Where To Stay in The Dolomites: Places & Hotels I Loved!

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There are over a dozen of places to stay in the Dolomites, Italy and I was so overwhelmed and confused by all the different hotels and spots.

I visited the Dolomites, Italy in May & June — it was not peak season but I noticed hotels getting full real fast.

Luckily for me, there are a dozen of hotels to choose from and different areas to stay in the Dolomites, Italy.

After spending hours researching and deciding which hotel to stay, I have narrowed down approximately three core areas you should stay in.

Also read: My Real Dolomites Itinerary: 5 to 7 Days (What I Loved About It)

The Best Areas To Stay in The Dolomites, Italy

where to stay in the dolomites, italy: a typical view from our hotel in cortina d’ampezzo

the best hotel breakfast and south tylorean cuisine - i stayed at hotel menardi in cortina d’ampezzo

So the Dolomites are not just one place where you can base yourself in. There is a huge web and network of valleys and mountains. I was so confused by all these parts.

It depends where your starting point is and instead of throwing every possible town, I have narrowed down to four places that I think cover the bases well (even if you’re driving or not driving).

Each of these spots put you close to hiking trails that you can access with a cable car system and buses as well, in case parking gets a tad bit inconvienent (because some prices can be sooo outrageous!)

Here's the breakdown:

Ortisei

  • Great for: the easiest hiking access in the whole region. Three cable cars connect you straight to Seceda, Resciesa and Alpe di Siusi without needing to leave town. If you want to change scenery daily without driving, this is it.

  • Where to stay:

  • Car needed: No.

  • Transport: Direct bus from Bolzano, plus easy onward transit through the valley.

  • Downside: it's popular for a reason, so expect crowds in summer.

Cortina d'Ampezzo

  • Great for: first-timers who want one classic base with everything close by. You have Cinque Torri, Rifugio Lagazuoi, Lago di Sorapis, all within half an hour. And also Tre Cime and Cadini Di Misurina.

  • Where to stay:

  • Car needed: Helpful, though doable without one. You can also book hiking trips here like doing the Tre Cime. I found they even pick you up from your hotel which is great!

  • Transport: Buses connect to Alta Badia and beyond, but having a car opens up more.

Bolzano

  • Great for: a home base if you're bouncing between multiple valleys — it sits central, with bus and train links to Val Gardena, Val di Fassa and beyond. Not so much for hiking straight out of town though; it's down in the Adige Valley and can get brutally hot in summer.

  • Where to stay:

  • Car needed: No

  • Transport: Trains and buses to almost everywhere else in the Dolomites.

Brixen

  • Great for: a quieter, more local-feeling base with access to the Val di Funes area such as Odle peaks, wildflower meadows, fewer people. (p.s. I loved this town!!!)

  • Where to stay:

  • Car needed: No but it's a bit further from the trailheads, so budget extra time.

  • Transport: Trains connect Brixen to Bolzano and beyond easily.

Also read: The Dolomites I loved: 10 Best Things To Do

The Best Hotels to Stay In The Dolomites, Italy (The Ones I loved)

1. Hotel Angelo Engel (Ortisei): For The Most Accessible To Cable Car

a view of hotel angelo - one of the best hotels to stay in ortisei dolomites italy

I really like Hotel Angelo Engel in Ortisei mainly because how it checks all the boxes for what a hotel in the Dolomites should be about.

There is enough access to the cable cars like Seceda and Alpe Di Siusi are literally 10 minutes and six minutes walk away.

The rooms are spacious with warm wooden interiors and most rooms have a balcony as well.

The hotel even runs a free winter ski bus to the village and all surrounding ski lifts.

For the value of money you get, plus luxurious spa settings with views of the alpine meadows, you can’t really go wrong as your first stay in the Dolomites.

To add on there is even a heated pool, Finnish sauna with a mountain pine bath and herbal spa. It doesn’t get more comfortable than this.

👉 Book it here.

2. Hotel Grones (Ortisei): Small Family-Run Hotel

hotel grones room in ortisei italy

I love small family-run hotels like Hotel Grones because I feel the service feels more intimate, you get access to their home-made regional dishes.

Grones has been run by the same family since 1973, and it shows in the little things. You’re personally greeted at check in, the owners are around and the chef even puts together regional South Tyrolean dishes that feels very warm and nice.

It’s also a five minute walk from the centre of Ortisei so you’re close enough to wander into town. All the rooms have balconies facing the Dolomites with proper wellness setup like pool and a hot tub, Finnish sauna, bio sauna and a Turkish bath.

This is the right choice if you want to be based in Ortisei and don’t want that big hotel rigid feels.

👉 Book it here.

3. Hotel Menardi (Cortina D’Ampezzo): Away from the Hustle

our view of the gardens in hotel menardi in cortina d’ampezzo in italy

the lounge room to hang out in the family run hotels

I stayed here and really loved it because Hotel Menardi is a proper family-run spot, since 1836 and it is one of the only two historic hotels still standing in the town.

It sits on the Dolomiti Bike path just outside the centre, so while it is a bit away, I feel like that’s also a blessing in disguise. It is a 15 minute walk to the centre. The ski bus stops right outside if you don't want to deal with a car, and most rooms come with a balcony looking out over their own private park.

There's a small wellness area with a sauna, Turkish bath and hot tub (not a big one) but just enough to unwind after a day out. The restaurant leans into regional South Tyrolean dishes too, which I always appreciate over a generic hotel menu.

👉Book it here.

4. Bad Moos (Sesto): Best Thermal Spa Hotel

bad moos hotel, one of the best thermal hotel spas in dolomites

look at the pool views (pic: bad moos)

If wellness is your aim when visiting the Dolomites, this is where you go. Bad Moos is right at the entrance to the Tre Cime nature park and has its own natural sulphur spring — people have been coming here since 1765 so you know they are the OG.

The spa alone is 2500 square metres with an indoor and outdoor pool, there are multiple saunas, a cold sulphur plunge pool and a sulphurous grotto with water beds.

It is also conveniently located across the Croda Rossa cable car in case you want to get out and move whether it is skiing or hiking.

👉Book it here.

5. Forestis Dolomites (Brixen): For A Forest Setting Theme

forestis dolomites, imagine this view for the next few days in the dolomites italy

I really loved Brixen the town and even better was their hiking trail - the Adolf Munkel trail.

Now, if you want to disconnect completely, you have to stay in Forestis. It is 1,800 metres up Mount Plose surrounded by dense forest and everything about the place is built around this.

The view is basically what’s around you and that’s what makes it such a classic Dolomites experience.

I would say the spa leans more towards forest bathing specifically, with treatments inspired by the trees around it, and the restaurant changes its menu daily based on what's actually available that day such as foraged herbs, roots, whatever the season gives them.

It's also a genuinely sustainability-driven property too as they've been running on renewable energy and replanting for every tree they cleared.

It's remote, it's quiet, and it's built for people who want a proper mountain escape in the Dolomites.

👉 Book it here.

Should You Rent A Car?

To be honest, if you are confident driving and want your own experience. You should rent a car. We rented from Verona easily through DiscoverCars and it was very smooth process.

But if you don’t want to, you can take a train. From Verona there is a train to Bozen (the German name for Bolzano) — it drops you right in the Dolomites' main gateway city. Once you are in Bolzano, you can plan to get there by bus to Brixen, Dobbacio/Ortisei, and Cortina (bear in mind that it may take you longer to get to some places so just plan to take the earliest bus always)

Also read my other Italy posts:

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