A family-run adults-only alpine retreat in South Tyrol
Das Wanda / Caldaro / South Tyrol / Italy
It is interesting. I get a lot of questions from friends and acquaintances about hotel recommendations (I wonder why… :-)) and when it comes to friends with kids, the most common question is about adult-only hotels. When these parents have (or create) an opportunity to go somewhere without their mini-mes, they want to make sure that there won’t be any other people’s mini-mes running around, making cannon balls in the pool. If you are one of these calm-loving parents or if you just like to spend time in a haven of tranquility, Das Wanda could be a place for you.
Das Wanda is a family affair. It is run by Verena and her brother Michael (when we stayed here Verena was even managing our check in). Their family used to have a property on Sardinia that was called Wanda, so when they relocated here, they kept the name but added a ”das”, since this is the German speaking part of Italy. The granddad who initiated this move is also the artist behind most of the art work you’ll find at the hotel. I really liked that they even have it on the menu cards (as you can see in the photo above) so you can enjoy it every time you sit down to order something.
There are 12 rooms at this boutique hotel, or actually this isn’t a hotel but Verena and Michael has branded this to be a modern B&B. All rooms are individually designed and of different sizes. What connects them is solid, craftsmanship and wood as the main design element.
Somethings worth mentioning are the breakfast. I love á la carte breakfast that changes on a daily basis. And the other thing is the spa area which is impressive, especially for a hotel this size. The windows from the indoor pool (yes, there is also an outdoor one) open up so you can lay in the water while enjoying the sounds from the vineyards surrounding the hotel and look at the Dolomites in the horizon.
Das Wanda is embedded in lush greenery, vines on one side and alpine forest on the other.
Welcome to Das Wanda. A boutique hotel with 12 rooms close to Lake Caldaro.
Some local flair in the reception.
Like so many hotels in this part of the world, wood plays centre stage in the design.
This corner of our room was my favorite. Perfect place to relax with a book and views of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.
The pool area. No inflatable flamingos here. Just calm.
A very stylish welcome package.
The view of the house from the garden, right next to the pool. So lush!
Me relaxing in the pool, enjoying the view of the surroundings. Since this is a small hotel we ended up having the spa area all to ourselves every time we went there. Perfect!
This was taken during one of our morning walks. There was a perfect walking path that took us for a loop among the vines and back to the hotel, ready for breakfast…
…but before the food, there was the mandatory morning dip in the pool…
…followed by a creamy cappuccino. Basically the most perfect start to any day. And then it was time for breakfast.
Breakfast with a view.
M is helping himself to the delicious breakfast, full of local delicacies.
A couple of kilometers from the hotel there is an organic farm called Hof des Wandels. This is a great little place that actually delivers produce to world renowned Danish restaurant Noma.
Hof des Wandels has a cute little shop where you can buy their products. Divine stuff!
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…want to stay at a really relaxing, small hotel with excellent service. A hotel that is located in one of the best wine regions of Italy, in the mountainous region of South Tyrol.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is that it is adults-only. There aren’t that many hotels that are adults-only that aren’t also super luxurious affairs somewhere in the West Indies. I really like that this is a welcoming, relaxed place in north Italy that offers some much needed tranquility.
The quality booster…
…is the welcome drink. You know that I Iove hotels that understand the importance of setting the bar already from the get go. Das Wanda has that all figured out. We almost didn’t have time to say ”Ciao!” before we had a glass of bubbly in our hands. My kind of place!
What not to miss when staying here is…
…to drink wine, the delicious local wine. And to explore the surroundings. For example there is a really pretty organic farm called Hof des Wandels, just a couple of km from the hotel. They deliver produce to Noma in Copenhagen, the best restaurant in the world according to critics. The best thing is that there is a small shop on site so you can bring home some of their amazing products.
If you like this hotel you might also like…
Villa Arnica, Lana, Italy
Maison Ceronne, Sainte-Céronne-lés-Mortagne, France
Prati Palai, Bardolino, Italy
