46°40’42”N, 11°42’32”E Anders Guest Suites, Dolomites, Italy

‘Anders’ really is something else: its flowing lines draw the eye to the horizon, creating a spectacular backdrop for simple and soothing hotel suites. A special slopeside sanctuary.

Owner Andreas Plattner is the epitome of a good host: a chef, visionary and raconteur with hospitality in his blood. When he dreamed of reinventing his parents’ original ski hotel, he turned to local architect Martin Gruber to create a more intimate, modest and peaceful place for guests to stay. The resulting build uses organic design elements to anchor sleek modern lines: a viewing gallery dedicated to the landscape.

Mist-wreathed scenery is the only decoration needed here – the stripped-back interiors are kept as simple as possible so as not to compete with that all-consuming world view. Sleek but tactile furnishings are picked with an eye for detail: hand-made Schenk mattresses; Italian furniture from Rowea; natural finishes and absolutely nothing unnecessary.

Rooms For guests, there are seven split-level suites with private gardens and saunas; spacious split-level holiday apartments with separate living and sleeping areas. Create a meal in your kitchen with a recipe box or using treasures found in your minifridge – bacon from a nearby farm, perhaps, or freshly laid eggs; or join Andreas for a convivial family-style supper conjured from regional specialities. Make yourself at home.

How far to the nearest…

• Resident neighbour 500m
• Ski lift 600m
• Shop 5km
• Café/Restaurant 1km
• Town Brixen 20km
• Airport Bolzano 66km

Altitude 1.850m.

Build Rubble from the original hotel was used as backfill rather than being transported down the mountain; untreated, sustainable spruce wood constitutes a large part of the build.

Energy The hotel is heated by a low-carbon wood-pellet stove system.

Environment Set in the Dolomites Unesco World Heritage Site. Scaling the original hotel down from its 50-room footprint to a seven-suite sanctuary in the hillside released the landscape back to nature. Organic ingredients are grown in the kitchen garden.

Community Fewer guests means fewer staff needed from far afield, fewer resources used and less waste; employees all live nearby, and Anders supports the wider community by sourcing everything for the kitchen locally.

Digital detox Watch the world through your windows instead of the TV.

Creature comforts Fitted kitchen with coffee-maker; mini-fridge stocked with regional treats. Private saunas. Rain showers. Finnish saunas. Free WiFi.

Spring and summer are the stuff of hill-walkers’ dreams, as Alpine flowers spread over fields and streams rush with snowmelt; winter’s wonderland of frost-bound fir branches and pristine snowfields beckons for fun on skis and sledges.

Engage

The twin peaks of Peitlerkofel and the dragon’s jaw profile of the Odle Group chain fill the horizon – there are no end of hiking and biking trails to explore. In winter, you can ski straight out onto the slopes and store your kit in the hotel’s ski cellar: there are over 40 miles of ski runs to pick from, including Tyrol’s longest, the famous Trametsch. Explore Brixen’s mediaeval frescoes, Renaissance art and Baroque cathedral.

Savour

Start the day with breakfast in a basket delivered to your room, or graze on the buffet in the lounge. Food with an organic ethos is a focus here: foraged chanterelles, or blueberries and herbs hand-picked from the garden; the honesty bar is packed with cocktail kits and tempting snacks. Raid the walk-in wine cellar with Andreas for a bottle of something spicy and special, then join your adopted host family for dinner. The South Tyrolean specialities on the menu are made with produce from neighbouring farmers - it’s regional cuisine given a Mediterranean twist. Ingredients can be also delivered to you in a basket for a DIY supper.

Go slow

Join a guided meditation session on the terrace; take a yoga mat and catch the instant the distant rock ridges glow pink at sunrise; forage for scented herbs or simply sit by the fire and watch the flames chase smoke up the chimney.