My IG Feed Declared Forestis the "Best Hotel in the World" — Here's a Realistic Review

But does the service match the view?

If you haven’t caught on already, my substack is somewhat of a Dolomites fan page. I’ve hiked hut-to-hut in the Italian Alps twice now (and will be returning again this summer)—the views, food, and culture make me want to go back again and again. Luckily, my younger sister lives in Milan which makes the 8-hour red-eye flight from New Jersey to Italy easy to justify.

After watching my sister’s Dolomites ski adventures enviously through my phone screen last season, I knew that I had to plan an Italian ski trip this year. My sister and I researched hotels in the mountains for hours, but there was one hotel I kept coming back to.

Forestis.

Forestis has lived rent-free on my Instagram feed for years. I’ve bookmarked dozens of photos of the property’s tree-top views, white curved dinner booths, and sun-lit saunas. I was dying to go and had almost booked Forestis on both of my previous trips. Every time I was about to hit confirm on the booking, the price tag stopped me. I had never paid over a thousand dollars a night for a hotel room before and the thought of spending a month’s rent on a few nights in a hotel made my stomach churn.

I mention this because I want you to know that this was not a casual booking or experience for me. I justified it for a few reasons:

1. I could create beautiful content at the property (which is my *ahem, job)

2. I was staying at Isabella’s apartment for free the rest of the trip

3. I am prioritizing trip quality over quantity in 2025

4. It was a multi-year wish list item

Because of the reviews I had seen online and the price tag, I went into the stay with exorbitantly high expectations.

My review also comes with the experience of having previously stayed at two other beautiful (and relatively more affordable) luxury properties in the Dolomites.

Spoiler: the hotel adds to the Dolomites experience but does not make the experience. In my opinion, the view of jagged peaks, abundant outdoor activities, and steaming plates of pasta at the small mountain huts is what makes the trip so special. You don’t need to spend anywhere near $1,000 a night to participate in that experience.

That being said, Forestis was magical but not as life-changing as the internet had led me to believe.

Here is my unfiltered review. Plus, a few other hotel options I’ve stayed at and loved!

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What I Loved:

• The view! Obviously! I stayed in a Tower Suite and it is the best view I’ve ever had out of a hotel room window. I could have spent days just in the hotel room.

• The room! The Tower Suite is super spacious and every inch of it feels luxe. The water pressure in the shower was 10/10, the mini bar was filled with complimentary treats and drinks, and the bed was one of the comfiest I’ve ever slept in.

• The food (specifically the breakfast). I’ll talk more about the menu below but the quality and flavor of everything I ate was amazing. The decadent breakfast spread (I’m talking five types of gourmet butter) is included in the room rate and was easily my favorite meal.

• The spa! I think the spa is a main draw for many of the hotel’s guests. Most guests use the spa in the late afternoon. It’s a great way to unwind after a day of skiing or hiking. Spa access is included in the room rate and private treatments can be added on for a fee. Isabella and I participated in the daily sauna ritual class, cold plunge, and star-gazed in the indoor-outdoor pool. Half of the spa requires a swimsuit while the other half is a textile-free zone. I recommend embracing the naked spas in Europe—it’s so freeing and empowering! TBD on how I’ll be handling this on my family trip this summer lol.

• The people watching! The clientele at Forestis is very chic and it was honestly fun to see what everyone wore to dinner and aprés ski. The perfect example? Italian fashion influencer, Chiara Ferragni, sat just a few tables away from us at dinner.

• Ski accessibility. The hotel is ski-in-and-out, making it super easy to hit the slopes and get on a chairlift. The ski mountain is called Plose. The runs were well groomed, the food at the huts was great, and it was busy but never crowded. We never had to wait in line for more than 4 minutes for a lift. A wonderful ski experience.

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What I Did Not Love:

*Disclaimer: these are based on personal experience and preference.

• The customer service (sorry!). I understand that I am approaching a five-star hotel experience with an American standard of customer service and that is not technically fair to do in a different country. However, based on the hotel’s price tag and the reviews I had received from other guests, I had anticipated a warmer customer service experience throughout the stay. For example, the hotel handled all ski equipment rentals (which was also very expensive)—I asked about getting a smaller size ski boot and the concierge reluctantly said she could “maybe” ask to have them switched in the morning. In the morning, there was no follow-up and no smaller size. I went skiing in boots that did not fit and that was that! Any questions I had about the neighboring ski slope, on-site dinner reservations, or rentals was met with a general reluctance to help. The guest-staff interaction was more awkward than welcoming, which was surprising.

• The atmosphere in the shared spaces. This is hard to put into words but the vibe in the lobby, restaurants, bar, etc. was kind of a downer. The hotel is intentionally minimalist, private, and peaceful (which is also what makes it great) but the shared spaces were so quiet that it felt strange to speak above a whisper. The Tyrolean character that I love from the mountain huts or other luxury Dolomites hotels I’ve stayed at was missing here. I was surprised to see that the hotel was fully booked when we walked into the dinner room because we barely saw anyone else throughout the day.

• The menu. While the food was incredible, the menu is definitely very fancy. I opted out of booking the nightly tasting menu (it can be included in the room rate for a premium) and boy was I glad! The dinner space serves two rotating tasting menus (regular and diet) and then offers some a-la-carte options. We ordered a-la-carte two nights and opted for the more casual “garden dining restaurant” on-site for the third night. In hindsight, I would have eaten there all three nights as the menu is less obscure. And again, the food was so delicious. I understand that some people book this hotel specifically for the tasting menu and this is just my personal preference.

• The bathroom and appliances. This is minor but again, was surprising because my expectations were so high going into the stay! The bathroom lighting in the room is atrocious. Like dimly lit from above atrocious. No person would want to do their makeup in that lighting. There is no door on the shower (for aesthetic purposes, which is valid). This is one of my general hotel pet-peeves because it makes for awkward shower situations if I’m sharing a room with someone I don’t want to be openly naked in front of. And finally, the hair dryer was from a different decade and required the button to be manually held down the entire time. Again, this is a minor complaint and a result of very high expectations—but still.

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A Few More Thoughts:

• Despite my few complaints, I would return to this hotel if given the opportunity. I would spend my own money on it again—especially if I am looking for more of a romantic spa experience. If you book a stay, I suggest approaching the experience with the expectation of a quiet retreat hotel with a gorgeous view. If you think you are walking into the absolute greatest hotel experience anyone has ever had (as derived from Instagram), you may be somewhat disappointed. *This applies to most things on Instagram.

• Forestis is somewhat remote and requires a car to get anywhere. There are no restaurants or shops within walking distance. If you want to experience the towns in the Dolomites, you’ll need a car. The drive is not very far to the town of Plose but does require going down switchback roads.

• I LOVE a luxury hotel moment but as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the true magic of the Dolomites comes from integrating within the mountain experience. If you’re visiting in the summer, I highly suggest hiking or taking the Gondola to a mountain hut for at least a night.

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Other Places I’ve Stayed and Loved:

Berghotel in Sesto

I stayed at this 4-star in 2022 after hiking hut-to-hut through Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The experience felt 5-star the entire time. It has an incredible spa, luxe rooms, and so much character. It is also more affordable than Forestis. It’s walking distance from restaurants, bakeries, and shops and a short drive from Cortina d’Ampezzo, a larger town. I’m staying here again this summer with my family and cannot wait!

Aparthotel My Daum

I stayed here last summer for four nights and it still didn’t feel long enough. This is an Aparthotel which means that the rooms are massive and even have full kitchens. There is a small but beautiful spa and outdoor pool. A fabulous breakfast spread was included in the stay and served in the lobby each morning—besides that, you have to go off-site for food or make it in your own kitchen.

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I’m obsessed with the Dolomites and feel so lucky to experience the region in different ways! TLDR: If you stay at Forestis, you’ll have a great time and if you don’t, you’ll still have a great time.