Chalet Hotel Hartman

The Chalet Hotel Hartmann is at Strada Rezia 308, in Ortisei, in Val Gardena: the street is the one that runs through the village, and the house stands in a panoramic and quiet position not far from the ski lifts, as the property itself states. Today the hotel works under the Alpstay brand and presents itself as Alpstay Hotel Hartmann, adults only. It is a small chalet, with rooms in three categories, Romantic, Panorama and Superior, all for a maximum of two people: there are no single rooms, and anyone travelling alone should bear this in mind.

The wellness area is compact and in proportion to the size of the house. The property states a bio sauna, an infrared sauna, a Turkish bath, the relaxation area, showers and towels. Access is free and there is no need to book. The hours are from 15.00 to 21.00 in winter and from 16.00 to 20.00 in summer. No pool is listed, and the site does not name whirlpool tubs, a gym or a list of massages: anyone looking for the large wellness centre of the valley hotels should look elsewhere, here the warmth is that of a chalet. In the room there are a bathrobe and slippers, first class mattresses and a pillow menu, and the house offers a detox programme.

The rules of access are clear: guests are admitted from 14 years upwards, a choice the house puts down to the wish to guarantee a particularly quiet and relaxing environment. Dogs are welcome with a surcharge of 25 euros a night, with the warning that under Italian law the animal may never be left alone in the room during the stay. The private outdoor car park is free, wifi is included and the rooms do not have traditional air conditioning but a cooling system that the house calls ecological, in keeping with the cool climate of the valley.

The buffet breakfast is included, served from 8.00 to 10.30, with fresh regional products between Italian and Austrian cooking and the choice between sweet and savoury; there is also a takeaway breakfast, at 25 euros if requested as an extra. In the afternoon there is five o'clock tea, with a buffet of local pastries, biscuits and cakes. The honesty bar is available twenty four hours a day. On dinner the property leaves no room for doubt, and this has to be said because the earlier version of this page suggested the opposite: in its frequently asked questions the site answers that the Chalet Hartmann offers bed and breakfast only and that there is no restaurant inside, directing anyone who wants to dine to the Bistrot B24 in Selva and the Blue Restaurant in Santa Cristina, the two places of the Alpstay group. There is therefore no half board. The chapter on intolerances also needs correcting: the earlier text credited the house with a gluten free menu, but the gastronomy page describes only breakfast and five o'clock tea and does not name gluten. What the property really states, in its frequently asked questions, is that the buffet breakfast offers a selection of products suited to different dietary needs, coeliac disease, lactose intolerance and vegan eating included, and it asks guests to report allergies, intolerances or particular regimes before arrival, so that the breakfast team can prepare what is needed. That is a different thing from a certified menu, and it concerns breakfast only. Also included are the Guest Pass for public transport, the ski store with boot warmers, skipass collection in the hotel and the store for bicycles.

It suits a couple who ski or walk in Val Gardena and want to sleep in a small, quiet house, with the sauna at the end of the day and no children about, accepting that they will go out for dinner. It does not suit anyone looking for a pool, a gym and treatments under the same roof.