Castel Badia — Dolomites, Italy
Of all the smart new hotels that have recently opened in the Dolomites, Castel Badia—set in a manor house that dates back to the year 1000—is at the top of the pile. The hotel, an Alpine counterpart to Puglia’s Borgo Egnazia, was created by Ian Schrager’s protégé Aldo Melpignano, who brings a new sense of cool to high-end Italian hospitality. Since the 1970s, this building has been a courthouse as well as a convent and private castle. Recent renovations saved all that was possible: the wood ceilings, frescoed vaults, floors and wooden floors. In the traditional, casual Stube, a painting of an abbess looks down on the kitchen. Chef Andrea Ribaldone cooks dishes such as grilled pumpkin with truffles and oil. He will open a fine dining restaurant next year. The ancient castle is a place of silence, with life centered around the courtyard as it was in the Middle Ages. Through that nexus you access the garden, swimming pool, guest rooms (there are 28 in total, along with a three-story chalet), basement spa with frescoed relaxation rooms overlooking the mountains, and crypt of San Lorenzo, a protected site that, like the rest of the castle, is open to the public. Even as guests indulge in its sybaritic amenities, this remains a sacred space. From $638. —Sara Magro
