Hotel Olympia: The Best Place to Stay in the Dolomites

Hotel Olympia is the best place to stay in the Dolomites.

Period.

In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s one of the best places to stay in Europe.

I’d put it in my top 5 and maybe even in my top 3 favorite hotels.

Hotel Olympia really is that special.

So let me tell you how I came to find this hotel.

Because the story is rather serendipitous.

But first…

Where exactly is Hotel Olympia?

I hear you.

You’re saying, “Ok, Lynne. I get it. Hotel Olympia is awesome. But where is it and what is there to do nearby?”

Hotel Olympia is in the town of San Vigilio di Marebbe.

I’ve written about this beautiful village in the Alto Adige region of northern Italy, also known as Südtirol.

San Vigilio di Marebbe is surrounded by the Dolomites and is the home of Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park.

It makes a great base to explore this area in summer or early autumn as there are trails for hiking and biking.

In winter you can ski, snowboard or cross country ski or snowshoe as San Vigilio di Marebbe is part of the Plan de Corones ski resort.

There are beautiful drives to make in the area as well.

And there are other charming mountain towns nearby.

Hotel Olympia sits just a wee bit above the town.

You can walk to the center of the village in a couple of minutes — maybe even in one minute as it is all downhill!

Okay, so, now that I’ve sold you on visiting the area and told you where Hotel Olympia is located, let’s delve into more about this amazing hotel in the Dolomites.

My first stay at Hotel Olympia

So back in 2014 I was booked into another hotel in San Vigilio di Marebbe.

It was late- September and I was making my first trip to this area of the Südtirol.

I received an email a few days before my visit saying the hotel — where I had planned to stay — was going to close for the season a bit early.

You see, some of the accommodation in this mountain village close in autumn for a couple of months before opening again for the ski season.

The owner of the hotel had taken the liberty of booking me into another accommodation.

As long as it was okay with me, I would stay there.

So I did what any reasonable person would do — I Googled Hotel Olympia.

And I liked what I saw.

When I arrived to Marco’s warm greetings in September 2014, I was feeling better about this hotel change.

Then Marco showed me to my room — and I was feeling even better about it all.

After eating dinner at the restaurant and meeting Camilla, Marco’s daughter, I was quickly falling in love with this small, family-run hotel.

By the time I left — 4 days and nights later — I knew I would return.

So 5 years later…

I finally returned.

Marco gave me a hard time about the fact that it took 5 years.

Deservedly so.

I wish I had returned sooner.

But here I was in mid-June of 2019 finally back at Hotel Olympia.

Marco and his family had made some changes.

They redecorated the rooms and added a hydro pool.

These additions simply make Hotel Olympia that much better and truly elevated it to the status of the best place to stay in the Dolomites.

So let me break it all down.

The rooms at Hotel Olympia

The rooms at Hotel Olympia are fabulous!

I thought the rooms were great back in 2014.

Simple, but lovely with lots of wood.

Now the family have added some unique decor to the rooms to make them a bit more homey.

And it works because it’s just the right amount.

There are 21 rooms spread across 3 floors.

Almost every room has a balcony with fabulous views — because there are no bad views!

Hotel Olympia has rooms that can accommodate families or groups.

Each room has a tv with lots of channels, free wifi, toiletries, good-sized bathrooms, hair dryers, hot water, fluffy towels and bathrobes.

The beds are comfy with cushy pillows and warm comforters.

You’ll find a desk and a wardrobe for your belongings as well.

I stayed in the same room, 24, both times.

I love this room and love the view.

It’s definitely one of the smaller rooms at 25 square meters, but definitely big enough for a couple.

The rooms at Hotel Olympia really are outstanding and make this hotel a wonderful place to stay in San Vigilio di Marebbe.

The Breakfast

Wow!

The breakfast buffet is superb with lots of tasty foods to choose from.

Seriously, this is probably the largest choice I’ve seen in a breakfast buffet that is also of a high quality.

Cheeses, meats, breads, cakes, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juices, coffee, tea.

Yup.

You can definitely fuel up before you go hike, bike or ski.

How’s that for the best place to stay in the Dolomites?

And at no extra cost.

The Ahhh…..Spa

Somehow I completely missed the spa on my first visit to Hotel Olympia.

Probably because of the hotel change.

So as I perused the website getting ready for this second stay in San Vigilio di Marebbe, I noticed the page for the spa.

Whaaatttt?

A pool?

Yes I missed the hydro/jacuzzi pool the first time because Hotel Olympia didn’t have this — although they’ve had the different saunas for quite some time.

Marco added the pool a couple of years ago.

Well done!

I made a point to visit the spa each day to try out the different saunas and get in the pool, of course.

Spas are common in this part of Italy.

It’s a German-Austrian thing and this piece of Italy — Alto Adige, Südtirol in German — was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to WWI.

So many of the hotels, and even some of the smaller guesthouses, have some sort of spa — even just a sauna.

Hotel Olympia has made their spa and wellness area exceptionally appealing with its decor and all it offers.

It’s the perfect place to relax on your holiday in the Dolomites.

The rest of the hotel

Hotel Olympia has a cozy bar area.

Admittedly, I didn’t really spend any time here outside of sitting and talking to Marco a bit.

But I love the decor of this part of the hotel.

And I can imagine it being an ideal place to be in winter after being on the slopes.

It has that après ski vibe to it.

The lobby area is also inviting with places to sit and chat or play board games.

Every part of Hotel Olympia has such an attention to detail making it warm, inviting and welcoming.

It really is an awesome place to stay in Alto Adige, Italy.

Dinnertime

Dinner at Hotel Olympia is such a delight.

I ate dinner here 2 out of 4 nights on my first visit.

The food was delicious.

Now, 5 years later, the food is even better.

But there’s also a total experience to dinner at this amazing hotel in San Vigilio di Marebbe.

Each night you come to your table you’ll find a different theme.

Anything from Mary Poppins, to gnomes, to sewing to Breakfast at Tiffanys.

Well those were the 4 I had over 4 nights.

And the food is delicious.

It’s a mix of Italian, Austro-German and Ladin which is a local culture.

Each morning at breakfast, you’ll get a menu for dinner that evening.

You’ll make your choices then, giving them to Camilla.

You’ll get a set small appetizer and a set dessert.

But you’ll choose your first and second courses — a pasta dish for the first course and then a meat/seafood dish or a vegetarian option.

You can get wine or beer at an additional cost.

I can’t say enough about the whole dinner experience at Hotel Olympia.

This added “touch” and attention to detail along with the impeccable service and the tasty food make Hotel Olympia the best place to stay in the Dolomites.

Marco, Camilla and Fabiana

But really, it does come down to the people.

Marco and his daughter Camilla — who serves at breakfast and dinner — are amazing.

They are warm and friendly, very helpful and really do make Hotel Olympia the best place to stay in Südtirol.

They both speak English but Marco’s is definitely better.

He will offer up advice on things to do in the San Vigilio di Marebbe area and in Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park.

Camilla is a hard-working young lady who aims to please.

She is so sweet and kind.

Fabiana is Marco’s wife, Camilla’s mom and is a wonderful woman.

She looks like she could be Camilla’s sister.

Fabiana owns a gift shop that is located in the hotel.

All the little touches of decor — pillows, candles, figurines, signs — come from her shop.

And — although I’m not 100% sure — I’m guessing she and Camilla work together to create the table decorations for dinner.

I’m also thinking Fabiana is behind the new decor in the rooms.

Regardless, this is a family affair at Hotel Olympia and it works.

On my first visit I felt instantly welcomed and it was no different when I returned earlier this year.

In fact, as Marco was giving me a hard time for not returning sooner, I knew I had come home, returning to friends.

The price

Hotel Olympia is such a great value.

The price of your room includes breakfast and dinner.

Drinks are an extra cost.

Summer and autumn prices run €65 to €110 per room per night.

Yup.

That’s a great value for all you get.

Winter prices are significantly higher because, first and foremost, San Vigilio di Marebbe is a ski and snowboard town.

You can opt out of dinner and get a price reduction on your room.

But I highly recommend having dinner as it’s well worth it.

For me, the price — the value — is what makes Hotel Olympia the best place to stay in the Dolomites.

It doesn’t get much better than this!

Truly the best place to stay in the Dolomites

So when you are looking for where to stay in the Dolomites or where to stay in Alto Adige, be sure to check out Hotel Olympia.

This small, family-run hotel has it all.

Wonderful rooms.

Stunning views.

Tasty and plentiful breakfast.

Delicious and experiential dinners.

Relaxing spa.

Amazing attention to detail.

Friendly and helpful owners and staff.

Fabulous price.

Great value.

Perfect location.

As I talked about coming back, Marco kept saying, “In 5 years!”

He likes to give me a hard time — and I don’t mind. 😉

I kept reassuring him it was NOT going to be 5 years.

And it won’t.

Because when I returned this year, after 5 years, I was reminded of how difficult it was for me to leave that first time.

I felt as though I was leaving home — a place I belonged, a place where I had friends.

It was the same as I departed earlier this year.

My heart hurt.

And I promised Marco I would be back in 2020.

I intend to keep this promise!

This is part of a series I call Charming Places — a series in which I talk about the places I stay. From B&B’s, hotels and guesthouses to apartments and farm stays, I’ll give my honest thoughts on these spaces. I’ve found that the accommodation I choose to stay often directly affects how I feel about a particular destination. And how I connect with that location and its people. So I want to share these places with you by dishing out a bit of info and some of my opinions.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Hotel Olympia so my stay was discounted. However all opinions are my own.