A South Tyrolean labyrinth, whose expansion follows the pace of generations, from the “multi-story” wellness center to recent suites in the detached chalet to a star-studded menu that traces nature on the plate: at the Gardena Grödnerhof, the Bernardi family continues its ascent to the heights of luxury hotellerie. All with the gourmet offerings of chef Reimund Brunner.
Portraits and dishes by Anna Stuben: Beatrice Pilotto
The hotel
The story has an almost unbelievable quality, so reminiscent of family sagas of yesteryear. Yet, it is all true, including the subtle fictional vein that prompted us to tell it. When Antonio and Anna Demetz converted a private house into a guesthouse with the idea of welcoming the intrepid skiers and mountaineers orbiting the local peaks, Ortisei was a destination still a stranger to the human influx that would flood it some time later, making it a bustling tourist bombshell-though an early exemplar in stemming the chaos of the high season.
More than a century ago, in the year 1923, that couple of young men as affable as they were hard-working, managed to sew on their guests a thickly woven welcome, capable of warming the harsh northern winters with the flame of hotel passion. Thus, where once there was only a valley unaware of its hidden gems, there slowly arose a structure destined to display, in 1988, four stars on the front door, thanks to the growing ambitions of Annamaria Demetz Bernardi. Another century, another match: the twenty-first is a progressive climb to the heights of the hotellerie, in which heir Hugo and wife Cinzia beat every pre-existing record: the complex, in fact, touches five stars, first ever in the holiday entourage of Ortisei.
Today the flame continues to burn and, at times, lights new paths on the polyglot rise of the Gardena Grödnerhof, a resort somewhere between a mountain "wunderkammer" and a melting pot of Tyrol-style furnishings.
Gardena Grödnerhof: the experience, from the spa to the suites
Right from the entrance, scoring points is a joker of thoughtfulness that shatters the predictability of uniformed stays: the “tension-relieving” tea at check-in to dispel the ardor of travel, the receptionist ready to point out the right itineraries to a family fasting on trekking, the mid-afternoon buffet against the wear and tear of evening hunger. A “getting lost in order to find oneself” that anticipates the “Bernardi effect,” projecting the visitor into a mixture of ease and advancement. Unconnected opposites? Not here: in the architectural fusion that dominates the first floor, the grandeur of the fireplace and the plasticity of the modern coffered ceiling coexist, creating a bubble of intimacy where someone pauses undecided between the lure of the cocktail bar and the temptation of the Habana lounge with its accompanying “cigar break” at dusk.
However, unlocking the next levels requires delving into a South Tyrolean labyrinth dotted with separate buildings whose expansion closely follows the pace of generations. There is room, then, both for a multi-story spa, gym and fitness ladder of customized activities (see yoga classes to intersperse daily hikes with quiet Zen breaks) and a children's area with a climbing wall, mini-football table and Formula 1 simulator, all the way to the epiphany of more expansive suites (between 75 and 110 square meters), sometimes embellished with a personal parlour with a "stove corner" to recreate a spacious Ladin boudoir.
If you are accustomed to the pleasures of the Dolomite surroundings, you will arrive, perhaps, already amply satiated with infinity pools and emotional showers; anyway, Gardena responds in kind with Cryotherapy, yogurt scrubs and "ladies only" saunas to extend the boundaries of privacy to women; the only pitfall, that of an equally tempting table that risks distracting curious palates from the coveted remise en forme.
The gourmet restaurant Anna Stuben
Just as we write, the gourmet dining stube led by Reimund Brunner is in the midst of a metamorphosis: the original rooms will totally change physiognomy by December 2024, when the gourmet will migrate to an adjacent chalet (as well as including four luxurious suites), while preserving the warmth of the wood and the details embroidered in fine alpine decor.
Remaining, however, evergreen is the indigenous-style model of a chef who has never stopped tracing nature on the plate, to strip relief and undergrowth of their apparent austerity. Brunner, in fact-for 13 years the sign's executive chef, with storied past from Hans Haas's Munich's Tantris to Herbert Hintner's Zur Rose-has a knack for bringing a shy ecosystem into the sunlight, often taking sideways paths of ruggedness and pungency, then marking the destination of comfort by surprise. And here we enjoy intercepting the citrus well camouflaged in the mullet, the foie gras and peach “almost friends” in their tenuous contrasts, the legume that brings the lobster to dry land. At the base, the challenge of combining not only -and not so much- “super local” ingredients, but the fruits of a research basket that scavenges the highlands, fishing as well from the sea billows and Asian culinary currents.
Reinforcing the triad of menus on offer (Passione, Creatività e Dedizione, all of 6 courses at €160) is the excellent sommelier Egon Perathoner, thanks to a "fluid itinerary" that sets the pace to pass. Trained alongside Franz Lageder, Egon counts among the best regional room performers, aided by an empathetic disposition and a remarkable spirit of enterprise.
He himself, moreover, is the one who signed Peego, a “sweet-not-sweet wine” produced in only 500 annual units together with Cantina Valle Isarco; a sort of “message in a bottle” dedicated to Anna Stuben's diners and paired for the occasion with the chef's invigorating desserts.
The dishes
Tiny sour boomerangs center the taste buds, only to come back after just a few jaw drops: among the fingers, a “mock tomato” stuffed with stracciatella soaked in the vegetable's water; to spread generously on leavened goods, a lemon-flavored extra-virgin olive oil emulsion replaces the usual alpine butter, enlivening the bread service with a sprint of decisive freshness; by way of a snack, an orange and Swiss stone pine ironed breadstick (“The same wood you see on the walls,” the room closes, adding a warm woody hint of color to the intro).
Prolonging the citric echo is the first seafood-based starter: the Mullet appears emerald-colored, with a stole of fragrant herbs resting on its back, finding in the yuzu gel a passepartout accessory ready to streamline the roundness of the beurre blanc sauce ; a cream of parsley root completes the mise for the tuber's silky boost. The effect? On the plate a horizontal ingot, in the mouth a vertical vegetable garden, from the meadow to the subsoil.
Clean break: you suddenly go from the rock to the barnyard. In case you've always had some reticence about approaching foie gras, lightning may strike with Brunner's version, made pimply by a variegated peach, cranberry, sweet and sour black walnut, and parsley oil on the way out. "In the French tradition, goose liver is often offered with cherries and prunes, plus the usual pan brioche. I personally like, however, to balance the sugary charge with an opposing sourness. So I add a raspberry sorbet for the temperature difference, grilled peaches and a mini-sandwich on the side." Little remains of the ematic: striking, rather, is the weighted sum of opulence and lightness.
Also dynamic is the Risotto with smoked butter, eel, zucchini in a plurality of textures and pearls of balsamic vinegar. The secret? “The fatty part processed with cirmolo, so that in the butter -as well as the smoke- the stamp of the biodiversity by which we are surrounded remains,” the chef clarifies. And, to accompany it, the grapeseed oil that incorporates the vacuum-smoked scraps: a smoky in power within the creamy wave of mantecatura.
There is no shortage of bold ventures such as Blue Lobster, beans and raspberries, or Golden Trout with peperonata and pine nuts. However, our protein bonus goes to a sumptuous Saddle of venison, summer broccoli, chanterelles and South Tyrolean speck, strong from a gourmet triple jump -roasting in the pan, short stop in the oven and subsequent relaxing pause to stretch the fiber- with the decisive contribution of cocoa, rosemary and pepper to give three-dimensionality to the game. Washing away any animal residue is the dessert Strawberry, parsley and buttermilk ice cream, topped with fragrant chips that keep the chew level up for the epilogue.
Printing the tasting in the scrapbook, however, are pretty bean-to-bar chocolates, embellished with colorful streaks and a filling of unexpected persistence.
If Ortisei today proudly flaunts its hidden gems, much of the credit goes to the Bernards and their team -pardon, extended family.
Contact
Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel & Spa- Anna Stuben
Street Vidalong, 3, 39040 Oltretorrente BZ
Phone: 0471 796315
