Dorfhotel Beludei is a 4-star superior hotel in Santa Cristina, Val Gardena, in the Italian Dolomites.
Set in a quiet location above the 14th-century Santa Cristina Parish Church, this welcoming boutique hotel combines fairy tale looks with timeless alpine interiors. The style is classic alpine chic with whimsical accents.
Dorfhotel Beludei stands out with its innovative kitchen, spacious suites with aromatic larch flooring, lovely spa, and personal service.
After having stayed here twice, we’re convinced that this Santa Cristina hotel is indeed one of the best hotels in the Dolomites.
Managed by locals who care about each and every guest who passes through their door, Dorfhotel Beludei feels immediately welcoming and warm. This isn’t a big impersonal hotel, but rather an intimate boutique hotel with only 24 rooms.
A fabulous breakfast buffet, afternoon snack, and multi-course dinner are all included in the room rate.
A huge perk of staying here is that you can join guided hikes throughout the week, at no extra charge. These excursions are exclusively for hotel guests. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the region and Ladin culture.
- Where: Santa Cristina, Val Gardena, South Tyrol Italy
- Number of Rooms: 24
- Dining: Half Board / Vegetarian-friendly
- Hotel Facilities: complimentary spa and free garage parking
- Winter Perks: Free Beludei Shuttle to ski lifts
- Summer Perks: Guided hiking tours with local guide for hotel guests only and free transit card
- Closest Airports: Bolzano Airport (South Tyrol, Italy), Innsbruck Airport (Austria), and Venice International Airport (Italy)
- Where to Book: Booking.com
The Location
Santa Cristina is the alpine village between Ortisei and Selva di Val Gardena in South Tyrol.
Compared to Ortisei and Selva, Santa Cristina is quieter and less overtly touristy. It also boasts a strong Ladin community.
Dorfhotel Beludei is situated at the edge of a forest, above the Santa Cristina village church. The hotel overlooks the village, valley, and Sassolungo.
In winter, guests are well-positioned to ski in the Val Gardena ski area and the Sellronda ski circuit. The complimentary hotel shuttle brings guests to the base of the Saslong slope, from where you can enter the Sella Ronda , or the Col Raiser/Seceda area. The shuttle operates between 8:30 and 11 am and again in the afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.
In summer, guests can hike directly from the hotel into Puez-Odle Nature Park. Trail 20 is located just behind the hotel. You can follow that trail to Baita Seurasas in 2 hours and Monte Pic in 2:35 hours.
Dorfhotel Beludei is a 7-minute drive to the Col Raiser gondola, the start of the Col da la Pieres and Piz Duleda hikes, and an 11-minute drive to the entrance of Vallunga valley.
The hotel is a 22-minute drive to Sella Pass, the start of the Sassolungo circuit trail and the Oskar Schuster Via Ferrata, and a 25-minute drive to Gardena Pass, the start of the Gran Cir, Sass da Ciampac, and Cima Pisciadù summit hikes.
From neighboring Ortisei, you can hike the Seceda to Rifugio Firenze circuit (also possible with the Col Raiser gondola) and the Resciesa to Seceda hike.
Read our Val Gardena hiking guide for an overview of the best trails in the region
The Rooms
Rooms are designed in a tasteful Tyrolean style with natural larch and swiss pine furniture, paneling, and ceiling accents.
All rooms feature untreated natural wood parquet floors, which produce a pleasant resinous scent.
Though rooms vary slightly in size and decor, each is furnished with a queen bed, balcony, seating area, ample closet space, flat-screen TV, and bathroom with complimentary toiletries.
The most luxurious room is the Deluxe Suite with Balcony (Tower Suite), a spacious 55 m² room with a larch ceiling and views of Sassolungo.
Check current rates for Dorfhotel Beludei.
Wellness & Spa
The spa is a two-story area with a Finnish sauna, steam bath, showers, and tea bar on the lower level, and a spacious relaxation room with a sun terrace on the upper level.
The relaxation room opens up to a rooftop garden with a whirlpool.
Additioning, there’s an indoor swimming pool with a striking mural by Moroder Simon (go de go).
Slippers, bathrobes, and a spa bag are provided.
Check current rates for Dorfhotel Beludei.
Dining at Dorfhotel Beludei
The dining area is located just beyond the bar. Seating is pre-arranged, so that guests have the same table for breakfast and dinner for the full duration of their stay.
Guests are either seated in the dining room, or in the Stube.
The Stube is a charming wood-paneled room, replete with a “Kachelofen” (tiled stove), linen draped chairs, lace pendant lights, and a fixed upholstered bench, which runs around the perimeter of the space.
Breakfast
A rich and varied breakfast buffet is laid out each morning between 7:30 am and 11 am. In addition, guests can order egg dishes and crepes from the breakfast menu.
The plentiful buffet comprises trays of pastries (croissants, tarts, and cakes), sliced cheeses, cold cuts, smoked salmon, vegetables, yogurts, and fruits. The müsli bar consists of various cereals, nuts, dried fruits, filtered and honeycomb honey. Additionally, there’s a selection of regionally-made jams and fresh bread.
Espresso drinks and coffee are served to the table. You can help yourself to various juices as well as lemon and cucumber-infused waters from the buffet.
There are also two juicers at your disposal with sliced oranges and other fruits and vegetables. Tea is also available at the buffet.
Marende: Afternoon Snack
In the mid-late afternoon, a complimentary snack is laid out for guests. There’s usually a soup as well as something savory (cold cuts and cheese) and something sweet (cakes). Grab a seat in the bar area, or outside on the terrace.
If you’ve been outdoors all day, it’s so nice to return to the hotel for a bite to eat before heading off to the sauna.
Dinner
Dinner is served at a set time to ensure the best quality of the food.
However, guests tend to trickle into the bar area for an aperitif before dinner. If you love beer, try the local Monpiër de Gherdëina craft beers.
Dinner consists of a salad buffet followed by four served courses: antipasto, first course, main course, and dessert. Fresh homemade bread is always served as well.
For the first and main courses, there’s always an option between three dishes including a vegetarian option. On the day of arrival, you’ll typically mark your preferences at check-in. On the following days, you’ll notate your choices at breakfast.
Dining at Dorfhotel Beludei is a very enjoyable and smooth experience, because the pacing is excellent and the staff is synced and well-attuned to their guests.
The atmosphere is refined without being stiff.
In many ways, dinner is our favorite part about staying here. The hotel kitchen concocts creative, mouthwatering, and balanced dishes, showcasing local, Tyrolean, and Italian cuisines.
The plating is gorgeous and everything is of the highest quality. Most ingredients are sourced locally.
If you need wine recommendations, just ask the resident sommelier, who is more than happy to help.
Check current rates for Dorfhotel Beludei.
Service & Staff
Service is impeccable: warm, attentive and personal.
The management and staff are intimately familiar with Val Gardena and can offer helpful and definitive advice about hiking trails, mountain huts, insider tips, and everything else.
This is their home. That makes all the difference, when your time is limited and you want to experience the very best that this region has to offer.
Dorfhotel Beludei introduced us to many of our favorite hikes in Val Gardena, including Col dala Pieres, Resciesa to Seceda, Piz Duleda, and Val de Chedul to Vallunga.
Final Thoughts
Dorfhotel Beludei is an excellent base for those seeking a peaceful retreat, away from the traffic congested areas of Val Gardena.
With its half board offering, guests can easily relax, knowing that a wonderful breakfast and dinner await them each day.
The vibe is pleasantly low-key, attracting sophisticated, yet grounded and down-to-earth travelers.
Booking
For the best rates, we recommend checking out Booking.com.
If Dorfhotel Beludei is fully booked, look for accommodation in Santa Cristina.
Dolomites Trip Planning Essentials
Use our Dolomites Travel Guide and Dolomites blog archive to plan an unforgettable trip to northeastern Italy.
When to Visit the Dolomites
Winter Season. For skiing and winter activities, the best time to visit is between mid/late December and March.
Summer and Fall Seasons. The best time to road trip and hike in the Dolomites is between mid-June and mid-September. If the weather is stable, the hiking season can easily continue until late October.
How to Get to the Dolomites
Read How to Get to the Dolomites to find out how to travel to the Dolomites from the closest airports, train stations, and bus terminals.
If you’re traveling without a car, also check out How to Visit the Dolomites Without a Car.
Car Rental
The easiest way to travel between hiking destinations in the Italian Dolomites is with your own car. Check out our itineraries for trip inspiration:
We recommend using the Discovercars.com car rental reservation platform to search for and book car rentals. This easy-to-use booking platform compares car rental deals from 500+ trusted providers, so that you can choose the best option for your trip.
Tip: If you can only drive automatic transmission cars, as opposed to manual transmission cars (stick shift), book your car rental as early as possible.
Best Places to Stay
Figuring out where to stay in the Dolomites is probably the biggest hurdle to planning a trip to the Dolomites. We’ve created three guides to help you decide where to stay:
- Where to Stay in the Dolomites in Summer: best villages and towns in South Tyrol, Trentino and Belluno
- Best Hotels in the Dolomites: best boutique and luxury hotels in the Dolomites
- Dolomites Accommodation Guide: farm stays, mountain huts, wellness hotels, aparthotels
- Best Val Gardena Hotels: best accommodations in Ortisei, Santa Cristina, and Selva di Val Gardena
We suggest choosing 2-4 bases for your Dolomites trip and spending 2-4 nights in each base.
- Base 1: Val Gardena
- Base 2: Val di Funes
- Base 3: Alta Badia
- Base 4: Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Base 5: Alta Pusteria
- Base 6: San Martino di Castrozza
What to See & Do
During your trip to the Dolomites, you can go via ferrata climbing, culinary hiking, hut to hut hiking, cycling, paragliding, and so much more. We’ve highlighted our favorite experiences in Best Things to Do in the Dolomites.
Wherever you decide to stay, you’ll be surrounded by glorious mountain scenery and incredible natural landmarks.
In Best Places to Visit in the Dolomites, we’ve outlined the most iconic attractions as well as lesser-known destinations across the Dolomites, including Alpe di Siusi, Val di Funes, Lago di Braies, Prato Piazza, Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Lago di Sorapis, Lago Federa, Cadini di Misurina, and Baita Segantini.
Dolomites Hiking Guides
Hiking in the Dolomites is our passion. Year after year, we love discovering new trails and expanding our knowledge of the area. For day hiking, check out 25+ Best Day Hikes in the Dolomites. For trekking, take a look at our guide to Hut to Hut Hiking in the Dolomites and Alta Via 1.
For region-specific hiking trails, check out:
- Best Hikes in Val Gardena
- Best Hikes in Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Best Hikes in Alta Badia
- Sexten Dolomites Hiking Guide
Recommended Hiking Guidebook: Cicerone Guide: Shorter Walks in the Dolomites
More Excellent Hotels in the Dolomites
- Hotel de Len in Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Camina Suite & Spa in Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Badia Hill in Badia, Alta Badia
- Locanda degli Artisti Art Hotel in Canazei, Val di Fassa
- Naturhotel Leitlhof in San Candido, Alta Pusteria
- My Arbor – Plose Wellness Hotel near Brixen, South Tyrol
- Les Dolomites Mountain Lodges in Lungiarü, Kronplatz
- Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort in San Vigilio di Marebbe, Kronplatz
