Parc Hotel Florian — Hotel in Salten-Schlern - Salto-Sciliar

We stayed at Florian three of ten nights in Italy, traveling with kids 9 and 12. It was the favorite of our four hotels. We had two adjacent rooms with balconies, one with a prime view of Schlern, the stunning peak at the edge of town. Beds are extra firm, which we found standard in Italy; duvets are plush and soft. Built-in shelving is roomy for suitcases. Clean, typical private bathrooms; robes and slippers. No A/C but windows open wide and the night air is fine.||Breakfast/dinner included in the 3/4 plan. You're assigned a table and a server for your whole visit. It's easy and convenient. Breakfasts are lavish buffets, and you're presented with a printout for that night's dinner. You mark off which courses and items you desire - it's that easy. Wine not included but reasonable - about 22 euro per bottle. The sunny, well-stocked game room we used every night after dinner. Gardens are well maintained, with private areas for reading/napping and grassy areas where kids kicked around a soccer ball. Large outdoor pool with comfortable chaises (where Ursula delivered a bottle of frizzante to us after our long hike). Did I mention the afternoon spa? It's quite small but SO nice after six hours on the Alpe di Suisi: aromatherapy room, dry sauna, cold plunge, and warm jacuzzi. ||We parked our car on arrival and didn't touch it for three days. The bus stop is right out front, or take the easy 10-minute walk along a quaint little alleyway to the cablecar that takes you up the mountain for a full day of hiking or biking. It's 32 euro for a roundtrip family ticket; the smaller cablecars once you're up each have their own pricing. Bikes were 18 euro for a half-day rental, with a discount for staying at Florian. I can't say enough about how amazing the Alpe di Suisi is. Vast, panoramic views, hikes through wildflower meadows by cold mountain streams; welcoming little mountain huts and restaurants dotted along the paths. ||Get out of busy Compatsch and up to the hills beyond. Take the easy bus to Saltria, then the Florian (no relation) cablecar up even higher. Hike about and then eat lunch at Williamshutte (wurst, schnitzel, ratlers) while kids enjoy the playground. Note about the bike rental: Marketing photos make it look easy. Our kids bike often, but this was hard for them: much uphill, and some surprise single-track that challenged even the grownups. If you are a skilled, avid mountain biker, you'll LOVE it. If you're a flatland biker, might stick to the hikes.||Hotel Parc Florian is a friendly, clean, fairly luxurious base of operations for exploring the Dolomites. The only thing I'd have liked would be a self-service laundry room. They offered hotel laundering, but it was 1-2 euro per piece - impractical for our family's week of clothes. ||We were the only Americans at the time (which we enjoyed); I get the feeling non-Europeans are rare - we were introduced a few times as "The Americans" and told that August is mostly Italian families. German is the first language here and it's really fun to feel like you've entered another world without crossing a border. We very much look forward...

We stayed at Florian three of ten nights in Italy, traveling with kids 9 and 12. It was the favorite of our four hotels. We had two adjacent rooms with balconies, one with a prime view of Schlern, the stunning peak at the edge of town. Beds are extra firm, which we found standard in Italy; duvets are plush and soft. Built-in shelving is roomy for suitcases. Clean, typical private bathrooms; robes and slippers. No A/C but windows open wide and the night air is fine.||Breakfast/dinner included in the 3/4 plan. You're assigned a table and a server for your whole visit. It's easy and convenient. Breakfasts are lavish buffets, and you're presented with a printout for that night's dinner. You mark off which courses and items you desire - it's that easy. Wine not included but reasonable - about 22 euro per bottle. The sunny, well-stocked game room we used every night after dinner. Gardens are well maintained, with private areas for reading/napping and grassy areas where kids kicked around a soccer ball. Large outdoor pool with comfortable chaises (where Ursula delivered a bottle of frizzante to us after our long hike). Did I mention the afternoon spa? It's quite small but SO nice after six hours on the Alpe di Suisi: aromatherapy room, dry sauna, cold plunge, and warm jacuzzi. ||We parked our car on arrival and didn't touch it for three days. The bus stop is right out front, or take the easy 10-minute walk along a quaint little alleyway to the cablecar that takes you up the mountain for a full day of hiking or biking. It's 32 euro for a roundtrip family ticket; the smaller cablecars once you're up each have their own pricing. Bikes were 18 euro for a half-day rental, with a discount for staying at Florian. I can't say enough about how amazing the Alpe di Suisi is. Vast, panoramic views, hikes through wildflower meadows by cold mountain streams; welcoming little mountain huts and restaurants dotted along the paths. ||Get out of busy Compatsch and up to the hills beyond. Take the easy bus to Saltria, then the Florian (no relation) cablecar up even higher. Hike about and then eat lunch at Williamshutte (wurst, schnitzel, ratlers) while kids enjoy the playground. Note about the bike rental: Marketing photos make it look easy. Our kids bike often, but this was hard for them: much uphill, and some surprise single-track that challenged even the grownups. If you are a skilled, avid mountain biker, you'll LOVE it. If you're a flatland biker, might stick to the hikes.||Hotel Parc Florian is a friendly, clean, fairly luxurious base of operations for exploring the Dolomites. The only thing I'd have liked would be a self-service laundry room. They offered hotel laundering, but it was 1-2 euro per piece - impractical for our family's week of clothes. ||We were the only Americans at the time (which we enjoyed); I get the feeling non-Europeans are rare - we were introduced a few times as "The Americans" and told that August is mostly Italian families. German is the first language here and it's really fun to feel like you've entered another world without crossing a border. We very much look forward...

The Florian is a chalet on a grand scale backing onto a large garden with (unheated) swimming pool and many restful nooks. The rooms are comfortable and modern, those at the front having magnificent views of the Alpe di Siusi, and those at the back looking out on the garden. There is a road in front of the hotel but the traffic is not frequent enough to be disturbing. ||||Breakfasts are ample and dinner a splendid parade of the best in Austro-Italian cuisine, with a good list of wines from nearby and other Italian regions. The waiting staff are efficient and pleasant, with excellent memories enabling them to anticipate your wishes after a day or two. ||||The hotel is a few minutes walk from the centre and much quieter than most hotels in the town. A shuttle bus (number 5) stops right outside the door and goes straight to the cable car station in less than 10 minutes. This is a family hotel so expect a number of children among the guests. ||||A thoroughly enjoyable place to stay, preferably for an unhurried long week-end or week in...