Luxury at 2,020 meters according to Paradiso Pure.Living: inside the most surprising vegan hotel in the Dolomites.
*Content with promotional purposes
At 2,020 meters, the air changes density, silence gains space, and even the very idea of luxury must necessarily transform. Paradiso Pure.Living takes shape right here, on the Alpe di Siusi, in the Sciliar–Catinaccio Nature Park, where the mountain is not used as a backdrop but listened to as a demanding interlocutor. A place that invites you to slow down, to rethink your relationship with time, with your body, with what you consider truly essential when traveling.
The philosophy
For brothers Alexander and Maximilian Spögler, owners of the establishment, the concept of “high class” has long ceased to be synonymous with ostentation. “For us, luxury is no longer a question of accumulation or appearance, but of consistency,” they explain. “It means offering an experience in which aesthetics, ethics, awareness, and personal well-being go hand in hand.” This is a clear redefinition that shifts the focus of elegance toward an essential beauty, made up of natural materials, spaces that allow you to breathe, silence as a value, and daily operational choices geared toward sustainability.
Paradiso Pure.Living is a vegan hotel in the Dolomites, open in winter from December to April and in summer from June to September, with direct access to the Dolomiti Superski slopes and, in the warm season, to an endless network of trails for walkers, trail runners, and cyclists. But its identity is not limited to its privileged location. Here, altitude is a founding principle. “Living at 2,020 meters means accepting that we are guests of the mountains, not masters,” they say. “This geographical fact is the starting point for our entire identity.”
The structure interacts with its surroundings through its modest size, local wood and stone, large windows that open the rooms and common areas towards the peaks, and color palettes that follow the seasons of the Alpe di Siusi. The guest experience stems from physical proximity to the environment: in winter, guests can step outside with their skis on, while in summer, they can set off on trails directly from the hotel. “The mountains become part of everyday life, not just a picture-postcard backdrop,” emphasize the owners, and it is precisely this proximity that naturally guides choices of respect, sobriety, and gratitude.
Such a location also entails concrete responsibilities. The hotel is seasonal, closed for several months of the year, and has to cope with an unpredictable climate, early or late snowfalls, and short, intense summers. “Being in the heart of a UNESCO protected area means constantly striking a balance,” they explain. “Between the desire to bring the area to life through tourism and the risk of overburdening it.” Hence the constant investment in sustainable practices, waste management, energy consumption, mobility, and supply, but also in a form of gentle education for guests, never didactic, always experiential.
From wellness to dining, a holistic concept of well-being and respect
The Pure.Living philosophy is based on three pillars that do not function as separate compartments but as an interconnected system. Pure.Food, Pure.Art, and Pure.Energy are tools for redefining vacation as a transformative experience, not just a break from routine. “The real privilege,” they say, “is knowing that your comfort does not weigh unnecessarily on the mountains and the planet that host us.” This awareness transforms your stay into a journey of personal questioning, rather than a hedonistic interlude.
At Paradiso, wellness is understood as an ecosystem. “We don't think of it as a list of services,” explain the owners, “but as a reset that starts with very concrete elements: clean air, silence, no traffic, dark skies at night, slower rhythms.” Added to this is an alpine wellness area with indoor and outdoor saltwater pools, saunas, panoramic relaxation areas, and the Zerobody Floating Experience, designed to promote deep relaxation of the body and nervous system. Less visible but equally significant details contribute to this reset: no Wi-Fi at night, no electrical outlets near the headboards, rooms with reduced radiation, and pet-friendly spaces. Daily yoga classes, themed retreats, and spontaneous moments of meditation complete a concept of wellness that works with the rhythm of everyday life.
However, the beating heart of the project remains the cuisine, a radical choice that defines its identity. The entire gastronomic offering is 100% plant-based, from breakfast to dinner. “The plant-based choice affects every aspect of the hotel,” they explain. “It's not just about the menu, but also the wine selection, consumables, relationships with suppliers, and the way we communicate with our guests.” It was a decision that required courage, even at the cost of losing a significant portion of their long-standing clientele. “Over 70% of our regular guests have changed in just a few years,” they say. “These have been challenging years, but today we welcome people who choose Paradiso precisely because of its values.”
The gastronomic offering
Leading the gastronomic offering is Aggeliki Charami, a Greek chef born in Sparta, with experience in Greece, Italy, and Dubai, who has already been involved in outstanding plant-based projects. Her work finds its highest expression in OMNIA Plant-Based, the hotel's ethical fine dining restaurant (here is our review): six tables in a winter garden overlooking the Dolomites, a single ten-course tasting menu that reflects her in-depth research into plant-based ingredients. “I'm not looking for luxury for its own sake,” says Charami, "I'm looking for emotion, truth, and respect. Taste can change the way we see the world."
The chef's Greek roots emerge subtly, intertwining Mediterranean memories and Alpine landscapes. “It's not about bringing Greek cuisine to the mountains,” explain Paradiso, “but about intertwining two worlds.” Extra virgin olive oil, citrus fruits, spices, and fermentations become tools to give depth to mushrooms, tubers, cereals, and alpine herbs, creating enveloping, reassuring dishes, lightened by precise acidity and slow processing that recall Mediterranean peasant cuisine. On OMNIA's menus, food becomes a story, a gesture of sharing, a fragment of a larger narrative that combines ethics, aesthetics, and creative freedom.
Paradiso Pure.Living thus represents a new frontier in alpine hospitality. “We don't claim to have all the answers,” conclude the owners, “but we believe this project can be an inspiring prototype.” An invitation to rethink the hotel as a temporary community, a place where hosts and guests can experience together a more conscious, responsible, and poetic way of living in the mountains.
Contacts
Paradiso Pure.Living
Joch, 17, 39040 Castelrotto BZ
Phone: 0471 727905
