Where to stay in the Dolomites, Italy: for every type of trip

There are quite a few good places where to stay in the Dolomites Italy, and in a way, the best places to stay depend on your itinerary and the things you want to do.

We’ve stayed all over the Dolomites, and I can tell you that the best place to stay in the Dolomites for hiking is Cortina d’Ampezzo, the best places for sightseeing and photography are Cortina and Val Gardena, and if you’re looking for a place in the Dolomites where to stay to do it all, it’s Alta Badia.

And of course, some other places in the Dolomites are just all around good for staying in in general, so to stay.

So let’s explore!

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Where to stay in the Dolomites Italy

We’ve been to the Dolomites multiple times – on a road trip, with family who have health problems, for a hiking trip, and with a tiny kiddo. So, you know, I kind of have a good overview of where to stay when visiting the Dolomites.

So, if you’re looking for a place in the Dolomites where to stay for a short trip, a longer trip, or anything in between, I’ve got you.

Best bases in the Dolomites

Dolomites are roughly divided into two areas: the Western and the Eastern ones.

So the best bases in the Dolomites are: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Dobbiaco, Alta Badia, and Val Gardena. Alta Badia and Val Gardena are valleys with some towns that are great for staying.

Cortina d’Ampezzo – the best place to stay in the Dolomites for hiking

Cortina d’Ampezzo is our favourite place to stay in the Dolomites, as it has pretty much everything and is conveniently located for exploring the Eastern Dolomites. Prices are higher, though, but you have easy access to some of the most popular hiking trails and lakes such as Lago Braies. It’s known also as the Queen of the Dolomites – which tells you quite a lot about the place. If you’re looking for where to base yourself in the Dolomites, Cortina is definitely one of the best options.

Why stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo?

• Well located
• Lots of restaurants and hotels
• Ski lifts and hiking trails close by – Cortina is one of the best ski resorts in the Dolomites
• Some of the most beautiful lakes, such as Lake Braies and Lake Sorapis, are very close to Cortina

Best hotels in Cortina

Luxury | Hotel Lajadira&Spa

Although Hotel Lajadira & Spa is a little off the centre of Cortina d’Ampezzo, it offers really stunning mountain views and a shuttle to the city centre. But even just taking a walk to Cortina is nice. When we stayed here, we just walked honestly. It’s quite close by.

The rooms are nice and spacious. They’re decorated in the typical Alpine fashion, with light colours and wood décor. Many of the rooms have balconies, too. If you ski, there’s a heated ski room, too.

The spa area features an indoor pool with mountain views, a whirlpool, a sauna, a Turkish bath, and a relaxation room. You can order wellness and beauty procedures such as massages facials, and even a yoga class.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Luxury | Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina d’Ampezzo, A Radisson Collection Hotel – the best hotel in Cortina for families

Located in the heart of Cortina, Gran Hotel Savoia is a historic gem surrounded by spectacular mountains. Since it’s so centrally located, you have everything a stone’s throw away, such as restaurants, grocery stores, and shops.

There’s everything you need for a proper rest after a day of exploring and hiking. There’s a wellness and spa area, a pool, and what every family is happy about: a kid’s room with babysitting and entertainers. That means that parents can enjoy a massage or an aperitif while the kids are being taken care of.

The rooms in Grand Hotel Savoia are huge and beautiful, with wooden décor and light colours. Many of them offer views of the Dolomites, and some even have terraces.

As an added gem, many celebrities and powerhouses of the world have stayed in this historic hotel, for example, Sophia Loren, Winston Churchill, Tolstoy, Umberto di Savoia, and Franklin D Roosevelt. It’s definitely one of the best hotels in the Dolomites.

To see prices and reviews, check the hotel’s website or booking.com

Mid-range | Baita Fraina

Baita Fraina is located a bit out of Cortina, on a little hill. It has a great view of the Dolomites. And it has an incredibly good on-site restaurant that’s actually been recommended by the Michelin guide. We tried the food; it really was worth it.

It’s a boutique hotel with only six rooms available. All of them are decorated in the typical mountain fashion in wood and all offer incredible views of the Dolomites from their balconies. And of course, although the rooms are not that huge, there are all the amenities that you need.

Each morning, a continental breakfast buffet is available. You can get sweet and savoury meals, as well as cooked things such as eggs.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Budget | Hotel Meuble Oasi – a budget hotel in a very convenient location

On our second stay in Cortina, we went together with my parents. It was November, thus off-season, so the choice was quite small. Luckily, we found the hotel Meuble Oasi to stay at.

The location of Meuble Oasi is quite amazing, especially for the price that you pay. It’s located right next to the Faloria cable car so you have great access to the ski slopes or hiking areas straight from the hotel. There are biking paths in the vicinity, as well as the centre of Cortina with all the restaurants, shops, and services.

Hotel Meuble Oasi is a simple hotel, basically, no frills. But you get all that you need – a room with a bathroom, WiFi, free parking, and even a ski/bike room. And, if you choose to, there’s breakfast included as well.

And the rooms are nice and light, with wood furnishings. And some even have balconies.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Dobbiaco – great location for hiking and for exploring on a budget

I liked our stay in Dobbiaco in April. It was quite off-season, but still, there were restaurants, shops, and stores available. Plus, the location is convenient – it lies on the border of the Tre Cime nature park and the Fanes-Sennes-Prags nature park – and there is accommodation for every taste and budget.

If you want to visit the Dolomites on a budget, Dobbiaco is definitely the place to check. Even the luxury places are much cheaper than most other towns in the Dolomites.

Why stay in Dobbiaco

• Hotels are less expensive than in more popular places in the Dolomites
• Lots of restaurants, stores, and shops
• Convenient location for exploring the Eastern Dolomites, for example, Lake Braies, Three Peaks (Tre Cime di Lavaredo), Gustav Mahler Wildlife Park
• Relatively close to the Western Dolomites
• Lots of activities available, for example, hiking, skiing, fishing

Best hotels in Dobbiaco

Luxury| Skyview Chalets am Camping Toblacher See – perfect hotel in the Dolomites for adults

I wanted us to stay in Skyview Chalets on one of our trips to the Dolomites, but unfortunately, they weren’t available. The chalets are located just on the coast of Lake Dobbiaco, which is my favourite lake in the Dolomites.

The Skyview chalets, as the name suggests, offer you a view of the sky straight from the chalet. They are “glass cubes” with a window that lets you see the stars straight from your bed.

Each chalet comes with an infrared sauna in the chalet and the deluxe category ones have a jacuzzi on the terrace. There’s a double bed and a bathroom in each “cube” and even a coffee machine. Breakfast is brought to you every morning.

There’s a winery, coffee shop, and a minimarket in the camping right next to the SkyView chalets. And the lake and nearby mountains offer a great number of activities for every taste.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Luxury | Hotel Laurin – a 4* spa hotel just by Dobbiaco great for families

Hotel Laurin is located a bit off the main part of Dobbiaco, but it’s definitely an advantage. The location and the view are magnificent! You see the mountains in Alta Pusteria in Valle di Landro.

There’s a huge yard available where kids would be happy to play a ball and adults – soak in some sun. There’s a heated outside pool there, as well as a sauna and wellness. Several sports activities start right at the hotel, such as cross-country skiing and cycling.

If skiing on the slopes is your thing, the hotel has a shuttle to some of the best ski resorts in the area, such as Sesto Dolomites skiing area with the Alta Pusteria cable cars, or the Plan de Corones, or even Monte Elmo-Croda Rossa.

The rooms are quite spacious, with all that you might need, and some of them have mountain views. There are even apartments available. Hotel Laurin offers both a bed and breakfast and half-board in case you’re worried about dinner availability.  

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Midrange | Hotel Rosengarten

Hotel Rosengarten is a lovely family-run hotel just a few minutes walk from the centre of Dobbiaco and 5km from the slopes of San Candido.

This three-star hotel has rooms decorated in wood in a typical South Tyrolean fashion. Some of them have balconies, and the higher-level ones even offer saunas, infrared rooms, or a jacuzzi in the room. The breakfast is cold cuts and sweet pastries, and you can go for a half board which would let you enjoy dishes from South Tyrol or Mediterranean cuisine!

If skiing, exploring, or hiking the Dolomites on a budget while still being pampered is one of your goals, book Hotel Rosengarten!

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Budget | Haus Greg – an apartment with a parking

An apartment in Dobbiaco with a bedroom, living room, and a small kitchen. Of course, a toilet is available as well. We stayed there with my friend on our April trip to the Dolomites and really enjoyed it.

The location of Haus Greg is great and central. There’s a grocery store right over the street and many restaurants and cafés next by. If you don’t feel like making breakfast, there’s a café basically by the entrance to the apartment.

I loved the kitchen so much that I actually made a similar one once we moved to our new home. I’m not gonna go into too much detail, otherwise this article will be endless (but you can ask if you’d like), just know that it’s fully furnished. There’s even a Nespresso coffee machine (take your favourite capsules with you, don’t make the same mistake I did).  

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Alta Badia – a very central place

Alta Badia – a very centrally located valley, it sits between the valleys of Val Pusteria, Val di Fassa and Val Gardena, as well as the towns of Cortina d’Ampezzo and Arabba. That makes it a convenient place where to stay when visiting the Dolomites for a short trip or when you want to see both sides of the mountains on a single vacation. Just be aware that it’s rather expensive, on the more luxurious side of things.

The best towns to stay in the Alta Badia valley are Corvara and Badia.

Why stay in Alta Badia

• A very central location so gives access to most of the Dolomites (the “outer edges” of the area would take quite a long time, though)
• Excellent place for some of the best food in the Dolomites with incredible amounts of Michelin-starred restaurants
• Easy access to good hiking trails including the Burning Dolomites Trail
• Belongs to the Dolomiti Superski area – the best ski area in the world

Best hotels in Alta Badia

Luxury | Hotel La Perla: The Leading Hotels of the World in Corvara in Badia

Hotel La Perla is a family-run hotel in Corvara, located just by the Col Alto ski lift. It’s a ski-in-ski-out hotel, so it’s perfect for skiers. If you’re visiting at a time when there’s no snow, there are tons of hikes and biking trails among other things. La Perla even has guided tours available.

The rooms are decorated with Swiss pine panels and soft, comforting textiles. Most of the rooms have a private balcony overlooking the mountains. The views from the hotel are incredible.

There’s a spa with a pool, saunas, and wellness area available. And for the gourmets, there are multiple restaurants on-site, and even a wine cellar with wine tastings.

A little minus – during some times of the year, the hotel can only be booked for stays of at least 6 days, with arrival on Saturday or Sunday.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Midrange | Sporthotel Panorama in Corvara

Sporthotel Panorama is located above Corvara, at an altitude of 1700m. It’s a bit out of town – a steep walk away, but there’s a shuttle bus to the town centre available. It’s big on the Ladin heritage, so you have a Ladin-style restaurant available, as well as activities geared towards Ladin history.

The rooms in the Sporthotel Panorama are big and nicely decorated. Many of them have balconies with incredible views.

As a real sports hotel, it has a tennis court and offers golfing, an e-bike rental, hiking tours, and other summer activities. In the winter, there’s snowshoeing and skiing, iceskating, dog sledging, and other activities. For relaxing, there’s a wellness available with a swimming pool, saunas, and massages.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Midrange | Hotel Melodia del Bosco in Badia

Hotel Melodia del Bosco is a family-run bike, hike, and ski hotel in Alta Badia.

The rooms are nice and light, decorated with wood and each one has a balcony. All rooms offer impressive views of the mountains Monte Gardenazza or Monte Santa Croce. They are newly renovated, which gives them that much more comfort.

The hotel has a spa as well, with a Finnish sauna, a steam bath, an herbal sauna or infrared sauna, a relaxation room with water beds, and a fitness room.

There’s a breakfast and dinner available for you in the hotel (half board), a wine cellar with an incredible collection of wines, and a lounge room.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Budget | Hotel Cavallino in Badia

Hotel Cavallino is located only 100m from the Santa Croce ski lift. It’s a bit above Alta Badia, and many of the reviewers boast stunning views from the hotel.

There are many sporting activities available from Hotel Cavallino – skiing, cycling, romantic horse riding tours, Nordic walking, and even guided climbs and hikes suggested and much more.

The rooms in this family-run hotel are nice and big, decorated in wood and light colours. Each of them has a balcony overlooking the mountains. Apartments with a fully stocked kitchen are available, too.

There’s a small spa available as well, with a wellness area with a sauna, gym, hot tub and Turkish bath.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Val Gardena – lots of choices for great places to stay in the Dolomites Italy

Val Gardena Valley – the most convenient access to the Western Dolomites, including the Seceda, Alpe di Siusi and Sassolungo. There are several towns which have hotels for all budgets and tastes. We personally stayed in Santa Cristina, above the valley. The hotel – Monte Pana – Dolomites Hotel – was awesome.

There are a few main towns which are the most convenient for staying: Ortisei, Santa Cristina, and Selva di Val Gardena.

Why stay in Val Gardena

• One of the most beautiful places in the Dolomites
• Seceda and Alpe di Siusi are here (among other things, obviously)
• Well connected with public transport
• Lots of interesting hikes

Best hotels in Santa Cristina and Selva di Val Gardena

Santa Cristina and Selva di Val Gardena are located somewhat in the middle of Val Gardena. They are such small villages so the accommodation is rather limited so if you’d like to stay here, be quick.

If you’re wondering why to stay in these two villages specifically – the Col Raiser cable car is in Santa Cristina, which means that, among other things, you have access to numerous leisure activities in the Dolomiti Superski area and Puez-Odle Nature.

Selva is better connected by public transport, so if you’re visiting the Dolomites without a car, this might be one of the best locations for you to stay at.

Luxury | Alpenhotel Plaza 4* in Santa Cristina

Alpenhotel Plaza is an incredibly-looking spa hotel located right in the centre of Santa Cristina. It’s located just a couple of minutes from the Sellaronda and the Val Gardena Ronda ski circuits. Plus, it offers an incredible view of the Sassolungo mountain.

There are not too many rooms in the hotel so the stay is tranquil and you can enjoy the spa and wellness area in relative peace. The rooms themselves have mountain-style décor and are comparably big.

Incredibly, the basic price of the room includes half-board, that is, breakfast and dinner. So, in Alpenhotel Plaza, you can enjoy a stress-free stay.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Luxury | Boutique Hotel Nives – Luxury & Design in the Dolomites in Selva

Boutique Hotel Nives is a family-run hotel with only 13 rooms located in the centre of Selva di Val Gardena. One definitely unique thing about this hotel in the Dolomites is the open fireplace in the lounge bar.

The rooms in the hotel are big and furnished with wood and light colours. Each of the rooms has bathrobes and slippers, a Nespresso coffee machine and tea-making facilities. The balconies offer views of Selva.

There’s a spa and wellness area in the hotel Nives, which includes different types of saunas, a relaxation area, a pool, and massages (at extra cost).

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Midrange | Monte Pana Dolomites Hotel in Santa Cristina – a family-friendly spa hotel

When we visited the Dolomites in October, we decided to stay somewhere in the Val Gardena area. The best of the few available hotels that we found (that’s for booking the location at the last moment, haha) was the Monte Pana Dolomites Hotel in Santa Cristina.

Honestly, we really loved the place! Plus, the value for money was incredible.

The location is just by Monte Pana, as the name suggests, above the centre of Santa Cristina. Honestly, we’re not sure that you can drive up there in winter if the car doesn’t have chains on. But the view was just wow. And the location – Santa Cristina – is very conveniently located close to the main sightseeing spots in the Western Dolomites.

We had half board available, and the choices were amazing. There was a fixed menu with options that you could choose from, but they were happy to accommodate Emma’s tastes. One night, there was even live music. Emma loved it – and the musicians loved Emma’s reactions. On that night, actually, there was a buffet dinner. As for lunch, the Monte Pana Hotel has a restaurant which has tasty options.

There’s an indoor swimming pool and kid’s pool, and kids are not allowed in the main wellness area which has saunas. Outside, there’s an interesting playground and skiing in the winter. The chairlift to Monte Pana is close by as well.

We had a triple room with an extendable couch, dining table, and a bedroom. There was both a bath and a shower in the bathroom, which was really convenient. The only thing I missed, though, was a fridge.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Midrange | Linder Cycling Hotel in Selva

As the name suggests, Linder Cycling Hotel is a… cycling hotel. But it’s not just good for cyclists. Linder also has a spa, a pool, a garden, and a well-rated restaurant called Luis Eatery.

The rooms are modern and recently refurbished. Most of them are quite big, and many have balconies or mountain views. The price of the accommodation includes, among other things, guided hikes and bike tours!

There’s also a garden, a terrace, a pool (the game) room, and a bar.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Budget | Smart Hotel Saslong in Santa Cristina – great for skiing and staying without a car

A beautiful no-frills hotel located just on the edge of Santa Cristina. Their motto is “great holidays at very smart prices” which means that all of the needed services, such as the Val Gardena bus card, are included in the price and additional offers, for example, ski school and rental, are for great prices.

The interior of the hotel and the rooms is modern and it’s decorated in local wood. There are bars, one of which is open 24 hours, as well as a shuttle to the Sellaronda (Dolomiti SuperSki). A bus stop is 20m away if you’d like to use public transport, and if you have a car, there’s parking available.

Previous guests have rated the breakfast as “exceptional” so make sure your booking includes one.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Budget | Garni Hotel Rezia in Selva

Garni Hotel Rezia is located in the centre of Selva of Val Gardena. It’s located perfectly for some of the best walks and hikes in Val Gardena in the summer and ski slopes – in the winter.

It’s only 150m from the Nives ski lift and 200m Ciampioni cable car. That gives you great access to some incredible ski slopes in the Dolomiti SuperSki area. There’s a bus stop just 50m from the hotel.

The rooms are quite big and nicely decorated in wood. There are apartments available, too, which have a kitchen. There’s a breakfast, as well, and a parking spot included in the price.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Best hotels in Ortisei

Ortisei is the most well-connected town in Val Gardena, so if you’re visiting the Dolomites without a car and want to stay in Val Gardena, this is your best bet. The town is close to the mountain passes Pordoi and Selva, as well as Passo Gardena on the other side of the valley. In the town are the lifts to visit

Luxury | Gardena Grödnerhof – Hotel & Spa – perfect hotel in Val Gardena for families

Gardena Grödnerhof is a spa hotel located just a bit above Ortisei so you get a great view. In the evenings, you get an amazing view of the sun colouring the Monti Pallidi in a pink hue.

One of the things a great number of the reviews – and the hotel itself – rave about is the food, though. Gardena Grödnerhof’s gourmet restaurant Anna Stuben is one of the best in South Tyrol and has numerous awards, including a Michelin star.

The second thing? The hotel’s SPA. It includes a selection of saunas (Finnish, steam, Bio and others), steam baths, a ladies-only spa, a cold-water pool and a large outdoor whirlpool. The relaxation room, among other things, has water beds. Even some fitness programs are included. There’s a huge selection of things to do in Gardena Grödnerhof.

About the rooms – they are spacious and modern. Even the smallest room is more than 30m2 big, with the Chalet Attico suite having a whole 100m2. That’s as big as my house! Families will really appreciate the kid’s babysitting club, with activities and even a dinner.

Definitely one of the best hotels in the Dolomites, I’m not surprised it has a 9.7 rating on booking and 4.9 on Google Maps.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Midrange | Hotel Hell – great spa and ski hotel for families

Although Hotel Hell has a very… interesting name, it actually looks really nice. It’s a 4* hotel that has a spa area, an outdoor hot tub and a terrace. It’s located just 5 minutes from the centre of Ortisei, in a quiet location.

There’s an aroma therapy room, a Finnish sauna, a steam bath, and a whirlpool in Hell. The hotel Hell, of course. Adjacent to the hotel is a large aquatic centre “Mar Dolomit” which will be fun for both the big and tiny guests – the access is free to the guests of Hotel Hell. And children can learn to ski right next to the hotel garden on a practice slope.

The rooms in this mountain chalet are decorated in the classical mountain style with all the amenities. They overlook the mountains or the town, and some even have balconies. The suite in the loft is huge and has a fireplace!

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Budget | Hotel Garni Walter

Hotel Garni Walter is located just 100m from the ski slopes of Alpi di Siusi and Sellaronda, on a quieter street by the Seiser Alm gondola. It’s a family-managed hotel with a nice sun terrace.

The rooms are nicely decorated in an alpine style, some even have balconies overlooking the mountains. It’s a no-frills hotel without a wellness area, but guests have free access to the Mar Dolomit water park.

Reviewers are raving about the staff, breakfast, and the rooms. The only negative was that the wifi was not as strong.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Other notable places to stay in the Dolomites

Hotel Lago di Braies

Located just on the shores of the Instagram jewel Lake Braies, Hotel Lago di Braies has rooms overlooking the lake. Minimum stay – three nights.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

B&B Hotel Passo Tre Croci Cortina

B&B Hotel Passo Tre Croci Cortina is located just at the trailhead to the lake Sorapis on the mountain pass Passo Tre Croci, so it has a great location for hiking.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti in Ortisei

One of the best spa hotels in the area, located right in the centre of Ortisei. It’s set in a 9000m2 park and has a 3500m2 huge spa area. It’s in the centre of Ortisei, but still, there’s complete privacy.

To see prices and reviews, check booking.com

Adler Alpe di Siusi

Located in the heart of Alpe di Siusi, among rolling hills, Adler Alpe di Siusi offers you the best possible tranquillity with the highest luxury. My personal highlight – the panoramic spa and infinity pool with views of Sassolungo.

To see prices, check Adler Resorts website

Apartments Kaserott

Located in the Santa Magdalena village, the Apartments Kaserott is on the way to the Santa Magdalena viewpoint and offers incredible views of the Puez-Geisler group. I loved how their garden looked.

To see reviews, check booking.com, but for reservations and prices – the hotel’s website

In conclusion

Here you go, some of the best places where to stay in the Dolomites! I hope you like our recommendations. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them – here in the comments or by contacting us through email.

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