Hotel Cevedale - Val di Sole — Hotel in Comunità della Valle di Sole

My main purpose for choosing this hotel was for a snowboarding holiday. It was close to Marilleva/Folgardia ski resort. ||||Firstly the hotel was more than I had ever expected. It is rated as a 3 star, but I don't understand why it isn't higher. The service is second to none! Warm friendly service demonstrated by their handling of our check in. Part of my party had to pick up myself, boyfriend and my brother from Verona airport a good 2.5/3 hrs away from the hotel. Unfortunately we were stuck in traffic up to the mountains (very busy season 27th Dec - 3rd Jan) and we did not expect to arrive at the hotel in time for dinner. We phoned the hotel and they said that if we did not make it they would happily arrange for dinner to be kept back for us arriving! I thought this was a very nice touch! Arriving at the hotel warm and smiling welcome greeted us. ||||The restaurant was lovely, such a pretty restaurant. We were based on half board and every evening we were given a 3 course dinner....no buffet in sight (except for salads) I thought that was great, as I am not keen on buffet food. The dinner did have a pattern, soup or pasta for a starter, and main was either beef or fish. The funniest part was the fact that the hotel mostly entertained only Italians and not many English speakers and dinner was sometimes a surprise and a guessing game, as most of the waitresses were very vague in their English descriptions of meals. I though this added to the atmosphere and authenticity of an Italian hotel. Because we stayed during the New Year’s period, on the 31st we had an authentic Italian new year’s dinner, which I think had about 8 courses. It started at 9pm.....through to 1am...it was a tough dinner to get through, since we had very early starts for snowboarding. We were struggling to stay awake! But it was lovely when you heard and saw all the champagne bottles popping and random people hugging you and having no understanding of what they were saying to you (unless of course you speak Italian). Hotel also hosted a disco/party going on to about 5am.||||The Breakfast was on the most part basic but definitely adequate. If I remember correctly there was orange juice, tomato juice, tea coffee, and selection of cereals, meats and cheeses, breads and rolls, boiled eggs and a lovely selection of cakes! ||||The hotel does contain a pool, which I was told was lovely, although slightly on the small side. I never made it there myself, but I was told that you need to wear a swimming cap to use it. They sell these at reception for 2 Euros (I think). There are treatment rooms offering massages etc||||There is also a contemporary feel bar attached to the hotel, very nice for a drink before dinner, although locals also use this. ||||The rooms are spotlessly clean....I was so surprised, with it being a 3 star. Not one bit of mould or scary things in the shower or on the shower door or on the tiles. The rooms were kept at a lovely warm temp, had a lovely balcony. Beds were comfy, although I wish I had more than 1 pillow, but that’s common in most hotels. No refrigerators in room, but in the winter I see no problem with this, all our drinks, beers, wines sat out in the balcony and within 10mins were freezing. Perfect! No tea/coffee maker, but I brought my own kettle...problem solved! The TV was mainly Italian, German only 1 or 2 English channels. But barely in the room and I see no need to watch TV on holiday!||||Public areas of the hotel perfect, clean, warm and homely!||||The location...I am unsure on this. There is a free ski bus to get you to the ski resort 15/20mins away but is a local bus organised by the ski resort itself and I did see it packed with people (can of sardines comes to mind) Luckily we had a car and I believe that if you want to stay in a hotel that is reasonably priced over the new years period, then getting a hotel further from the slopes is required but a car is a necessity I would say! ||||The area was very quaint, with a little church (bells rang about 7am some mornings, quite loud) a little town square and some shops. Didn’t see many bars or restaurants, but we didn’t really explore the area. The little square right outside our hotel was lit up by fireworks on the bells at new years and everyone gathered there. ||||The ski resort, was mostly geared up for skiers, but was alright. Everything on the slopes cost a lot because at that time the Euro to the pound hit 1 to 1. (If anyone wants detailed info about the Folgardia/Marilleva ski resort just email me!)||||Anyway excellent hotel, suited for everyone! Speaking...

Okay, this sounds a lot like hyperbole, but I feel like the Hotel Cevedale saved my life. Well, it certainly saved me from wasting a terrible week stuck in a 1970's cement cakebox in Marilleva. And, I truly have not been able to stop talking about Hotel Cevedale and the beautiful Val di Peio (or Pejo) ever since. I very highly recommend Hotel Cevedale with one caveat: No jerks allowed. Seriously, it would break my heart for such a nice place to be ruined... Here are some key elements why I fell in love with the Hotel Cevedale:||1) Location:||We were simply exploring around the Val di Sole when we took a last minute right-hand turn off the SS42 because "Val di Peio" looked interesting. And man what a sight. Each slight turn opened up more and more beautiful vistas with charming (non-touristy) alpine villages. I love that Peio and Cogolo barely bring up any search results on Google. Which means I'm also kicking myself for adding exposure... so again please obey the "no jerks" rule. Essentially, Cogolo and Peio are the gateway to the massive and pristine Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio. Gorgeous peaks reflecting the magical dolomite gold; lush flora and abundant fauna; pristine, potable waters, and that beautiful sun. Based on the photos I saw, the winter looks just as amazing, if even more dramatic. Cogolo and the small villages dotted above and around are charming with their gardens, barns, and mix of Austrian and Italian influences. It's an outdoorsman's paradise. Of course, epicures will delight in the offereings - even the most humble roadside joint turned out delicious food. The Hotel Cevedale sits conveniently in the heart of Cogolo which lovely views on all sides. We used it as a center of operations for both day trips in our car as well as pleasant walks and hikes. Each day was capped off by a post-dinner ramble around the village after dinner greeted by friendly locals. ||2) Room & Board:||Honestly, I think the should be getting another star... Hotel Cevedale is a charming combination of it's 100+ years of history with some modern amenities and styling melded in. Our room was spacious, comfortable and clean and included a small balcony which I took advantage of for late afternoon reading. They manage to combine the modern and the historic in a charming manner. There's also nice outdoor cafe space and a full spa if you're interested. The restaurant is absolutely fabulous (and incredibly affordable!) They feature local Trentino specialties and ingredients and have a very deep wine selection. We had planned on having dinner in multiple locations, but found ourselves eating at Hotel Cevedale every night and fully entrusted our palettes with Signora Monari's recommendations. Seriously: wow. The only meal we did not have at Hotel Cevedale was lunch, but I understand they're also happy to provide a nice picnic lunch upon request. Did I mention that the meals were super affordable? ||3) Graciousness Defined:||I cannot say enough for the Monari Family who have been running the Hotel Cevedale for over one hundred years. Not only did they accommodate our last minute inquiry to move get a room (and extend our stay by another night...), but they were amazingly available throughout the day to share stories, offer advice - even with our limited Italian, or just share a laugh. Maybe it's all the practice, but we were incredibly impressed by their work ethic and even more by their graciousness. Their staff also lives up to that reputation.||||I will definitely be going back soon. ||||Now remember: no...

What a brilliant 7 nights we had at Hotel Cevedale the week before Christmas. I booked direct with Allessandra (one of the owners at the hotel) and she was very helpful with recommendations for the ski school and ski hire etc. whilst I was researching the area prior to booking. We were the only English people staying in the hotel and we really enjoyed learning a little Italian so we could at least try to converse a little with the staff and other guests. Allessandra and Enzo (co-owners of the hotel) were super friendly and helpful. We booked half board and the quality of the evening meals was amazing - we would start with a salad buffet and have four further courses (sometimes we could only eat two of those courses after having cold meats and salad from the buffet) :-). Our suite room was newly refurbished and gave us a great impression when we first walked in and it had the amazing aroma of the pine boarding that the floors and walling were boarded with. The room was warm and cozy at all times, and the bathroom had a rain shower and also one of the seated massage showers that was great for after skiing. The ski bus to Peio Fonti ski area is only a 50metre walk from the hotel and takes approx 10 minutes to get to the ski area. The buses are clean and well heated (even have a toilet on board if required). We (myself, my wife and our 9 year old son) used the pool and spa area every day when we returned to the hotel after skiing and this was a lovely area to relax for a couple of hours prior to dinner. The hotel is much better that the three star rating and definitely deserves a higher rating due to the quality of service and attention from Alessandra and Enzo, and the rest of the staff ( all of which were super friendly and helpful) and the high quality of the food . My son loved his stay and really enjoyed the attention Allessandra and Enzo gave him (he was even given a Christmas gift and santa hat by Allessandra when we checked out). The visitor centre in Cogolo is well worth a visit as well as it has a film show when you first enter showing the wildlife and horticulture in the area then has different rooms showing the history of the area and shows how the local population have developed tourism in the area whilst remaining sympathetic to the need to protect the environment at all costs ( entry is only 2 euros and was free for my nine year old). The whole area is amazing for a family ski holiday, everything is super efficient and friendly and the prices are very reasonable in the local cafes and bars and the drinks in the hotel are also very reasonable, certainly no more expensive than eating out at home, the ski school is next door to the ski hire centre in Peio Fonti which is also very convenient. We came home refreshed and in the mood to enjoy Xmas, and we feel as though we experienced a true feel of authentic Italian village life (hopefully it stays this way) !! All in all an amazing pre Xmas holiday and a great first introduction to skiing for my wife and my son. Peio Fonti is a great mix of intermediate pistes for myself and beginner pistes for my family). The ski bus allows access to other ski areas 10km away and the ski pass also allows skiing in these other areas ( we were happy to ski in Peio Fonti but in future we will do a bit more exploring). Grazie Allessandra and Enzo for making us feel so welcome and for an...