A luxury holiday in the Dolomites will also include a wide range of wellness services. Our etiquette guide outlines the various rules and ways you should (or shouldn't) behave when making use of the relaxation area in your luxury hotel in South Tyrol.
Turn off your mobile and enjoy the silence!
Nothing disturbs other guests in a relaxation area more than the sound of a mobile phone or an animated discussion. It is good practice to leave your mobile phone in your locker before you enter the wellness area, and just "switch off" for a few hours. Indeed, if you stop staring at your smart phone for a while, you will be able to focus better on yourself and your task of relaxing. Noisy neighbours can also be quite annoying for other guests in the relaxation area. If you want to have a conversation with your partner or friends, do so in a low voice. Many wellness centres have special areas, e.g. around the bar and in the swimming pool, where more animated behaviour is allowed - and expected.
The dress code for wellness areas
You should ensure you are properly dressed when travelling between your room and the wellness area. Do not walk around the hotel with bare feet or in a swimming costume. This behaviour may be unwelcome to other guests. Most luxury hotels provide bathrobes, sauna towels and slippers in your room, nudging you to uphold the accepted standards of good taste. There is no particular dress code inside the wellness area, guests normally just wear a swim suit and bathrobe. Those areas you can only access naked are usually well marked.
Some rules for the sauna
While you should wear a swimsuit and/or bathrobe in the wellness area, you are required to take off all your clothes before entering the sauna. Unlike saunas in the rest of Italy, those in South Tyrol apply the nudism rule, and so, for reasons of hygiene, no clothing of any kind is allowed in the sauna. There is also a second important rule: always use a towel to sit on the wooden benches. This is because sitting on the unprotected surface would be unhygienic - both for yourself and for those who come after you. You should take your towel with you when entering the sauna, and then look for a place to sit quietly and politely. You need to be careful when entering a dark cabin, to avoid stumbling over other guests. When you leave the sauna, ensure you close the door quickly and firmly, so as not to disturb others or let out the heat.
Beauty treatments by appointment
During your luxury holiday, you may well indulge in a beauty treatment or a relaxing massage. The 5-star hotels in South Tyrol offer a great variety of face packs, treatments and baths. There are some very original and effective treatments based on typical local ingredients, such as milk, hay and mountain herbs. Whatever type of treatment you wish to have, it is important to book your appointment well in advance. Also, some guests prefer to be treated by people of their own sex. Feel free to express your preferences.
Souvenir or theft: what can you take home?
The temptation is sometimes great. But please note: the bathrobes and towels in the room and the wellness area are not souvenirs to take home with you. Failure to abide by this rule can result, in a worst case scenario, with an accusation of theft - not to mention all the embarrassment of being caught in the act. On the other hand, the little bottles of shampoo, soap or shower gel provided in your room can certainly be taken home as souvenirs. They remind you of the lovely holiday you had at the hotel, and may well prompt you to go back there, so are also good publicity for the hotel.