Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort in San Vigilio, Ski-in Ski-out Hotel in the Italian Dolomites

Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort is a 4-star-superior, family-run hotel in San Vigilio di Marebbe/St. Vigil in Enneberg in the Italian Dolomites. 

With its generous 3/4 board offering (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner are included in the room rate), family-friendly as well as adults-only spa, and the most picturesque infinity pool in the Dolomites, this luxury hotel is a great option for a summer, autumn, or winter holiday in the Italian Alps. 

If you visit between June and October, Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort serves as an excellent base for hiking and biking in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you visit between December and March, this ski-in & ski-out hotel offers direct access to the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz ski area. 

During your stay, you can partake in a range of complimentary activities and excursions, including yoga, guided hikes (winter and summer), archery and climbing wall for kids, and more.

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The Location

Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort is located in San Vigilio/St. Vigil, a village in Val di Marebbe/Val de Mareo, which is a side valley of Val Badia. 

Val Badia is the Dolomites valley that runs between Val Pusteria and Passo Gardena and Passo Valparola. The upper part of Val Badia is branded as Alta Badia (holiday region/ski area), whereas the lower part of Val Badia forms part of the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz holiday region. 

Plan de Corones/Kronplatz comprises the Val Badia villages of San Vigilio, La Pli, Rina, San Martin, Antermoia, and Longiarù. 

San Vigilio/St. Vigil is the gateway to the striking Val di Tamersc (Valle di Rudo in Italian, Rautal in German), which leads into the heart of Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park.

Pederü is the starting point for hikes to Rifugio Fanes, Rifugio Lavarella, Rifugio Sennes, and Rifugio Fodara Vedla. During our stay in Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort, we hiked from Pederü to Rifugio Fanes and Rifugio Lavarella. 

If you visit in summer, or fall (June –  late October), the hiking options are endless in and around San Vigilio. We suggest:

• Sass de Putia circuit trail, starting at Passo delle Erbe
• Ütia Ciampcios – Kreuzjoch Circuit Trail in Puez-Odle Nature Park, starting near Longiarù
• Monte Pares, starting in Ciurnadù near La Val
• Armentara Meadows, starting in Bada, Alta Badia
• Pederü to Rifugio Fanes, starting near San Vigilio

In winter (December – early April), San Vigilio/St. Vigil lies within the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz ski area (120 km/74 miles of ski runs), which is part of the Dolomiti Superski Network.

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The Property 

Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort spans three buildings: (1) Dolomites Lodge, (2) Castello Excelsior, and (3) Residence Excelsior. 

The buildings are linked together by an underground corridor. 

The property is continuously being updated and renovated. In April 2024, the whole Dolomites Family Spa, the restaurant and buffet, 4 rooms, and 2 suites will be renovated.

Check prices and availability.

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Check-in

Before our stay, we were emailed a Pre-Check-in form as well as helpful information for our stay. They ask guests to communicate any food allergies and/or special requests in advance. 

You can also inform the hotel of your sleeping style and they’ll prepare the perfect mattress for you. 

Furthermore, you can purchase special Excelsior packages (e.g. room arrival packages, birthday cakes, flower arrangements, romantic arrangements, picnic sets, and more).

When we checked-in, we were given a short tour of the hotel on the way to our room. 

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The Rooms

There are several different categories of rooms spanning from traditional double rooms to modern, freshly-designed suites. 

We stayed in a 37 m2 suite with a private balcony, hardwood floors, wood paneling, a plush chaise lounge and coffee table, plentiful and functional closet space, and a large bathroom.

Our room was extremely quiet and comfortable. 

In the dresser, there’s a Nespresso machine with a dozen capsules (extra charge), an electric kettle with a generous assortment of teas (complimentary), and a mini fridge stocked with juice (extra charge). 

Book the best rates here.

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Wellness and Spa

The wellness and spa area is located in two main areas of the hotel. 

The adults-only Sky Spa is located on the third floor of the Dolomites Lodge, whereas the family spa and treatment spa area is located in the lower level of the Castello Excelsior. There’s a long corridor that connects the two buildings. 

The benefit of the disjointed wellness area is that the adults-only space is far away from the “louder” family-friendly wellness space. The disadvantage is that there are more saunas in the family-friendly space than in the Sky Spa. So, if you want to use a steam sauna, for example, you have to walk all the way to the family spa. 

Check prices and availability.

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Adults-Only Sky Spa

This is where you’ll find the cinematic infinity pool that overlooks St. Vigil and the Dolomites mountains.

The Sky Spa is the newest addition to the wellness area. It’s a gorgeous space with a large relaxation area with cuddle boxes and lounge chairs, an outdoor terrace, a tea and snack bar (with nuts and dried fruits), a large Finnish sauna (textile-free), showers, and two 2-person infrared saunas.

The only thing that the Sky Spa is missing is a steam sauna. 

There are daily infusions in the Finnish sauna. 

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Family Spa 

The Family Spa occupies the lower levels of the Castello Excelsior building. Most of the space is dedicated to families with children, with the exception of two adults-only saunas (1 steam and 1 Finnish). 

Compared to the Sky Spa, this whole area is quite dated and in need of renovation. Fortunately, the family spa will be renovated in April 2024. 

There’s an outdoor whirlpool and indoor pool for families, tepidarium, finnish sauna, sanarium, Kneipp pool, bio herbal sauna, sole inhalation grotto, and larch sauna. There are also relaxation rooms here as well. 

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Dining at Excelsior 

All guests receive 3/4 board as part of their stay, which includes breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner. 

The hotel can accommodate all dietary restrictions, special requests, and allergies (surcharge may apply). 

Dining seats are assigned. You’ll eat breakfast and dinner at the same table during your whole stay. 

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Breakfast

The breakfast buffet is supplemented with a made-to-order menu featuring egg dishes, crepes, fruit shakes, and more. 

Coffee is served to the table. Tea (loose leaf and tea bags) is available at the buffet. 

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Lunch

A light lunch buffet is laid out between 12:30 pm and 2 pm. It comprises a daily soup, salads, and warm dishes (including a vegetarian dish). 

Water is freely available. You can also order drinks, but there’s no pressure to do so. 

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Afternoon Snack / Teatime 

Between 2:30 pm and 5 pm, you can help yourself to a selection of sweet and savory snacks at the buffet. Tea and water are complimentary. 

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Dinner

We were very impressed by the smoothness of the dinner service. The pacing was perfect and the staff was diligent. 

A delicious, gourmet dinner is served in four courses: starter, first course, second course, and dessert. The food was excellent. 

A full water carafe is provided at dinner, which we greatly appreciated. 

There is an alternative menu, which is basically a kid’s menu. We don’t recommend supplementing daily courses with these alternative menu choices. 

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Sample Ladin-Themed Dinner Menu

Starter

• Duck breast carpaccio

First Course

• Healthy Detox smoothie: strawberry, red turnip and black grapes
• Ladin-style barley soup
• Pressed dumpling with herb and gray cheese, hazelnut butter, stewed lettuce, homemade cranberry jam
• Fried dough bags filled with chanterelle and cottage cheese

Second Course

• Wok-fried mignon vegetables with tofu
• Local lamb chunks – black and curly cabbage with garlic, potatoes with local herbs 

Dessert

• Mixed local cheese plate
• Sweet cheese mousse with vanilla, marinated apricots, peanut butter ice cream on yogurt earth, hazelnut crunch, strawberry meringues 

In addition to the four served courses, there’s a small salad buffet and a kid-friendly ice cream buffet. 

Book the best rates here.

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Excelsior Cocktail Bar 

The bar shares the same space as the lobby. The bartenders approach cocktail-making as an art and even as a show. The bar is open between 3 pm and midnight. 

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Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort Hotel Perks 

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HolidayCard 

The HolidayCard is a transit card, which grants you unlimited access to the entire South Tyrolean public mobility SAD free of charge. 

The complimentary HolidayCard is distributed upon request at the reception. 

During our stay, we used the HolidayCard for the bus ride between San Vigilio and Pederü. 

Book the best rates here.

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Weekly Program 

The Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort weekly program highlights special events in the region as well as guided excursions, exercise classes, sauna infusions, and more. 

All the excursions are complimentary, but require a reservation. 

Good to Know | On Fridays, the Sky Spa infinity pool stays open until 11 pm. And, on Sundays, the hotel owners (Call family) welcome guests to dinner with an aperitif. 

Check prices and availability.

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Kid-Friendly Spaces 

Kids have access to an indoor lounge, where they can play video games, pool, table tennis, iWall, and more.

While supervised by the Excelsior staff, kids can climb the Excelsior climbing wall. The climbing route zigzags up the Dolomites Lodge building. They can also partake in archery (weekly program activity). 

Behind the hotel, there’s an adventure park in the forest with a tree house, rope garden, and slackline. 

Kids can also watch movies in the Excelsior Cinema, play in the craft room, and more. 

Book the best rates here.

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Service and Staff

The owner, Werner Call, is involved in the day-to-day running of the hotel. He’s available for questions, gives great advice, and is a fabulous host. 

We were very impressed by the dining staff, a team made up of hardworking professionals. It’s evident that they are giving each meal service their absolute all. 

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Final Thoughts 

Overall, we enjoyed our experience staying at Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort. We loved our suite, the quality of the dinner, the adults-only Sky Spa, and the location.

The resort looks uniform and aesthetically harmonious from the outside. The interior, however, is a bit discombobulated. Newly renovated contemporary spaces clash with the dated areas of the hotel. But, this observation will soon be obsolete, as many areas of the hotel will be renovated in Spring.

We think this is a great hotel in the Dolomites for families with children, as there are many spaces and activities devoted to children. 

Book the best rates here.

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Booking

We recommend booking your stay using booking.com for the greatest flexibility (cancellation options), best rates, and efficient booking process.

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