10/08/2025: 6-star hotel with 3-star service
The Hotel LeFay in Pinzolo was recommended to us by our daughter, who described it as a "paradise in the Dolomites," a place where she could forget all the worldly worries (which the world has showered upon us in abundance in recent years) and dedicate herself to meditation and eternity. Our daughter is never wrong, so we decided to stay at the LeFay for a week to escape the unbearable heat of Roman August.
Our first impression, when we were shown our room, could be described as something between ecstasy and amazement: an unusually beautiful designer room, tastefully furnished and designed down to the smallest detail, combining breathtaking views of the Alpine peaks from the windows with traditional Northern Italian motifs in the decorations, giving the room a welcoming atmosphere and an inexhaustible desire to never leave. It must be said that this welcoming atmosphere, refined taste, and understated creativity characterize the design of the entire hotel, from the reception to the spa and gym. I think I'm right in saying that this was the most artistically designed hotel we've ever stayed in. Kudos and admiration to the architects, designers, and builders of this hotel: it has become a dominant feature of all of Pinzolo.
But, trying to be honest in my assessments, I can't help but mention the flaws. While the hotel is commendable in terms of architecture, design, and attention to detail, it is truly mediocre in its level of service. It seems that during the high season (we were there in early August), the hotel management hastily hired non-professionals to "fill the gaps" in customer service. In order:
1. Dear hotel management, please make navigation between the hotel buildings more or less clear. Not to mention that the floor numbers in one building don't match those in another (you have to take an elevator to floor 3 only to, to your surprise, find yourself on floor 0 in another elevator), there are no signs indicating how to get to reception. As a result, on our first day, we got lost among the buildings and had to ask a hotel employee we'd met for directions. When we finally figured out how to get to the right floor, we saw two other guests calling on the phone, trying to figure out where they were, so they could get directions to reception.
2. Dear hotel management, please send your most disheartened employees to courses where they can explain that nothing is as cheap and doesn't cost as much as a smile to a guest. The expression on some waiters' faces when they bring you coffee is something more than "these annoying guests still want something from us" that I can't describe. 3. For the first time in my life, probably in a 5-star hotel, every time I needed to ask for something at the front desk, I had to stand in line with 2-3 people and wait 10-15 minutes. It seems to me that a hotel that charges up to €1,000 a night for a room should be able to hire 2-3 more employees to solve this problem.
3. Speaking of coffee. I understand that coffee isn't as obsessive in northern Italy as it is in central or southern Italy, but upgrading the coffee machine and purchasing regular beans isn't a huge expense compared to the disappointment low-quality coffee brings to your guests. Believe me, a hotel of your caliber deserves better coffee than the one you currently serve.
Overall, I hope the management manages to raise the bar on service to match the design and furnishings, and then, without a doubt, the Lefay will become the best hotel in Trentino, and perhaps in all of Italy. Thank you for an unforgettable holiday!
02/08/2025: We stayed at Lefay for one night as we were making our way into South Tyrol to see some of the epic Dolomites. The views are of surrounding mountains and a valley overlooking a town. Pretty.
The architecture and vibe of the resort is very nice and impressive. Staff were wonderful, Julia the concierge was friendly and helped us get acquainted with the resort. Great restaurant and food!
We enjoyed our stay but were looking forward to moving on to getting into the higher peaks and more quintessential Dolomites.
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