive that its accommodation options are spread between three main villages, two minor villages, numerous secondary resort villages & a plethora of other rifugi, hotels & lodges dotted throughout the mountains & valley. Away from the main three villages of Ortisei, Santa Cristina Gherdëina, & Selva di Val Gardena; the smaller ski resort villages with accommodation include Plan de Gralba,Passo Sella & Passo Gardena, Monte Pana, & Alpe di Siusi. The minor villages of Siusi & Castelrotto round out the many & varied accommodation localities. Each location has its pros & cons. Read on for more detailed information.
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Ski-In Ski-out Mountain Rifugi & Hotels
A dizzying array of mountain huts provide food & drink during the day plus high-alpine lodgings at night. Rifugio Emilio Comici is the best known of the mountain huts and has the numbers of visitors to go with that fame, but there are many more worth seeking out. Nearby, try the excellent Hotel Piz Seteur located above Selva & Plan di Gralba. At Sella Pass, the Passo Sella Dolomiti Mountain Resort Hotel is in the perfect position for skiing Val Gardena or Val di Fassa.
Above Santa Cristina the slopes of Seceda & Col Raiser are dotted with ski-in ski-out mountain hotels & rifugi in sunny locations with the region’s best views . Try the Rifugio Fermeda Hutte for a true Dolomites ski experience. On top of the Passo Gardena, where the lines start to blur with Alta Badia ski resort, the Hotel Cir sits on a ridge with splendid views & isolation once the lifts close.
Ortisei Accommodation
If you cannot swing a room in a mountaintop ski-in ski-out rifugio or hotel & feel the need for a bit of village action, our pick as the best place to stay in Val Gardena is Ortisei (a.k.a. Sankt Ulrich). Ortisei's town centre is both pretty & vibrant, is pedestrian friendly, plus has the widest number & variety of restaurants, bars, shops & services in the valley. Ski lift access is good with gondolas toward Seceda & Alpe di Siusi. Its lack of direct access to the slopes towards Passo Sella, lack of a skiable valley trail from Alpe di Siusi plus its relatively low elevation of 1,236m (low for Italy anyway!) are its major downfalls. Bus or car transport is required to get from Ortisei to the Ciampinoi & beyond, or of course one can ski from Seceda via the Col Raiser to San Cristina (a delightful, but tiresome journey if your goal is toward Val di Fassa or Alta Badia). The bus links are quick to San Cristina & Selva so simply join the great unwashed in the bus to get to your objective.
For those that want to spoil themselves, look no further than the 5-star Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti located in the heart of town. The excellent Hotel Maria is on the town square, close to everything & easier on the wallet. Higher up the hill near the Seceda gondola is the Garni Irma Bed & Breakfast ticks all the boxes.
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Selva di Val Gardena Accommodation
At a height of 1563m, the highest major village in the valley is Selva di Val Gardena (a.k.a. Wolkenstein in Gröden). Selva is well placed for quick access to ski slopes for all abilities in both Sella Ronda directions. The village is in splendid surrounds hemmed in by the Sassolungo, Sella massif & other precipitous peaks. Accommodation options are huge, but expensive & often difficult to find a vacancy. The shopping precinct is ok & restaurant/bar selections many & varied. It has a nice main street but suffers from too much through traffic on too small a road. Selva also lacks a large pedestrian only area, dramatically decreasing amenity.
Our ski-in ski-out pick in Selva is the brilliant Hotel Bel Vert which is way better than its 3-stars might indicate. The hotel backs onto perfect learn-to-ski terrain & tows that give access to the Dantercepies gondola. A quick ski between village buildings down from the Bel Vert & one hits the road a short walk from the Ciampinoi gondola and its myriad of advanced trails.
Other great Selva hotels include the Hotel Stella, right out front of the Costabella chairlift, the swanky Hotel Aaritz opposite the Ciampinoi gondola & the wonderful Savoy Dolomites Luxury Spa Hotel. In the centre of town, the well-priced Garni Sayonara is awesome.
On the quiet sunny side of the village, the Hotel Tyrol has ski-in ski-out access at the bottom of the beginner tows, away from the hustle & bustle of the main road. At the top end of the Selva beginner tows near the Dantercepies gondola base, Residence Antares has self-contained studios & apartments at a good price.
Only 4km up the valley is the small resort village of Plan de Gralba at 1800m elevation. A collection of hotels in a quiet location, Plan de Gralba is a great spot to avoid the crowds whilst staying next to major ski lifts (including Val Gardena’s newest gondola) & excellent novice to intermediate ski slopes. The Hotel Sella has the most prime position, but the Hotel Plan de Gralba & Residence Garden Apartments are not far behind. Garni Wolf is the value option.
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Santa Cristina Accommodation
Spread out between Selva & Ortisei is the village of Santa Cristina Gherdëina at 1428m elevation. It seems a neither here nor there location but actually has many positives in its favour. In addition to its own small novice slope & tow, Santa Cristina has excellent lift access to the slopes of the Col Raiser-Seceda via funicular, chairlift to Monte Pana & gondola to Ciampinoi plus a lively après ski scene, particularly at the Snowbar with its resident goat. Whilst the shopping & town centre is small, Santa Cristina is unlike Selva as the village is bypassed by a tunnel, removing all through traffic from the village streets – blessed quiet by comparison.
Above Santa Cristina the road (or chairlift) leads to Monte Pana at 1667m elevation. Whilst the drive up can be ‘interesting’, Monte Pana is the perfect beginner skiing area plus has quick & uncrowded lift & piste connections to the Ciampinoi & beyond. The jeep connection links with Alpe di Siusi as well. This is one of the forgotten sectors of Val Gardena. Its few hotels & apartments make a good base for any family ski holiday. All have amazing views. Try the Sporthotel Monte Pana
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Alpe di Siusi Hotels & Lodgings
The alpine village of Alpe di Siusi (a.k.a. Seiser Alm) is disjointed from the greater Val Gardena ski resort, but is a perfect novice, family & lower intermediate ski area. Connection to the broader ski resort is via the ‘jeep’ to Monte Pana or a download on the gondola to Ortisei.
Most hotels are ski-in ski-out (or awfully close to it). In Alpe di Siusi the exclusive 5-star Hotel Alpina Dolomites reigns supreme. But there a host of others worthy of a look.
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Siusi Accommodations
The picture-perfect village of Siusi is at the far western point of Val Gardena, connected by gondola to Alpe di Siusi. Siusi is the closest village to Bolzano & there are several good hotels, guesthouses & apartments available.
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Castelrotto Hotels & Guesthouses
The village of Castelrotto is not lift or piste connected to the ski resort but is a quick drive or bus ride to either the lifts at Siusi or Ortisei. Its disconnection from the resort helps this quaint Dolomites village stay a little off the radar in winter meaning accommodation is good value and there tends to be availability.
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Bolzano Hotels & Guesthouses
Should all else fail or you just want to stay in a city with charm & character, Bolzano (a.k.a. Bozen) is the closest to all the Dolomites ski resorts. With a rental car it is possible to do day trips to most resorts, with some days being longer than others! For amazing self-contained apartments above the gorgeous colonnaded Bolzano old town shopping precinct, Laubenhaus is without equal.
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