Picture this – you’re floating in an outdoor heated pool as snow falls on the mountains all around you. Your little one has spent the morning burning energy in the play barn and mud room and is now painting in the kids club while you explore the multiple floors of the adults-only spa area, opting for a soak in the rooftop whirlpool next to a roaring fire pit. Dinner will be a 5-course extravaganza where your little one may join you for a few courses or eat with the friends he’s made in the dedicated children’s restaurant. Tomorrow you’ll explore the mountains, on sleds or skis, but not for too long as the allure of the family spa is too much to resist even for one day…
The perfect family hotel does exist and its name is Feuerstein Nature Family Resort.
We discovered Feuerstein last December when Tiny Travelship sent us on a pre-Christmas mission to review one of the best 5-star family hotels in Europe. If you’ve been here a while you’ll know we’re not typically family hotel people, but that’s just because we’d never met a family hotel like this one.
What Feuerstein does so well is strike the balance between what both parents and children need from a holiday. Think: wholesome family activities, free childcare, aesthetic interiors, luxury dining and an adults-only spa area befitting a 5-star resort.
Not only that, but Feuerstein’s location, surrounded by mountains, waterfalls and spruce forest in a secluded part of South Tyrol, Italy, gives every activity a touch of magic.
Children’s World
The Children’s World at Feuerstein is nothing short of fantastic. From the play barn to the mud room, painting studio and wood workshop, there is so much to keep children entertained while spending time as a family.
The highlight for our 4-year-old was the huge play barn that had a climbing wall, hay loft, soft play, slides, trampoline and toys available 24/7 at the swipe of your key card.
A close second was the 30m2 mud room with diggers and water play, which you could also use at any time, along with the handy overalls and wellies that you find in the adjoining changing area.
There are play rooms for every age group, from babies to teenagers, not to mention a sports arena, stables and outdoor play areas.
For us, what worked really well was their concept of parent-child time. Our son isn’t a fan of kid’s club; he usually peers through the window where all the children are having fun but is too shy to go in there without us. At Feuerstein, however, they have a daily roster of activities that can be done as a family. We secured pre-assigned slots in the painting studio and wood workshop and could attend them all together so Miles didn’t miss out on the fun.
What we also really loved, having once been shocked by a bill at Center Parcs, is that all of these activities were included. Not a single thing mentioned in this review cost us extra.
Child Care
The childcare (if you are able to make use of it!) is completely free too. The hotel offers 70 hours per week of complimentary Montessori-inspired childcare for children aged 0-16 with age specific activities that take place both in and around the hotel.
Babies and toddlers have their own dedicated mini room filled with wooden and sensory toys, books, a polenta pit for curious little fingers and a separate sleeping area for nap time.
Feuerstein also has a huge roster of baby items you can rent – from buggies to backpack carriers and baby monitors.
Find out more about Feuerstein for babies and toddlers
Mealtimes are covered too with supervised lunch and dinner sessions for children at the Flammi’s Restaurant. In the evenings there is entertainment including dance parties and magic shows.
In short, this is a hotel that has thought of every detail when it comes to holidays with kids. There is even a small play area in reception where babies and toddlers can amuse themselves with Montessori-style toys, books and bricks while you deal with the details of checking in.
Mountain Spa
The 3,000 m² of Mountain Spa at Feuerstein is absolutely beautiful. Swimming in the outdoor heated pool with my son as snow fell all around us is genuinely one of the most magical experiences of my life. The family spa area also features water slides, 3 indoor pools, child-friendly steam rooms and saunas and a whimsical relaxation room where you can curl up for a snooze in a cushioned cocoon.
But the adults-only spa area takes it to the next level; well, 4 levels actually. With the tap of a keycard you are transported to a luxury Scandi style spa featuring Finnish saunas*, steam rooms, treatment rooms, wellness classes and relaxation areas with astonishing views of the mountains.
While the boys were swimming one afternoon I took the opportunity to scupper away to the relaxation room, snuggled under a blanket and just sat and enjoyed the scenery and silence.
*Prudes beware that in traditional Finnish style you can’t wear any clothing in the sauna and steam areas
My favourite spot was the rooftop, where a whirlpool overlooking the valley was toasty enough for me to soak in whilst watching the sun set behind snow-capped mountains and the stars come out for the night. The roaring fire pit took the edge off of getting out and tip toeing through the snow to get back inside. (Well just a little bit!)
Winter activities
We were pleasantly surprised by how much snow had fallen by mid-December and made the most of the free winter activities around the resort.
Just past the hotel’s frozen lake we found a small ski slope and magic carpet that’s perfect for young children to have their first ski experience on. We’ve never been on a skiing holiday before so decided to ease ourselves into winter sports with some sledding which was great fun.
Miles also enjoyed a complimentary pony ride at the stables which looked like something from a fairytale in the freshly fallen snow. There was snow art to do one morning and had it been a little colder we would have been able to ice skate on the football pitch too.
The rooms
We stayed in an Amethyst family room (sleeps 2-5) that was generous, cosy and super toasty.
My top tip if visiting in winter would be to pack lighter layers to wear around the hotel as you won’t want to be in thick knitwear inside.
Our son had his own room with bunk beds, wardrobes and a window seat, and we had a living area and generous walk-in closet in ours.
The balcony had gorgeous views of the nearby village nestled in the Pflerschtal valle and even though it was a bit chilly I loved sitting out there with my morning cup of tea listening to the church bells echo off the mountains.
The rooms are obviously well set up for families and you can loan anything else you might need. A lovely added touch was the different bedtime stories that were delivered to the room each evening.
The food
We stayed at Feuerstein on a luxury board basis and didn’t want for anything.
The day started with a huge spread of breakfast foods including a particularly impressive array of fruits, nuts and muesli.
We loved that if you missed lunch between 12.30 and 2pm because you’re too full from breakfast or busy with activities, you could come for healthy snacks and incredible cakes between 2 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to keep you going.
The main event was dinner though where each evening you’re entitled to 5 exquisite courses served a la carte to your pre-assigned table. The menu changed every night and had a good range of choices with both local and international options, such as venison, trout or arancini.
Always thinking of families, there is also a generous buffet of cold and hot starters and children’s favourites so you can grab food for the kids while you wait to be served, or all eat at the buffet together if that better suits your schedule.
I also loved that without me mentioning anything the hotel noticed it was my husband’s birthday and bought out cake and candles and decorated our table especially for the evening. The service was amazing throughout our stay but that extra level of attention to detail was really impressive.
Things to do in the local area
Between the spa, play barn, stables and ice rink it was quite hard to find time to tear ourselves away from the resort but I’m glad we did!
The hotel provides guests a free bus pass that you can use to get to nearby ski resorts and the pretty town of Vipiteno. We aren’t skiers but were delighted to discover that the ski resort of Rosskoph – Monte Cavallo has an amazing 10km family-friendly toboggan run. (The longest in Italy apparently.)
We had an incredible morning loaning sleds, hopping on the cable car and whizzing our way back down the mountain, stopping for mulled wine at a pop-up bar mid-way!
Find more information about tobogganing at Rosskopf / Monte Cavallo, South Tyrol
After sledding our way down Rosskoph – Monte Cavallo we discovered the beautiful town of Vipiteno at the bottom of the mountain.
Vipiteno (or Sterzing in German) is a beautiful medieval town with ornate colourful buildings & an ancient clock tower that have earned it a place on the list of Borghi Piu Belli d’Italia. (Most beautiful villages in Italy).
As the northernmost town in Italy, it also has a fascinating blend of culture and influences. Watch this reel to see why we fell in love with it.
We sampled gingerbread and strudel while wandering the Christmas markets, then hopped on the bus back to Feuerstein, which is only 20 mins away.
Just outside the hotel you can also find cross-country skiing and sledding trails that wind past frozen waterfalls and icy rivers. We only discovered this on our last day but couldn’t help borrowing sleds from the resort for a bit more fun while waiting for our taxi.
How to get to Feuerstein Nature Family Resort
The nearest airport is Innsbruck International Airport in Austria. We flew there with Easyjet and then took a taxi to the hotel. The journey takes between 50 minutes to an hour and cost us €115 each way.
You can also book a private transfer with the hotel for €160 each way or get the train to Brenner or Gossensass and arrange a collection from there.
If you’d like to explore more of South Tyrol then consider hiring a car. The hotel offers parking.
How to book
Become a member of Tiny Travelship for 15% off September and November 2024 getaways to Feuerstein Resort. You can also read more about the best times to visit Feuerstein, plus reviews from other parents, on the Tiny Travelship website.
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Disclosure: I stayed at Feuerstein as a guest of the hotel in partnership with Tiny Travelship. I was under no obligation to write this post and all opinions are my own.
