An adults-only weekend at My Arbor, South Tyrol
While fall is my least favourite season, November is all about wellness and regeneration for me. So it was no surprise that after my not-so-relaxing trips to Vienna and Zurich, I was in desperate need of a few days of doing nothing but relaxing. Thanks to the perfect geographic location of Munich, many Uber-luxe wellness resorts are just a short ride away. As winter was approaching in the northern Alps, I decided to fuel a bit of sunshine and so decided to stay in South Tyrol. With golden trees, green mountains and only snow-capped peaks, this northernmost corner of Italy was the last place in Europe where one could enjoy picture-perfect fall moments that last November weekend. As a new addition to the five-star-sector, My Arbor has long been on my bucket list and I was in for a pleasant surprise over this three-night stay. My friend and I left the Bavarian capital in the late afternoon and it took us exactly three hours until we arrived high above the town of Brixen. We parked the car in front of the main entrance and unpacked our car.
Once we entered the lobby, we were warmly greeted by a friendly front desk attendant and quickly shown to our Nest Suite. Spread over four floors, all rooms are valley-facing and come with a private balcony and stunning views of the Eisack Valley. Our room was located on the hotel’s top floor and therefore had the best view which could not only be enjoyed from the spacious balcony but also from the cosy daybed that felt like a „nest“. With 38 square meters, Nest Suites are the entry-level category and all come with a king-size bed that has a comfortable length of 2,1 meters. The overall design comes with a lot of wood that smells just wonderful and fits the surroundings perfectly. Right at the entrance is a space for jackets and shoes, followed by two wardrobes that even had a rack for trousers. I liked how they squeezed in the writing desk between the wardrobe and the minibar. An elegant twist of mirrors, earth colours and bright wood gave the room a very comfortable touch. Next to the entrance was the open bathroom with a single vanity desk, a walk-in shower and a separate toilet with a bidet. If you are travelling with someone else then your partner, you can make use of the curtain or the wood sliding door to separate the bathroom from the main bedroom.
Our Nest Suite came with a heavenly boxspring bed facing the valley, a small bench underneath the TV for bags and the cosy corner as mentioned earlier. It is all about the views here at My Arbor - and it is true one can not get tired of it. After we inspected the room, it was of course time to test the culinary offer at My Arbor. So we went downstairs to the ground level where the bar and restaurant are situated. While each room is assigned a fixed table for dinner, there is free seating for breakfast. We were lucky and allocated an excellent table in a niche right by the huge windows. Minutes after we settled and before we could even enjoy the wonderful atmosphere at the restaurant, our waiter Marta arrived with a friendly smile and warmly welcomed us. She explained how dinner works at My Arbor and took care of our wine order. Even though it was not snowing yet, we were up for a wonderful Barolo to start this extended weekend.
As part of the half board package (which comes with all bookings as of Fall 2023), guests are treated to a five-course dinner. However, for the very first time, I was proactively offered to take more courses than offered. Since we both celebrate dinners, we extended our menu with two more courses and could enjoy a wonderful seven-course menu with no surcharge. Should there be anything that you don’t like, you always have the chance to order something from their „classics“ menu - including beef tagliata, gnocchi or tagliolini Cacio e Pepe. Generally, the menu starts with a salad and antipasti buffet, followed by a soup, and a pasta dish and then with either one or two main courses plus a wonderful selection of served desserts or sweet delights from the buffet. Marta, Alexandra and the rest of the team went above and beyond to create an unforgettable evening for us, water and wine were poured when needed and the breaks in between the courses were just right. We did not encounter any issues and always got what we ordered even though the hotel was fully booked and every seat at the restaurant taken. Chapeau to the outstanding and super-friendly service team of the hotel!
My Arbor offers a very diverse weekly program on a complimentary basis, ranging from yoga classes, and sauna infusions to live music at the bar. With a very lively atmosphere at the bar, we decided to stay for our weekly round of Chess before heading to sleep. I loved their White Americano but nothing tops a bottle of Italian red wine in front of the fireplace in the bar area. With such fond holiday memories, we had a great rest and had enough energy for a day full of wellness and fitness. First things first, we headed down to the restaurant again to enjoy the extensive breakfast buffet. While you are offered an a la carte menu with egg dishes and daily specials to choose from, the buffet comes with everything you may wish for. Quality-wise, this breakfast can compete with the best hotels in Italy. I would say South Tyrolean hotels improved their breakfast spreads incredibly over the last years and My Arbor tops it with their a la carte dishes. Service was quick and friendly just as you need it for the first feast of the day.
Soon after we finally made it to the Spa Arboris where I was already awaited for a 50-minute deep-tissue treatment. My therapist had excellent knowledge and I felt that this has been one of the best massages I have had in years. All products used are locally sourced and wood-based to match the My Arbor theme. Spread over two floors, the treatment rooms and swimming pool are located on minus one while the sauna area is located on minus two. When my treatment finished, I joined my friend downstairs in the sauna area. It is necessary to mention that the entire minus two floor is a nude area - due to hygienic reasons. Normally I am a bit hesitant when it comes to nude bathing but since I forgot my bath shorts, this came in handy. It is to say that the sauna area was so spacious and perfectly designed that we haven’t been in the swimming pool on minus one at all. We spent two full days enjoying the steam bath, herbal sauna and event sauna right next to the new infinity hydrotherapy pool. During the sauna infusions, the event sauna gets quite busy, so we tried to enter when the infusions finished - turns out this was a great idea to still enjoy the infusions without the crowds.
What’s better to get into the festive mood than a swim in a warm-tempered pool underneath a star-filled sky next to a fireplace and before having a sumptuous dinner? You guessed it, a stay at My Arbor comes close to hotel perfection and of course, this comes with a price tag: Entry-level rooms as we were staying in start at 245 euros per person (based on double occupancy). However, these prices come with an excellent half board, access to the Spa Arboris and the weekly program. Overall it is to say that this is the price you have to pay when you seek a five-star-hotel with an extraordinary spa, top-notch service and stunning views. I normally don’t do three-night stays without ever leaving the hotel (island destinations excluded) but at My Arbor, I truly felt relaxed and could indeed recharge my batteries for the upcoming Christmas time.
