When I stayed at Sensoria Dolomites earlier this year, I had never skied before in my life. I had missed out on the school trip and I’ve not had the opportunity to ski since. As a kid, I was always daring and adventurous, raring to give anything a go and put my all into it. Since being an adult this part of me is reluctantly diminishing more and more as the years go on. Now, I could barely climb a tree without the fear of plummeting to my untimely death.
While I am sad I didn’t get the chance to learn when I was a kid before I learned the fear, in the spirit of trying something new, at age 31, I booked my first ski trip to the Dolomites in Italy.
Sensoria Dolomites, just a half hour drive from Bolzano airport, was the ideal place to settle into my skis as it’s located at the foot of Alpe di Siusi, the largest high plateau in Europe. It is a luxury four-star, adult-only, all-inclusive retreat with 45 minimalist bedrooms, two large suites, an indulgent food market and a panoramic spa tucked into the mountains of South Tyrol. If I turned out to be awful at skiing, or even worse - get injured (which I was very prepared for), I could happily spend my days relaxing in the spa instead.
The Sensoria story is remarkable. In a traditional South Tyrolean hotel that stood in the exact spot as Sensoria back in the seventies, two teenage members of staff fell in love, later buying it together and running it for themselves. They had four children who all lovingly grew up within the hotel. One is the wonderful Lea, who has been running Sensoria with her husband Simon since 2020. Lea embraced the legacy of her parents by pouring her heart and soul into Sensoria and elevating it into the luxury alpine oasis it is today. Sensoria prides itself on being ‘luxury for the soul’ and it shows. Each moment of a guest's stay has been carefully thought through by Lea and Simon to bring enrichment, nourishment and joy every step of the way.
The hotel’s design is a harmonious fusion of Scandinavian warmth and Japanese multi-functional minimalism, inspired by Lea’s travels around the world. It seamlessly integrates itself with the rugged beauty of the landscape with warming wooden accents making you feel like you’re in a Swedish sauna, stone surfaces reflective of the surrounding terrain and plush furnishings inviting me to unwind, while large windows frame the panoramic views of Dolomites. The first floor of the hotel is circled around an outdoor moss-clad terrace and central bonsai tree. At every turn I was drawn to it, an intentional move by Lea and Simon. I found myself side-eyeing the bonsai throughout my stay in the attempt to absorb some of its calming aura.
The bedrooms
The bedrooms are open-plan and minimalistic, but cosy. Soft and light boucle textures complement the hotel’s signature blonde wooden slatted walls, emblematic of Japandi interior design, creating a serene and comforting space to wind down after a day in the mountains. The bathroom contrasts against the rest of the room with its dark granite stonework, bringing the natural colours and textures of the landscape to life inside the room. I soothed the ski-day aches and pains away under the rainfall shower with luxury Aesop toiletries as my aid. Bliss.
We stayed in one of the hotel’s corner suites that overlooks the heated outdoor pool with the towering Schlern as our backdrop. At 8am, cocooned in my fluffy white robe, cappuccino in hand, looking up at the Italian mountains, really had me in my main-character feels.
The spa
The Japanese influences of Sensoria really come to life within the spa, from its architecture to its overall vibe. The signature pale wooden framework, designed with traditional bath houses in mind, is made from local mountain spruce and takes the aesthetic of the spa up a notch. There’s something about this spa that instantly takes the edge off. The frosty forests and colossal mountains that surround the hotel add to the calming vibe, as each side of the spa has floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the naturally tranquil environment. It’s like luxury forest bathing. “In Japan, forest bathing is seen as a preventive health care technique as it increases your serotonin levels, boosts your immune system and has a positive effect on blood pressure and energy levels.” Lea and Simon are on to a winner, the happy feeling this spa gives you from the views alone heartily soothes your soul and invigorates your senses and that’s not even the half of it.
The centrepiece of the spa is the heated indoor-outdoor jacuzzi pool. As you swim out into the icy winter air, the steamy water is your blanket, as you turn around you’ll notice the magnificent Scilliar peak looking down on you while you bask in total alpine bliss.
The hotel celebrates the European love for traditional sauna bathing with two daily aroma infusions. Another completely new experience to me in addition to skiing. Sauna infusions, better known as Aufguss is a theatrical sauna experience, where audience members predominantly sit nude in the 70 C heat, while a sauna master waves a scented towel in motions towards them all in time to upbeat music. You will feel a huge variety of sensations and emotions during a sauna infusion, it makes the minutes in the sauna go much quicker and you cannot miss it if you’re visiting Sensoria.
The food
Buckle up, because I could write a dissertation about the food at Sensoria. I did not have one bad bite of food at Sensoria, period. When you think of ‘all-inclusive’ your mind automatically projects all-you-can-eat buffet counters with ‘Mexican night’ theme posters and sombreros, not at Sensoria. Wellness is a fundamental part of the hotel’s ethos and it doesn’t fall short at the food and drink offering. Lea and Simon want to reduce any stress felt by their guests during their stay, you don’t need to make a decision on where or what you’re going to eat as you’re completely spoilt for choice. You’ll find no prices on the food menus, cocktail menus or wine lists, it’s all included, so you don’t need to worry about what you can afford as it’s already paid for. This is a generous touch by Lea and Simon, taking all the responsibility off your shoulders and allowing you to feel nothing but total relaxation.
Both your breakfast and your post-ski snacks are served at the indulgent food market, where you can wander from counter to counter taking your pick from warm hearty dishes to cold cuts, healthy fruit and vegetables and a selection of desserts. Obviously, the tiramisu is a showstopper - maybe the best I’ve ever had. Bellissima!
Anima is the evening dining restaurant at Sensoria. It promotes seasonal South Tyrollean ingredients and a selection of 70 locally sourced wines, each one included within the all-inclusive package. Each night, you can choose from a selection of options for each of the five courses you’re about to receive, it was honestly breathtaking. Each course is carefully paired with a wine, so you don’t need to trawl the wine menu. See my whole Instagram post dedicated to the food at Sensoria here:
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Skiing
When I tell you I was nervous to step foot into my first pair of skis, let alone actually descend the mountains towering above me. I am fiercely afraid of heights, but strangely crave the need for speed, so I was curious how this would pan out. I met Paulo from Ski School Seiser Alm, for a two hour private lesson, the only one I’d be having during this trip. He was so friendly and reassuring and very used to beginner skiers, which was exactly what I needed to hear.
He guided me through the motions, ushered me down the children’s slopes until I somewhat got the feel of it. We then headed to slightly longer and steeper slopes where he taught me how to speed up, slow down, turn and eventually but hesitantly ski parallel. He told me this was impressive for a beginner. The main thing I learnt from Paulo was confidence. Confidence is the utmost important thing you need when skiing, as soon as you let fear and doubt overcome you, you are face first into the snow, take it from me.
Following my private lesson and impressing my friend (a long-time skier) down some blue slopes, we went to the very top of the mountain. It was another blue slope. I’d already done blue, so why am I so scared?! My mind and my body were no longer in sync. My arms and legs were trembling. My body wasn’t doing what my brain told it to. Fear and doubt had taken over. All I wanted, was Paulo back by my side, reassuring me and filling me with confidence. I thought I’d never make it down. After a minor breakdown, a few wary tumbles and some very-slow skiing, I made it. I had learnt the hard way not to challenge myself too hard. I put my skis on the next day and stuck to the easy slopes until I got my confidence back. Next time, I will 100% be booking a private lesson every day of my trip, to improve my skiing, ask more questions and to get a confidence refresh every morning, setting me up for the new day.
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The Verdict
A trip of new experiences, nude sauna infusions and skiing for the very first time. Both, I would absolutely do again and again until they become second nature. Sensoria isn’t like one of the huge ski resorts. It’s special, intimate and feels more like a home. The truth is, you don’t need to be good at skiing, you don’t even need to ski at all. There’s plenty more activities available in the nearby mountains all year round like horseback riding, hiking and cycling. You don’t even need to be active at all, if you just want to spend looking up at the beautiful peaks of the Dolomites from your cosy spa bed, negroni in hand - then be Lea and Simon’s guest.
