Hotel Paradiso Pure.Living — Hotel in Salten-Schlern - Salto-Sciliar

We’ve stayed in a few vegan hotels before, but this has been the most perfect stay ever. A hotel we now need to come back to every year. Everything was just perfect!

We knew the hotel would be in nature, but we didn’t expect how beautiful the surroundings really are. Views to the Langkofel on the right and to the Sciliar on the left. I’ve never seen a place with more stunning views. In late June everything was in full bloom and we did more than a handful of different hikes and trail runs right from outside the doorstep. We also loved having the Edlweiß Almhütte nearby to visit for a nice oat flat white after a hike.

Now to the hotel itself. I don’t even know where to begin. The rooms were spacious and minimalist, but so well thought through. This must have been the first hotel room where there was actual usable space in the closet for everything. Hiking, running, cycling gear as well as evening wardrobe. Super comfy bed, comfy outdoor chairs, even a cozy blanket. We unfortunately forgot our hiking backpacks at home and the hotel organized one for us to use during our stay.

We loved spending the afternoon in the spa. The saunas were almost always empty, the whirlpool was great, and we loved the swings where you could relax and just stare into nature. The gym was also very well equipped.

We joined the daily morning yoga class twice and it was so beautiful. The teacher was so lovely and it was the perfect way to start the day. Incense sticks, singing bowls, mats and pillows and blankets already laid out, beautiful music. One of the best yoga classes we’ve had.

And now the best part. The food.

We knew we had to come once we heard the hotel turned vegan and Angeliki Charami became the chef. And wow. Our expectations were already high and they were still exceeded. This was the best food we have ever had!!

Starting from the breakfast, we were stunned by the selection. Homemade soy yoghurt, all different toppings from hemp seeds to pistachios. Homemade seitan that you could enjoy with homemade butter, flakey sea salt, Tuscan olive oil and fresh bread. The best scrambled tofu and four other warm dishes. More vegan pastries than you can imagine. Pain au chocolat, filled cornetti, cupcakes! Delicious Kaiserschmarrn. Fresh organic juices. Great coffee. The best breakfast and a vegan dream come true.

We also ordered lunchboxes for our long hikes twice. At first they seemed a bit pricey with 28 euros per person, but they were so worth it. We got two delicious baguette sandwiches with falafel and seitan, homemade cookies, fruit and peach juices. We loved having this little picnic on our hike, especially since the Almhütten we passed didn’t serve vegan food.

Now dinner. My husband and I keep a ranking of the best vegan menus we’ve had and each evening at Paradiso topped that list. The food was so good, creative, so much variety and love put into each dish. Things I’ve never tried before. The atmosphere each evening was lovely, quiet and relaxing. The service staff were lovely too.

A special highlight we didn’t expect was the Japanese buffet night. Such a great surprise after a full day hike. I nearly cried tears of joy when I saw the sushi line up and didn’t have to think about what’s vegan and what’s not. There were teriyaki noodles, sweet and sour tofu, fried cauliflower, gyozas and the best matcha cheesecake I’ve ever eaten in my life. Seriously the best cake ever!

We’ve traveled to many amazing places but this stay at Hotel Paradiso, even though it was only five days, was one of the best holidays ever. Especially for anyone who follows a plant-based lifestyle. This is more than a hotel. It’s a place that makes you feel proud and seen for your choices. Just the most amazing experience.

I now have to come back here at least once a year. This is truly paradise on earth. If you’re vegan and love nature, you just need to come here.

This was my love letter to Hotel Paradiso and Chef Angeliki. I just adore what they’ve...

Beautiful location, but one of the worst hotel experiences we’ve ever had

We booked 3 rooms for 3 nights at Paradiso Pure Living, excited for a relaxing vegan getaway. We were especially looking forward to their food — but the reality was nothing short of shocking.

On our very first day, the “first course” was literally a few plain leaves. No dressing, no seasoning, not even salt. We brushed it off, thinking maybe it was just a one-off. But the next blow came on my husband’s birthday — a day we had informed the hotel about well in advance. Instead of making it special, they served the same plain leaves for the first course… and for the second course, plain white rice. No curry, no vegetables, nothing to actually eat it with. This wasn’t just underwhelming — it felt careless and thoughtless.

Before booking, we had clearly confirmed if they could prepare Jain vegan meals for us, and they had assured us they could. But throughout our stay, they failed to deliver. Even on their much-hyped “Mexican Night,” we were given only a few DIY options, and maybe 1 item from the full spread that was vegan while other guests enjoyed a full spread. We've stayed in other vegan and vegetarian hotels - and honestly everyone customises properly for Jain guests. We've been to Michelin starred restaurants and even they do proper courses as per Jain diet - even on a busy day (if they commit to it). But this place was nothing short of disappointing.

Also - they talk about sustainability - but when u ask for tap water at restaurant, they refuse to serve it. You have to order a pre-packaged bottled water - how is that a sustainable choice? Shouldnt they offer filtered water and tap water for people who dont want to participate in wasteful bottled water?

This is not a budget stay — we chose the half board option expecting decent meals. Instead, it felt like we had paid a premium for disappointment. My parents, who rarely travel and came along because it was a vegan hotel, ended up cooking from the food we carried with us because the restaurant simply didn’t provide proper meals.

And the birthday? The hotel didn’t even wish my husband. Not a gesture, not a smile. Before arriving, we had asked if they did cakes for birthdays — they sent a long email saying they cant offer freebies as they craft high-quality cake using premium ingredients. We trusted them and ordered one, even though it was for a whopping 100 euros😱. When it arrived, it was rock-hard, tasteless, and so bad that even the kids wouldn’t eat it. Half of it went straight to waste. When we politely mentioned this to them, they didn’t apologise, replace it, or refund a single cent.

What made it worse? The owners were actually on-site the whole time — fully aware — yet didn’t make any effort to apologise, make amends, or even acknowledge the issues. For a place that markets itself as a premium, mindful, guest-focused retreat, this was appalling.

We’ve stayed in many hotels across the world, but this was by far one of the most disappointing, unprofessional, and thoughtless experiences we’ve had. For the price you pay, you expect care, respect, and at the very least, edible meals. Here, we got none of that.

If you’re booking for the food or service and have a special diet —...

Where to start...firstly the beautiful, recently retrofitted hotel sits at 2000 m altitude next to a lovely piste in the middle of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. The skiing is gorgeous: wide, well kept pistes under impossible blue skies are a reason enough to be here.|The hotel is run by a family that also owns two other vegan hotels in Italy and is as serious about hospitality as they are about sustainability and, of course, food.|The team is lovely, friendly and helpful, rooms are comfortable without being ostentatious and the hotel is filled with contemporary art including by a number of artists who have taken residence here since it reopened.||And then the food.||Impossiblytalented chef Aggeliki Charami who also runs the kitchen at the Koukoumi hotel im Mykonos in the summer, has been in charge since last year as Paradiso transitioned to fully vegan - no mean feat in South Tyroll (or mountains in general!).||Aggeliki and her team produce food of impossibly high standards, inspired by her native Greece, Italy and everywhere in between.||Half board includes buffet breakfast (pumpkin porridge was a revelation), filo pastries stuffed with everything from herbs to peppers, excellent tofu scramble, fantastic selection of pastries (cream filled croissant anyone?) and a desert table heaving under crumbles, creamy tarts and chocolate delights.||Alo included is the dinner: a five course symphony of high end cooking mastery that changes daily with a 9 day rotation: last night there was a delicious cheesy foccacia to start - probably the best I ever had, followed by a version of the Ceasar said after which there were chickpeas in celery broth and the most sublime seitan lasagna i have ever tasted.|Finished of by millefoglie with pistachio ganache and yuzy cream.||It is insane.||There is also a la carte lunch available that has pizzas, vegan fried egg, bao buns and my personal favourite, gnudi pasta a la carbonara - so good I had it twice in a week. Which is 2 out of 3 lunches I actually managed to squeeze into my seriously expanded waistline. ||I absolutely enjoyed everything and so did the non vegan guests who were certainly the majority last night.||The very much non vegan people aplauded the chef as one would a rock star.||And this evening I am looking forward to my Omnia fine dining (as if everything else wasn't) 9 course experience that I will write about separately.||I could not be happier - thank you...