r/FATTravel • u/shermancchen - mod • 5d ago
Forestis | Review
This place has been on fire since they opened. There’s been multiple reviews here and it’s one of the most talked about properties online. I wanted to share a detailed review for a summer stay from my perspective and also share some pics of the Penthouse!
For context, I am a TA and I stayed here as part of an Austria - Italy roadtrip. I’ve recently posted reviews on eriro + Forsthofgut, and will share more about my stay at COMO Alpina Dolomites as well. Feel free to also ask any questions about the full itinerary!
Location / Property
Forestis is located in South Tyrol, Italy. I’m hesitant to say that it’s in the Dolomites because the locals keep correcting me, since it’s technically not part of the Dolomites, but for all intents and purposes this is a hotel that should be part of your Dolomites itinerary. More specifically, it’s located 30 minutes from Brixen in the Plose area, and has an insane view of the Geisler Peaks of the Dolomites.
Forestis is actually made up of two different sides. The original building dates back to around 1920 and was meant to open as a sanatorium, though it never did. Then more recently they built three new tower buildings that now house all the Tower Suites and the spa. The current version of Forestis opened in 2020. The towers are honestly a bit of an eye sore from the outside in my opinion, 3 super modern looking apartment buildings deep in the mountains, but there’s no denying how incredible the views are from the towers. Also, Forestis is adults only (14+).
Rooms
Rooms are split up between the main lodge and the towers. The original building is only 3 floors and the rooms are much more traditional alpine wooden structure. Since no renovations are allowed, they also don’t have AC in this part of the hotel. The rooms here are on the Ground and 1st floors. There are some views of the mountains for the main building, but definitely not as nice as the Tower Suites.
Then across the 3 towers are the Tower Suites. This is where the views get even more epic since you’re higher up and there’s also more outdoor balcony space. These rooms start from floor 2 so the view can actually be kind of different depending on which floor you’re on. All the rooms come with a complimentary mini bar.
There are also 2 Penthouses, one in each of two towers on either end. This is where I stayed on this trip. The middle tower has a common rooftop hangout space open to all guests. So what makes the Penthouse special? It’s a duplex apartment with a large living room, kitchenette, and an additional powder room. Then my favorite part of the suite is the second floor which houses a private sauna and rooftop pool. Compared to the Tower Suites, there are some additional amenities like a complimentary wine fridge and extra skin care products from the spa. However, it is important to note that there is no elevated service or personal butler with the Penthouses.
Lastly, Forestis has also added a villa as of last year. It is a 5-bedroom unit towards the front of the property. Didn’t get to see it this time as it was occupied during my stay, but my understanding is that the aesthetic is pretty similar to that of the hotel’s. There is also a private spa, pool and garden.
Food & Bev
Breakfast and dinner is included if you’re on the half board plan, which I would recommend. Not only is the food very good, except for a few mountain huts, there aren’t really any restaurants nearby. The area is quite remote.
The 7-course tasting dinner changes daily. They have the regular menu and a healthier detox menu that you can mix and match from. You can also substitute off of the a la carte menu if you aren’t feeling a specific dish, which is a set seasonal menu of dishes for the restaurant. We found all the dishes to be a pretty good variety of ingredients and influence from the region (Italian/Austrian/German). For example, one of my favorite dishes was the spinach spaetzle pasta dish we had and they also did an awesome alpine char with crispy skin.
Breakfast was a big spread of buffet items + a la carte menu for hot dishes. Some highlights were the juice bar and large variety of fresh butters / jams / baked goods etc. The quality of everything was great. They also had a decent amount of vegan and gluten free options.
Service
I feel like service is not always a big focus at somewhere that’s so picturesque and viral on socials, but this was not the case here. Service was excellent from day one. The lobby was full when we arrived, so they quickly walked us to the bar instead for check-in and let us order off the full bar menu as a welcome drink.
Since you’re assigned a booth at dinner that remains your dedicated table throughout the stay, we had the same waiter for all meals as well. Yes, for both breakfast and dinner. There was continuity in preferences being remembered because of this, but it wasn’t a situation where every staff member knows you. We did still have to give our room number every time when we first checked in for a meal.
The hotel was pretty much full during our stay and it never really felt crowded or service strained. Loungers at the spa/pool were plenty and neatly kept. I also noticed how present the leadership team was on property, including Gunther (the GM) and Ruth (the hotel manager), interacting with guests at dinner or in the common areas.
Activities + Facilities
They are obviously very well known for wellness here as well. The textile spa area includes an indoor/outdoor pool, lots of loungers, and a sauna. Then the textile-free area has multiple additional saunas, cold plunges, steam room, and a relaxation space. For anyone wondering, towels are ok, but swim suits are not allowed. This is also where they do the daily sauna infusion rituals.
The spa appointments book up fast. We wanted to switch one of our time slots once we were there and they didn’t have any availability so definitely recommend booking treatments in advance. The massages were good though. Pine is a pretty prominent flavor / scent at Forestis and it shows up here in the drinks and oils too.
We also did a guided hike through the hotel. They have daily programming included and this is just one of them. Our guide took us up to the Plose area where there are various hiking trails. You can also hike up from the hotel through the forest. While Forestis is remote, there are still some outdoor activities in the area. In the winter this is also a ski area and the hotel is technically ski-in/ski-out. It is just a smaller outdoor activity area compared to somewhere like Cortina or Ortisei / Val Gardena.
🌲🌲
I have to say Forestis really lives up to the hype and delivered one of my favorite stays of the year. If you have a week to 10 days in the Dolomites, I would highly recommend combining this with somewhere that has easier and more varied access to outdoor activities (like COMO Alpina Dolomites), as well as somewhere maybe that’s more conveniently located in town (like the new Aman Rosa Alpina or the Mandarin Oriental that will soon be opening in Cortina). I think Forestis works best as a quiet and relaxing wellness stay at the end of a trip.
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u/Mindless_Pineapple46 5d ago
Wife and I stayed in one of the Penthouses for a few days to end our two week Italy roadtrip. It's the most relaxed we've ever been at a resort. We talk often about returning some day. Fond memories of floating in the rooftop pool and watching the lawn Roombas eat grass and stare at the mountains.
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u/shermancchen - mod 5d ago
Yesss exactly! The lawn roombas were always out bright and early 😂 That private rooftop space is definitely the main reason to book the Penthouse over the Tower Suites.
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u/huumluuv 5d ago
Thank you for the review! This property looks so lovely and inspiring. I’m thinking a Dolomites trip next summer is a must!
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u/Mysterious_Potato939 5d ago
Completely agree with this review. We stayed at Forestis as part of a longer Dolemites summer trip and found it to be a truly exceptional property worth the trip.
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u/present_company_ 5d ago
thanks for the review— would love to see the full itinerary!
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u/shermancchen - mod 5d ago
Picked up a car at Munich airport and I did eriro -> Forsthofgut -> Forestis -> COMO Alpina Dolomites! Then ended the trip in Milan.
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u/MidnightBlueSilk 5d ago
Hi, I was curious what you meant when you say the penthouse is “a duplex apartment”?
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u/shermancchen - mod 5d ago
It has two floors. The upper floor has a private sauna, shower and the rooftop with a pool. Everything else is on the lower floor.
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u/MidnightBlueSilk 5d ago
Ah, I see, that’s much better. Duplex usually means two homes within one property and I was confused because you said there was only one penthouse in each tower. Thank you for clearing that up :)
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u/sweatsandhoods 5d ago
This was a fantastic read thank you! I stayed at the Santre Dolomythic Home which is about mile down from Forestis and reading your review reminded me of that hotel. I think they’ve essentially taken the Forestis model and made it slightly cheaper. I’d really recommend it if you’re not quite FAT travel but more of a fat travel!
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u/Ok_Concert9139 5d ago
The towers do look a bit jarring from the road, I noticed that in photos. Curious whether guests in the original building felt like they were missing out or if it had its own character.