Something new is in the air at Hotel Moarhof
You can’t miss it: Hotel Moarhof rises right in front of the new ski lift of Valles, connecting the Jochtal to the Gitschberg, so that now it takes only a few minutes to reach the ski center of Maranza-Valles and spend wonderful days on the slopes. Due to its position, the hotel is a perfect choice if you want to spend a snow holiday, and nearby there is also the ski school, with courses for both children and adults.
When I arrive at the hotel Ida Mair, the owner, welcomes me with a warm smile. As we are taking a coffee at the bar she tells me that for the 2011-2012 winter season her family has opened the hotel’s new wing, where they combined modernity and tradition: the bar and the relax area at the ground floor, the rooms built according to the principles of sustainable and eco-friendly design, and the wellness center Anima Plena. Every detail was designed to create an atmosphere of relaxation and warmth. Here you truly feel like home.
My room is the “Tristan and Iseult”, in the new wing Patria Silvestre. The fragrance of wood fills the air: fir wood was selected for the furnishings since its natural delicate scent has a beneficial effect on the respiratory tracts, especially for people suffering from asthma. The furniture has a modern style, but its colors white, brown and red are those of the Tyrolean tradition. The spacious room features a four-poster bed and a semi-open bathroom. The shower box is large and comfortable and the water falling on me feels like a revitalizing rain. After some relaxation, I hurry up and get ready for the beauty treatments I booked in advance at the wellness center.
As I reach the basement, I see some black and white pictures portraying moments of family life in the fields, on the mountains, in old houses: it’s the Mair family, telling about their past through images of Valles. One of the pictures draws my attention, and Ida reveals it’s a picture of Valles in 1926, with old barns and farmhouses that today don’t exist anymore.
The family kept some furniture and tools from their old farmhouse which, once restored, were included in the furnishings of the hotel. Especially in the new dining room, where the original tables, chairs and roof of the farmhouse recreate a piece of history in modernity. Fascinating.
Once I get to the wellness center I decide to try the revitalizing treatment “la forza”. A wooden path above water leads to a room with a soft and warm light. While I lie down on the bed, a nice young lady explains to me that the center features also a spa suite: a private space equipped with steam bath, Finnish sauna, whirlpool and a four-poster bed, where you can spend some unforgettable moments alone with your partner.
The treatment I have chosen feels wonderful. A massage with hot balsamic stones and hay flowers in fact improves circulation and skin tone. Especially relaxing is the foot massage which, stimulating reflexology points, revitalize the whole body. After 80 minutes I feel completely relaxed and full of energy and head to the relax room to enjoy the quietness and my book.
For dinner I try some specialties of the typical Tyrolean cuisine. The starters and salads buffet is really tempting, and every course has the flavors of local products (cheese, speck, aromatic herbs) enriched by a touch of creativity. Live music fills the room and heightens the spirit.
I chat with other guests, a couple with two kids. They expressly chose this hotel because it’s suitable for children, with spacious family rooms on two floors: parents can relax in their spaces while children sleep on the upper floor. Right in front of the hotel there are a park with snow kindergarten, a big snowboard park, an area where children can play, a slope for snow tubing, and ski instructors to teach them how to ski while having fun. After a wonderful evening I go back to my room for a restful night, breathing in the scent of wood.
As I wake up, mindless of the cold I open the French door to my balcony and watch the already crowded slopes. I hurry up and get ready for a healthy breakfast, while all the other guest are ready for their day on the snow. I decide to join a group and go for a guided snowshoeing tour: there’s nothing more peaceful and relaxing than a walk among the silence of the snowy forests, to truly enjoy nature, and the view is breathtaking. Today the group went on an easy route, but there are also more difficult trails, for expert snowshoe walkers.
A day full of sun, fresh snow, fun and laugh. To end it with style, once back to the hotel I take a swim in the panoramic swimming pool with view on a snow covered Valles. Such an unforgettable holiday!
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