A new hotel set in the mountains of South Tyrol in Italy is set to open this May, with a storied past and a focus on wellness.

Forestis is located in a historic building near Brixen in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dolomites.

The location’s pure spring water, fresh mountain air, and a climate with an above-average number of sunny days inspired the original owners to create a sanatorium for lung disease sufferers prior to the First World War.

Architect Otto Wagner was entrusted with the hotel’s design and construction, but his early death, along with the turmoil of World War I, meant the project was carried out on a more modest scale as a historic timber house. It served as a refuge for war veterans until 1922.

In 2007, South Tyrolean hotelier Alois Hinteregger discovered the building, which had fallen into disuse, among wild, unkempt hedges on one of his many walks in the area. He breathed new life into it and opened it as a hotel in 2009.

A decade later, Hinteregger, along with his son, Stefan, and Stefan’s partner, Teresa, are writing a new chapter for the hotel, which will be reimagined as a refuge that draws on the natural elements inherent in the location. The hotel has also joined the Healing Hotels of the World as part of its new focus on healing, and it will offer several multi-day programmes and retreats.

Armin Sader of the Brixen-based hotel architecture firm Asaggio is responsible for the architectural concept, which emphasises the solitary location and the connection with nature.

Forestis will have 60 suites created almost exclusively from local materials, all of which have views of the mountain scenery.

Nature will also play a key role in the design and offer of the Forestis Spa. Spa treatments are inspired by the surrounding forest, with body and facial treatments that draw on healing trees, stones and vibrations.

The spa includes a Wyda room for Celtic yoga, a gym, indoor and outdoor infinity pool, three saunas, salt steam bath, textile sauna, Kneipp bath, silence rooms, and nature meditation spaces.

“We want to offer our guests personally chosen experiences that move them and continue to resonate with them when they are back home again,” says Stefan Hinteregger.

A healthy forest cuisine using products sourced from farms and producers in the immediate vicinity will be offered at the hotel’s restaurant.