Guests at the South Tyrolean family hotel Familiamus

Dhe setting sun turns the sky pink and the spikes of the rose garden stand out in the distance. We can even see the Seiser Alm from the whirlpool on the roof: a wide white hollow beneath the Dolomite peaks. If we stood up, we could see the Eisacktal on one side and the Pustertal on the other. But at almost 1,500 meters above sea level and with snow fields around the paddling pool, it is too cold for such experiments. With bathrobes flying, we finally leave the roof and sink back into the water one level deeper in the indoor pool. A sliding door connects it to the outdoor pool, where children from Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Switzerland played in the afternoon. When darkness falls it is deserted. Church bells ring, the snowcat starts grooming the slopes. Our son swims and looks at the evening panorama.

Teenager-Lounge mit Darts

At almost sixteen years old, he is immune to the charms of a climbable reception and the songs of the magician Magolix, who dances in the lobby after dinner. He still notices the fact that there is a large sand pit with climbing equipment made of wood and steel in the lobby of the hotel near the bar as unusual; Some parents will even perceive this coexistence as ideal. Our boy actually really likes the tube slides that connect the floors of Familiamus. Woodworking workshop, painting studio, sports hall, climbing wall and a teenager’s lounge with darts, Playstations and backgrounds for selfie excesses also offer older children opportunities for which a single holiday is only sufficient in very bad weather. Because there is also the pool area with a family sauna, a normal and a particularly fast wide water slide. Not to mention the ski slope with its own lift in front of the door and the hiking trails accessible via the roof. During the snow-free period, a shuttle takes animal-loving children to a farm with petting animals and six horses.

There is no shortage of luxurious hotels in South Tyrol, and chic family hotels are also not uncommon here. The five-star all-inclusive Hotel Familiamus in Meransen near Mühlbach, which opened at Christmas 2022 after a year and a half of construction, proves that more is always possible. The parents’ beds in the 75 family rooms, each measuring between forty and fifty square meters, are an impressive two meters wide. Anyone who has ever balanced on the edge of the bed at night or been woken from sleep by childish elbows in the face can only wonder why such furniture dimensions are not standard in family hotels. Each room has a separate sleeping area with two to four single beds of conventional size, so that large families can easily be accommodated. TVs in both sleeping areas and the extra-wide sink in the bathroom minimize the potential for conflict, lots of wood, walk-in closets, very large balconies and wide views make the stay pleasant.