Stay: San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge
South Tyrol, Italy
If I sound a bit moony, my apologies: I really love the story of this beautiful mountain lodge, which owners Stefano and Giorgia first bought as a holiday house before deciding to quit their jobs in the fashion industry, uproot their lives in the city and and move to the Italian countryside full-time with their three children. After rehabbing the 16th-century hunting house, the interior was thoughtfully decorated by Giorgia, who traveled around Europe picking out special pieces, both antique and modern. It has a humble farmhouse feel with lots of natural materials and a quiet, understated luxury. You have to rent the entire place; it’s not a bunch of rooms rented to different parties, and because they have kids, they understand how to design a space that truly caters to families (a big bunk room, outdoor whirlpool perfectly sized for kids, and activities like learning to chop wood). Guests come with loads of off-site plans, but once they see the place (and its steam room, ancient spruce sauna and magnificent grounds), Stefano says they end up ditching their itinerary to relax. And who’d blame them? Stafano and Giorgia are 100 percent-dedicated to doting on their guests–cooking dinner, picking out wine, leading mushroom-hunting excursions, and recommending hikes in the surrounding forests, mountains and meadows of the Dolomites. Rent it at welcomebeyond.com.
