Mystery-Check: Vigilius Mountain Resort, Lana
Yes, this is a continuation of our wine-intensive weekend at Merano Wine Festival where we had the exclusive privilege to stay at Castel Fragsburg - a long time favourite of ours. However being arrived on Friday, having been at the wine festival the whole Saturday, I was in mood for a relaxing hangover Sunday at a wellness place. Since I definitely wanted to make it to my friends place Oberwirt am Grieß in the town of Lana, there was just one option left to stay. Actually it was a place I always wanted to stay and thanks to a special deal at Designhotels - one of our cooperation partners - I was finally able to experience the famous Vigilius. Having been referred by our lovely PR manager Ines, I somewhat knew what to expect and how the stay would be like.
The most unique part is the actual location at an altitude of 1.500 meters high above the town of Lana - only accessible by cable car. Other than at the Riffelalp resort in Zermatt where we have seen a similar arrival, the tickets up the hotel are free for guests. This was already much appreciated and me and Felix were in for a surprise. Having arrived at noon, our room was not ready yet, however we decided to have lunch in the Stube Ida - the hotel‘s local and more casual restaurant option. While I was totally surprised of the prices, I could not say 12 euros is expensive for a huge escalope viennese style. Neither could we complain about the simple but good quality of the dishes. When the room was still not ready at 1pm, we made ourselves comfortable in one of the living rooms that boasted plenty of privacy and started streaming the FIS ski race. Within 30 minutes a friendly lady arrived and accompanied us to the room. While I knew that I am entitled to a one-category upgrade and being booked in the highest room category, this would actually result in a Suite. I checked the online availabilities and yes they had suites available. One call after, the front desk manager (he seemed to be after all) came to the room, apologized and showed us to the suite which was nothing but IMPRESSIVE!
A huge living room with a classy Matteo Thun sofa was the focus of the first view, followed by the cozy dining table in the corner, the comfortable armchairs and the two antique dressers. The highlight tough remained the massive glass wall with these splendid vistas of even the Dolomites - generally you could say you see the entire South Tyrol. There was no door to the bedroom however it‘s a design hotel so the focus is on design rather comfort. Anyways there was a huge king bed with the walk in wardrobe behind and a separated toilet that looked like a museum-worthy exhibition rather than a toilet chair. Next stop was the open bathroom with double vanities, walk-in shower and bathtub in front of the glass front to fully enjoy the majestic views.
After having gotten a perfect outfit for the both of us, we were getting dressed up for the best night of this eventful weekend. Just in time for the dinner reservation we took the last cable car down at around 7 something. One of the best things about this cable car is that it also runs at 10 and 11pm so you are more flexible when it comes to dinner options. And once you stay at the Vigilius you definitely need to try out the Oberwirt restaurant in Lana at Grieß 1. So did we and in fact it was just amazing - again. When we took the last cable car up the mountain, we arrived to a winter wonderland with fresh snow and another bottle of wine was opened. This time a classy South Tyrolean white by Hofstätter. We enjoyed our generous accommodation and the luxuries of our suite until we fell into the bed.
One of the most amazing feelings one can have - in my opinion - is waking up to a picture perfect winter wonderland when all mountains and trees are capped in fresh powder snow. My colleague being concerned about the winds, I had just one thing in mind and that started with S and ended with PA... Spa. Their indoor pool is actually one of the most photogenic pools in Northern Italy and with a perfect warm temperature it was the only right place to relax and linger on the hangover day like ours after a wine intensive weekend. There is also a hot jacuzzi next to the pool with an outdoor area which is simply amazing after a day of hiking, skiing or simply after trying out the local food and wines.
After I enjoyed the spa for a bit, it was time to leave and say goodbye. At check-out we had an issue with the bill, they had a position on the check that was not supposed to be there, however after telling them they immediately removed it. Before we left, the staff handed us over dried apple pieces as well as water bottles as a fairwell gift. All in all it was a great place to stay after two nights at the Castel Fragsburg to enjoy the spa facilities and a warm indoor pool, however I was struggling with the fact to always push the staff. They are not going the step further and fulfil all your wishes before you even tell them. You will need to tell them what you want in order to be a satisfied guest. In order to be successful in today's days, staff needs to be trained to be a bit more interactive and personal to get the feeling for what their guests might need even if they don't say it.
Finally it's a fair 6.5 out of 10 Points
We paid for our stay at the Vigilius Mountain Resort and this post was not sponsored in any way. It represents our personal opinion as usual and - obviously - has not been influenced.
