Merano, ItalyAvelengo
San Luis retreat hotel & lodges
Alpine moon-wood hideaway
Alpine moon-wood hideaway
Wooden chalets and elevated treehouses scatter through forty hectares of alpine larch forest, gathered around a private mountain lake.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Treehouses and lakefront chalets crafted from lunar-harvested moon wood, featuring loft-style glazing and natural clay accents.
Remarkable
A barn-style country spa featuring indoor-outdoor fireside pools, regional hay saunas, and a lake-centered jacuzzi platform.
Notable
Private wicker basket breakfast deliveries, in-chalet saunas, and attentive personal care across a secluded forty-hectare reserve.
What they say
One Michelin Key
Michelin
Also in Wallpaper*.
San Luis Retreat Hotel & Lodges feels more like a forest clearing than a resort.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Set high on the Avelengo plateau above Merano, hiking trails trace through larch forests straight from your cabin doorstep.
1 of 4
The rooms
Treehouses rise into the pine canopy on stilts, while lakeside chalets feature loft-style glazing, wood-burning fireplaces, and private saunas.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The heated pool sits inside a double-height timber barn beside an open hearth, extending outdoors toward the lake.
The lake jacuzzi
A heated hydromassage jacuzzi sits on a wooden platform right in the center of the mountain lake.
At the table
The Clubhouse dining room serves alpine-Mediterranean meals cooked over open hearths with vegetables from four biodynamic hectares.
The interiors, by mother and daughter, are unfussy and welcoming; untreated Mondholz wood surfaces and a putty and slate grey palette are notably rustic with a discerning slick edge.
How it began
The Meister family built the retreat using Mondholz, alpine timber felled during specific lunar cycles to maximize strength and longevity.
Merano
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.