This Luxury Dolomites Resort Is the Best Family Hotel We've Ever Visited
Sonnwies Dolomites is a five-star all-inclusive family resort near Bressanone in Italy’s South Tyrol, and after 15 years of travel writing, it’s the best family hotel we’ve stayed in.
Sonnwies Is Ideal For:
- Families who actually want to spend time together. The programming pulls everyone in, including teens who arrive convinced they’re above it all
- Multi-generational groups, because grandparents, parents, and kids can have completely different days and reconvene at dinner with actual stories to tell
- Parents who want real downtime, not just a sun lounger with a view of the kids. The adults-only spa is genuinely restorative, and older kids can roam semi-independently
- Travelers who care about food. The South Tyrolean culinary program is a legitimate selling point, not an afterthought
- Anyone who wants mountains, culture, and a medieval city. Bressanone is 20 minutes away.
Editor’s note: The writer was hosted.
“We have to go say goodbye to the cows,” my husband said as we were mapping out our next morning’s departure.
Pack, have breakfast, pet the cows, brush teeth. Check.
We’d already shrieked our way down waterslides, careened down a mountain on oversized tricycles, and played ruthless games of air hockey in the teens’ club. Our two girls, aged 13 and 15, had barely glanced at their phones in three days.
That was Sonnwies Dolomites, a five-star all-inclusive family resort near Bressanone in Italy’s South Tyrol, the best family hotel we’ve visited in 15 years of travel writing.
The History of Sonnwies
Sonnwies started life as a simple bed and breakfast on a family farm in the village of Lüsen, about 20 minutes from Bressanone/Brixen. Over nearly 30 years, the resort, still owned by the founding Hinteregger family, has steadily grown but remains popular with guests for its proximity to the Dolomite Mountains and plenty of unspoiled nature just outside the door.
Today, it's a full-service, all-inclusive luxury family resort.
Kids are extremely well looked after here, but parents are equally pampered as well.
Pros & Cons of Sonnwies
Pros
- All-inclusive formula includes accommodations, three meals a day, snacks, access to recreation amenities, and a huge slate of programs for kids and adults.
- Exceptional kids’ club with age-differentiated spaces and real programming (not just babysitting)
- Adults-only spa and wellness facilities
- Farm animals on-site, a genuine delight for children and nostalgic adults alike
- Multiple pools and waterslides that offer fun for all ages
- Outstanding culinary program with strong regional South Tyrolean identity
- Ski-in/ski-out access in winter; hiking and mountain biking in summer
Cons
- Premium price point - this is a splurge destination
- Peak season books out well in advance; plan early
- We were in one of the resort's few non-air-conditioned suites and even in June, the space got quite warm during the day
- You need a car to get anywhere from the resort
SheBuysTravel Tip:No matter how old your kids are, don't skip the farm animals. Even tweens who roll their eyes at everything will be feeding alpacas and ponies within minutes.
Accommodations
Sonnwies Dolomites offers rooms and suites across several categories, from family studios to multi-room luxury suites. All are built from local natural materials like mountain spruce and oak, with an alpine-minimalist aesthetic that manages to feel both warm and genuinely elegant.
Entry-level family studios run about 40 square meters and include a pull-out sofa bed, a separate sleeping area, a mountain-view balcony, and an oversized bathroom.
Suites step up considerably: The three-room Luxury Suite clocks in at 70 square meters with two bedrooms, an open-design fireplace, private loggia and soaking tub; the top-tier four-room suite stretches to approximately 130 square meters with a freestanding bathtub, rain shower, and separate children’s bedroom.
Our Suite
We stayed in a 2-bedroom Loft Suite, which offered a small bedroom with bunk beds, a living room/master bedroom combo, and an upstairs loft with a double bed and a freestanding bathtub.
Truth be told, the girls found the bedroom a little too small, and used it for luggage storage. They slept in the loft area instead.
We had a spacious covered balcony with views of the resort pool and mountains.
All rooms are fully childproofed, allergy-equipped with wood floors, and come with cribs and baby gear on request.
Rates are all-inclusive and start at approximately 1,000 euros per night for a family of three in a studio; suites run considerably higher.
But the nightly rate includes almost everything, with the exception of spa treatments and alcohol.
Onsite Dining
Dining rooms at all-inclusive resorts have captive audiences; they don't have to be great, and people will show up anyway.
At Sonnwies, South Tyrolean-inspired gourmet dining is a key selling point, especially at dinner. The main restaurant serves three meals a day, including a buffet breakfast with an omelet and hot foods station, plenty of healthy breakfast-bowl options and kid-pleasing cereals and juices. Lunch is a combination of an abundant salad bar and two entree choices served tableside. (For kids, there's a fresh pasta bar.)
In the afternoon, the resort offers a small buffet of desserts with coffee and tea, plus soft serve ice cream and an ice cream pushcart.
Evening meals are when Sonnwies' culinary program really shines. Fresh bread and flavored butters are presented at the table, followed by a daily salad. From there, guests move to a three-course menu that includes an appetizer, main and dessert.
There's also a menu for kids. Our two teens went back and forth between the regular and kids' menus, depending on what struck their fancy.
Wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages are not included, but are fairly priced.
Onsite Entertainment
The entertainment offering is where Sonnwies Dolomites earns its reputation. The resort has dedicated zones for infants, toddlers, kids 6–12, and tweens/teens, plus an extensive outdoor playground with a zipline, a trampoline and lots of other diversions.
The girls went there after dinner and stayed until dark. After dark, they'd decamp to the Teenielounge, where they made friends with two German girls. There were three languages - English, Italian and German - between the four of them, yet they all communicated with their phone translators and had a blast.
As a family, we spent a ton of time in the indoor waterpark, which has several low-thrill slides, heated pools and lounge chairs.
Other highlights include:
- Multiple waterslides and pools
- A climbing wall with an instructor present
- Trampolines and outdoor play areas
- Air hockey, table tennis, and game rooms
- Crafts, cooking classes, supervised excursions, including tractor rides and animal encounters
Onsite Amenities & Activities
The adults-only spa is right next to the water park, which means parents can either take turns or leave their older kids on their own in the pool area and go savor some spa time.
The spa offers saunas and steam rooms, but users should know these are textile-free areas - so not for the nudity-averse. There are also treatment rooms and a full spa menu, as well as a fitness room.
For our family, hands-down the best amenity was the farm animals. Chickens, ponies, sheep, alpacas, cows, bunnies…we visited them every day and were always ready to scratch some ears and offer a handful of hay. Teen girls may be too cool for school, but they're not too cool to ooh and aah over lambs and ponies.
Other activity options include:
- Private ski slope and ski school in winter
- Mountain biking and guided hikes in summer
- Yoga and fitness classes
- Hiking and walking paths
What’s Nearby
Plose, Bressanone/Brixen’s local mountain, is about 20 minutes from Sonnwies and is a great outing for families. A ski gondola from the parking area whisks you up to 2,050 meters, where a network of hiking trails fans out across the Dolomite panorama.
Because we were there in the summer, there were cows wandering, making the scene even more bucolic.
We booked a picnic lunch at Rossalm, a rustic rifugio we walked to, and ate it on the lawn.
On the way back, we rode the Plosebob, a rail-guided mountain coaster.
And instead of taking the ski gondola back to the parking lot, we each jumped on a mountain cart - an off-road tricycle - and careened downhill, whooping the entire way.
Bressanone (Brixen in German) sits about 20 minutes from Sonnwies and is one of South Tyrol’s most beautiful small cities. It's a medieval bishop’s seat with a stunning Baroque cathedral, excellent wine bars, and independent shops.
One afternoon, my husband and I left the girls at Sonnwies (with the hotel's permission, of course), and had lunch in Brixen, then went to nearby Novacella Abbey for a self-guided tour and wine tasting. Not a bad way to spend the day!
Before/After Extensions
South Tyrol pairs naturally with northern Italy’s other great draws.
Fly into Verona or Innsbruck and build a few days around Lake Garda, the Veneto, or the Austrian Tyrol before or after your stay. The South Tyrolean wine road (Strada del Vino) runs south toward Bolzano and is an easy and rewarding detour - white wines from this area, particularly Gewürztraminer and Pinot Grigio, are among Italy’s best.
You could also add a few days in Venice to your northern Italy trip, and even fly in and out of there.
Getting There
The nearest airports are Innsbruck (Austria), Verona, and Venice Marco Polo. Bolzano has a small regional airport with limited connections.
Driving is the most practical option once you arrive in the region; the resort can arrange transfers for an additional fee.
From Bressanone train station, it’s approximately 45 minutes to the closest bus stop to Sonnwies (pictured above), or a 20-minute taxi or shuttle ride. Garage parking at Sonnwies is complimentary.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sonnwies Dolomites
Almost. The rate covers accommodations, three meals a day, afternoon snacks, soft serve, and access to all recreational amenities - pools, waterslides, kids’ clubs, farm animals, fitness classes, and more. Spa treatments and alcoholic beverages are the main extras.
All of them, genuinely. There are dedicated spaces and programming for infants, toddlers, kids 6–12, and tweens/teens - including a separate Teenielounge for older kids where, in our experience, international friend groups formed within an hour, phone translators doing the heavy lifting.
It’s strongly recommended. The resort is tucked into the village of Lüsen, about 20 minutes from Bressanone, and there’s no walking-distance town center. You can reach the resort by bus (there’s a stop about 45 minutes away) or taxi from Bressanone train station, but for day trips to Plose, Brixen, or Novacella Abbey, you’ll want your own wheels. Garage parking is complimentary.
Yes, the saunas and steam rooms are textile-free zones. Worth knowing in advance if nudity in shared spaces isn’t your thing. Treatment rooms follow standard spa protocol.
As early as you possibly can, especially for peak summer and ski season. This is a small, family-owned property with a devoted repeat clientele, and it fills up. If you have specific dates and suite categories in mind, don’t wait.
Read More:
- Best Countries to Visit with Kids in 2026
- 7 Tips for Road Tripping With Teens and Tweens
- Avoid Looking Like a Tourist in Europe: Take This, Leave That
- The Joy of an Austrian Alps Halbpension Vacation
The post This Luxury Dolomites Resort Is the Best Family Hotel We’ve Ever Visited appeared first on She Buys Travel.
She Buys Travel
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 6:59 AM.