Slumber in the Treetops Near the Dolomites at My Arbor

My Arbor

Few places offer luxury accommodations as an adults-only treehouse, let alone above a picturesque town more than 1,000 years old. My Arbor lures guests from all over Europe for its uncanny rooms set aloft ancient fir pines, extensive sauna and spa services, and a pristine setting by Brixen, the oldest town in South Tyrol where medieval church bells still ring nearby the Dolomites and Sarntal Alps.

Past a few farmhouses and quiet storefronts, an undulating single lane road leads up to the band of land where fields stop and the forest begins. My Arbor begins here as well, a sleek block hoisted 30 meters off the ground that obtains a nest-level perch amid the trees. All 104 suites open up to views of the Eisacktal valley below and are West facing, guaranteeing a private sunset from each room’s daybed nook. Towards the East, guests can hike hundreds of miles of trails or take a quick stroll to thePlosebahn gondola for sweeping views of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage designated region.

Brixen beloved restaurateurs, Markus and Renate Huber, long conceived of a hotel property tucked within the forest that could spark more tourism in the area. In 2010, they acquired the land for My Arbor’s site and received numerous proposals from architects around the world, eventually selecting Paul Seeber from Architektur Plus studio to begin the complex design of a structure built on dozens of steel silts. Since 2021, the Huber’s daughter, Alexandra, has overseen the day to day operations along with family members Armin, Anna, and Andreas.

It’s always a joy to find your room just as alluring as the main spots of a gorgeous hotel. My Arbor delivers with each room nearly brushing the pines of its surrounding forest, and I hardly wanted to leave mine. Every morning, I watched birds flutter around, landing on the highest branches as if to say, “Don’t you love these views, too?” Rooms are made nearly entirely of wood, and the scent of larch and spruce wood in particular is a constant reminder you’re amid a deep, ancient forest. Snag one of the three treetop suites for your own in room sauna with forest views, of course.

The Hubers also own a farm in Albisano near a lake where the 20-hectare plot of land produces heaps of fruit, vegetables, herbs and olives nearly year round. The main restaurant, under the helm of chef Matthias Hinteregger,caters its menus accordingly, relying on the farm’s harvests to create every night’s 5-course menu. Cuisine is hearty and wide ranging, which I greatly appreciated after daily, multi-hour hikes. I ordered a polenta gnocchi dusted with pancetta and dandelion petals several times as well as the tagilata, a steak common to South Tyrolean. Wine lovers and beer enthusiasts are well taken care of at My Arbor, too, with Mehmet Kaplan and Patrick Lanziner, My Arbor’s wine and beer sommeliers, respectively, taking part nightly in guests’ selections for dinner.

My Arbor is a good 10 minute drive from Brixen, the medieval town that was settled in 901 as a central meeting point of trade between Southern Germany and Upper Italy. Today, amid chic retail shops and cobblestone streets, visitors can partake in strudel making classes, sip wine at one of the oldest wineries in the Alps (Abbazia di Novacella), or stroll the holiday stalls filled with handcrafts and traditional gifts at the annual Christmas market held in Cathedral Square.

There’s a sincere family spirit that comes from every member of the My Arbor team, likely due to the multi-generation family who gingerly built and cares for the property. Like the forest air, however, service is refreshingly crisp. I noticed the dining team always strode with purpose and speed even in the early morning when guests were just grasping for their cups of coffee. The chic forest green uniforms embroidered with My Arbor’s modern sketched forest conveyed the downhome but luxury setting when staff chatted eagerly about their favorite hikes and bike paths with me. One must be a fan of the outdoors to be a team member at My Arbor, and I felt that completely.

My Arbor’s two floor wellness offering is unbeatable, particularly for those who seek saunas out as an experience all to themselves. At least four “infusions” are scheduled a day, each an event, I came to find. Guests giddily lined up naked or with towels draped casually over their shoulders, prepped for the sermon of sweat to come. Sauna attendants are more like sauna clergy at My Arbor. I loved Manual Greifenberg, My Arbor’s official sauna master, who ushered guests in with gusto, teed up custom soundtracks for each 30 minute infusion, and explained, with ceremony, what aroma was releasing from each boiling ball of ice thrown into the sauna’s fire.

Beyond the daily infusions in the main sauna that holds 60 people, the bottom floor of the spa has a massive indoor lap pool, an outdoor infinity pool, and five other smaller sauna rooms ideal for couples. Ten “nests,” like cabanas but for a forest, are further beyond the outdoor pool that can be reserved for two hour slots for any guest. Upstairs on the other spa level, a well equipped gym as well as the ten treatment rooms are found. Each spa treatment begins with a foot bath as the feet are the “roots” of the human soul.

Rumor has it that a second My Arbor is being planned though details are still “very early.” No doubt another My Arbor would attract the same international fanfare as the original. In addition, activities such as guided hikes, yoga, or e-bike excursions are all complimentary.