Saltus is a small eco-hotel tucked into the spruce forest on the San Genesio plateau, high above Bolzano and well away from the busy Dolomites valleys. We stayed straight after My Arbor on our Sellaronda trip. It's a good place to stay if you have a reason to be on this side of the region, and the sauna is the star.
At a glance
Where: San Genesio (Jenesien), on the plateau above Bolzano, South Tyrol
Style: minimalist eco-hotel with 26 rooms and 2 suites, split between a modern block and a traditional Alpine chalet, which houses the restaurant
We stayed: September 2025, straight after My Arbor
Best for: a quiet night or two with a brilliant sauna, on the Bolzano side of the Dolomites
Getting there: you'll need a car
Green credentials: climate-neutral, big on local produce, and involved in replanting local forests
The hotel
Saltus mixes a new building with an older, traditional chalet, and the chalet is where you eat. Inside it's pared-back and natural: local larch wood, linen, clay walls and big windows and balconies looking straight into the forest. It's calm and tranquil, and a world away from the crowds in Val Gardena and Cortina. The rooms were fine, but they're not what you'll remember.
The whole place is built around slowing down. There's a relaxation programme mixing yoga and forest bathing with hiking, running and even horse riding, if you want to fill your days without leaving the hotel.
The spa
The spa is the reason to come. A meditation path through the trees leads down to the Forest Spa, with saunas, a relaxation room and a yoga room. The sauna looks straight out over the forest, and it's one of the most peaceful places I've sat in. We did an Aufguss here too, a guided sauna session where the sauna master pours scented water on the stones and wafts the heat around with a towel, and it was really, really good.
Up on the roof, the Sky Pool is filled with mountain spring water and sits in a glass box with a nice view of the mountains. It's fine, but the sauna is the real selling point. Toiletries in the rooms and spa are from Susanne Kaufmann, a nice touch.
Food
The food was probably the best part of the stay. The restaurant and bistro, in the old chalet, cook regional dishes with seasonal ingredients from local farmers, and it was very nice.
Breakfast was a lovely start to the day too: yoghurt, fresh fruit, good bread and properly runny boiled eggs.
The downsides
Location. It's not central to the main Dolomites areas, so it's a drive to the big hikes and passes.
Not much nearby. Beyond the hotel's own programme, there isn't a huge amount to do locally, and you'll need a car to get anywhere.
Not in the top tier. It's good, but not as good as some of the other hotels in the area.
Our verdict
A good stopover rather than a destination. If you're heading to or from Bolzano, or want a quiet night after a busy few days, the forest sauna and the food make it worth it. For a longer stay built around the big Dolomites days, we'd choose My Arbor.
Pair it with: the Seceda hike in Val Gardena, which we did from here, and lunch at Alma9 in Bolzano on the way out. Both are in our Dolomites guide.
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