Naturhotel Leitlhof is a carbon-neutral, 4-star-superior hotel in Alta Pusteria in the Italian Dolomites.
This standout hotel offers mouthwatering cuisine (half board available), a multi-level spa, comfortable rooms, and sweeping views of San Candido backed by the craggy Sexten Dolomites.
Committed to sustainability on every level, it’s possible to indulge in a guilt-free holiday at this climate-friendly hotel. Naturhotel Leitlhof generates their own energy with their wood-fired combined heat and power plant (CHP).
Naturhotel Leitlhof is a perfect base for hiking, cycling, and skiing in the Dolomites. We stayed here twice in order to explore Tre Cime Nature Park and Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park.
- Where: San Candido, South Tyrol, Italy
- Number of Rooms: 62 rooms
- Dining: Half Board / Vegan and Vegetarian-friendly
- Hotel Facilities and Services: 2000 m² spa, bar and lounge, free garage parking with Tesla charging station, and complimentary shuttle service
- Winter Perks: Free shuttle to ski lifts, guided winter hiking and snowshoeing excursions
- Summer Perks: Guided hiking and biking tours, free bike rental, e-bike rental (extra charge)
- Closest Airports: Bolzano Airport (South Tyrol, Italy), Innsbruck Airport (Austria), and Venice International Airport (Italy)
- Where to Book: Booking.com
The Location
Naturhotel Leitlhof occupies a peaceful location above San Candido in Upper Puster Valley.
San Candido is a charming and atmospheric village in Alta Pusteria, wedged between the Villgraten Mountains and the Sexten Dolomites.
The hotel’s elevated location affords peace, quiet, and life-affirming views of the Dolomites.
If you’re traveling without a car, Naturhotel Leitlhof provides complimentary pick-ups and drop-offs to and from the San Candido train station.
You can also take advantage of the free hotel shuttle service, which takes guests to the village center of San Candido, the skiing areas of Monte Elmo (Helm) and Monte Baranci (Haunold), and the Val Campo di Dentro (Innerfeldtal) valley entrance. You can also join complimentary, guided excursions organized by the hotel each week.
During your stay, we recommend visiting Val Fiscalina, Prato Piazza, and Lago di Braies.
The best hikes we did during our stay at Naturhotel Leitlhof are the Torre dei Scarperi Circuit Trail and Lago di Braies to Hochalpenkopf.
Plan your trip to San Candido with our Alta Pusteria Travel Guide.
The Rooms
Naturhotel Leitlhof offers a number of different single rooms, double rooms, and suites, which stylistically teeter between traditional Tyrolean and subtle alpine luxury.
All rooms feature warm wood, natural light, and a neutral color palette.
The suites are particularly appealing with their modern lines, stone pine paneling, seating arrangements and sofas, and walk-in showers.
Check current rates at Naturhotel Leitlhof.
Wellness & Spa
Access to the 2000 m² spa & wellness area is completely complimentary for all overnight guests.
The colosseum-shaped wellness space comprises a multi-level indoor and outdoor area, including a heated, panoramic pool, overlooking the striking Mount Baranci/Haunold (2966 m).
The lowest level is a sauna sanctuary with a steam sauna, salt bath sauna, an herbal sauna, a Finnish sauna, a plunge pool, and a whirlpool. Additionally, there are two outdoor saunas (ages 18+).
The middle level is dedicated to an indoor pool and relaxation area.
The upper level is home to a fitness room and a quiet, adults-only relaxation area full of loungers and waterbeds. It extends outdoors to the crescent-shaped balcony, facing the Sexten mountains.
The green rooftop boasts a few loungers for those that want to sunbathe.
There are tea, or refreshment bars throughout the spa.
You’ll find your spa bag, packed with a bathrobe(s) and towel(s) in your room. Should you need spa slippers, ask the reception.
The hotel spa menu includes massages, facials, body treatments, manicures and pedicures, and relaxation baths. We suggest booking your treatments before your arrival.
On days of departure, you can use the wellness area all day.
Opening Times
Outdoor Swimming Pool | 8 am – 7 pm in summer and 3 pm – 7 pm in winter
Indoor Swimming Pool | 7 am – 7pm
Fitness Room (ages 16+) | 8 am – 7 pm
Sauna | 2 pm – 7 pm
Check current rates at Naturhotel Leitlhof.
Dining at Naturhotel Leitlhof
When booking your stay, you can decide between breakfast-only, or half board. We booked half board during both of our stays. The quality is superb and the portions are generous.
The hotel kitchen strives to use regional ingredients as much as possible. Vegetables and herbs are sourced from the hotel’s very own organic farm, Mühlhof, located only a few minutes away from the property.
They also raise their own Angus cattle on their farm. The meat is exclusively processed and served at the hotel.
Dining room tables are assigned. You will dine at the same table for breakfast and dinner. In summer, it’s possible to eat meals on the terrace. However, you must request an outdoor table the day before. Ask your server.
Breakfast
A decadent breakfast buffet is laid out from 7 am until 10:30 am.
Trays of pastries, cheese, cold cuts, fruits, yogurts, müsli, and smoothies sprawl across multiple tables.
In addition, you can request made-to-order eggs, crepes, and other breakfast dishes.
Marende: Afternoon Snack
A Marende is a traditional South Tyrolean late afternoon meal of sweet and savory snacks. A typical Marende includes Speck, bread, cheese, pickles, and cake.
Between 3 pm and 5 pm, you can enjoy the complimentary snack buffet in the bar-lounge area.
Dinner
Dinner is a multi-course feast, served between 7 pm and 8:30 pm.
The menu changes daily and features South Tyrolean and Italian cuisine.
There are several options for each course, one of which is always vegetarian. Additionally, guests can switch out the courses with the Leitlhof classics.
There are vegan menus available upon request.
Dinner commences with a dazzling, neverending salad buffet. It’s a gluttonous affair, one that will excite even the most jaded of travelers.
The ensuing courses are all served.
Sample Dinner Menu
Course 1: Salad Buffet
Course 2: Tirtl with Speck and herb Cream
Course 3: Peach, raspberry, rosemary juice, or pumpkin cream soup with ginger and shrimp
Course 4: Garganelli with radicchio, smoked goose breast and walnuts, or risotto with lovage and fresh porcini mushrooms
Course 5: Filet of shadow fish with cannellini beans and mountain artichoke, roasted saddle of wild boar with bay leaf jus, red cabbage and potato flakes, or vegetarian stroganoff
Course 6: Plum dumpling with walnut ice cream, or Fragolino sorbet with cookie
Check current rates at Naturhotel Leitlhof.
Guided Excursions
Each week, Naturhotel Leitlhof offers complimentary guided excursions.
In winter, you can partake in guided winter hikes and snowshoeing tours.
In summer and fall, you can join a number of guided hikes and bike tours. The schedule changes week to week, based on weather conditions and other considerations.
You can use the hotel mountain bikes for free. E-bike rentals are available for an extra charge.
There’s also a hiking backpack in each room, which you can use during your stay.
During our last visit in September, we could join:
- Tre Cime di Lavaredo Sunrise Hike
- San Candido to Lago di Dobbiaco Bike Tour
- Bonnerhütte Hiking Tour
- Sexten Mountain Pastures Bike Tour
- Haunoldköpfl Hiking Tour
- Helmhaus Hiking Tour
- Haunold Runde Hiking Tour
- Strickhof to Silvester Kapelle Hiking Tour
Check current rates at Naturhotel Leitlhof.
Service & Staff
The receptionists are extremely competent and helpful. The Check-in and check-out process is seamless and quick. The reception is open until 11 pm, which is great for those of us that love asking questions.
The whole property is immaculate, including the spa, communal areas, and dining room. Our room was cleaned daily.
Our only complaint is the dinner dining experience.
Though the food is outstanding, the pacing is very slow and, at times, disorganized. To avoid a very long and drawn-out dinner, we recommend arriving as early as possible (7 pm).
Final Thoughts
Naturhotel Leitlhof is an outstanding hotel for balancing outdoor adventure with stellar cuisine and relaxation.
The facilities are phenomenal and the overall experience is unbeatable.
We highly recommend staying here when you’re planning a trip to the Alta Pusteria region of the Dolomites.
Booking
For the best rates, we recommend checking out Booking.com.
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, 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
- Dorfhotel Beludei in Santa Cristina, Val Gardena
- My Arbor – Plose Wellness Hotel near Brixen, South Tyrol
- Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort in San Vigilio di Marebbe, Kronplatz
- Les Dolomites Mountain Lodges in Lungiarü, Kronplatz
