Peace comes dropping slow at this luxury location in northeast Italy. Tucked away in the mountains of South Tyrol, Hotel Chalet Mirabell is a welcome retreat from reality.
I have never been to a hotel—at home or abroad—that immediately struck me as the absolute perfect location for a honeymoon. No, I am not engaged, not in the slightest, but as I stretched out my travel weary shoulders and sipped on my extremely necessary welcome Prosecco, I immediately understood this to be a place I would return to in the distant future, love drunk and blissful.
Hotel Chalet Mirabell is, ostensibly, in Italy. But it is very northeastern Italy, tucked into the mountainous heights of South Tyrol, above the rooftops of Merano. A retreat in every sense of the word, a trip to this 5-star hotel involves a total suspension of reality. The real world exists far away, past the peaks in the distance, but never quite darkens your hotel room door.
The family-owned alpine hideaway is surrounded by wide open spaces and untouched nature. From your perch on a sunlounger by one of the many heated pools, you’ll spot sheep, goats, and the hotel’s own pack of alpacas. You’ll send yourself into a trance as you watch mountaintops tickle the passing clouds, and snore yourself awake when you inevitably drift off.
If I haven’t made it clear already, suffice it to say that this hotel is very relaxing indeed. Contrary to popular belief, I realised during this holiday that silence doesn’t actually sound like nothing, but a myriad of barely perceptible and strangely comforting murmurs of the world existing around you.
Hearing the breeze move the branches and leaves that hang overhead, the water lapping around my feet at the edge of the pool, the distant din of conversation and laughter in languages I can’t quite make out — it builds and layers to create this beautiful barely-there backdrop of sonic chamomile that’s borderline hypnotic. The White Noise app could never.
The room I stayed in was a Mountain Dream suite, and it was exactly as described on their website: “A harmonious mix of traditional Alpine cosiness, urban chic, and a touch of Mediterranean lifestyle.” There were gorgeous plush robes and slippers, the softest of the soft bed linen, and the bathroom toiletries included makeup remover, which is a novelty that I very much appreciated.
Every room or suite at Hotel Chalet Mirabell has glass doors that lead to either a terrace or a balcony, so you never have to deprive yourself of the views for even a moment. My balcony had a great big swing, to which I was glued most mornings (women don’t sweat, they gently perspire), before I padded down to the buffet style breakfast.
In terms of dining, Hotel Chalet Mirabell provided quite the culinary experience morning, noon and night. The 5-star gourmet breakfast buffet had all the pastries and fruit and cereal and juice we’ve come to expect from a top-notch continental, and the lunch buffet was equally as appealing, with Italian antipasti, delicious soups, and hearty pasta dishes to choose from.
It was, however, the gourmet evening meal that had me skipping down the hallway each night. You’re given a superior 5-6-course à la carte gourmet menu that changes each evening, and the presentation alone will have you all agog. In sum, the cheese soufflé was my peak, and my first experience with veal was my pit. I won’t be elaborating further.
Now, let’s talk wellness. On their website, they promise that you’ll “experience the art of sweet idleness in its many forms,” and I must say I really do miss that feeling of sweet sweet unproductiveness. The hotel’s 6000 m² luxury relaxation area encompasses a premium adults-only spa, a family spa, treatment area, and multiple heated pools.
In the premium spa for adults, there are various saunas, an outdoor sunset pool, panorama silence rooms, and steam baths. I availed of an utterly indulgent full body massage, which I am obviously still dreaming about, there’s a range of beauty treatments and body peels to choose from.
Few places manage to tread the line between romantic and family-friendly as seamlessly as Hotel Chalet Mirabell. You can enter the grounds of the hotel in a heady love bubble, or you can ball on in with the whole family in tow. You can lace up your hiking boots and thrust yourself into the nature that’s right there on the doorstep, or you can adopt the slow pace, and do as I did and watch nature happening from the comfort of a sunlounger.
Sarah Gill was a guest of Hotel Chalet Mirabell. Nightly costs start from €390, and are available for booking now at www.residence-mirabell.com
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