Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus opens up 'Heaven and Hell'

Situated in the heart of the Dolomites in Olang, the Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus has turned wellness upside down – literally.

The resort, which belongs to the Belvita Leading Wellness Hotels Südtirol, is already famous for its Sky Pool – which floats between sky and earth. It has now unveiled Heaven & Hell, an apparently free-floating two-storey steel wellness platform, which is connected to the hotel’s new relaxation room via an elegant walkway.

Huts reminiscent of the traditional mountain cabins that adorn the high-Alpine meadows below populate the platform, and a unique feature is that some are positioned upside down on the underside of the platform.

A new perspective of wellness

A dedicated wellbeing extension, Heaven & Hell offers awe-inspiring views over the valley and the Dolomites – a UNESCO World Heritage site – to give guests a new perspective of wellness.

Features of Heaven, the upper level of the wellness platform, include lie-down and seated whirlpools, two panoramic showers and a changing room. Pools were supplied by PIKON Edelstahl and saunas by Herokal.

On the lower ‘Hell’ level, the laws of gravity are seemingly suspended and wellness turned upside down. A nude area features two saunas and a whirlpool, an ice room and a different view of the mountains.

The protected spaces in the lower floor also include a shower cabin, an ice mist shower and a third outdoor pool.

“The lower level of the platform causes a feeling of estrangement in the observer. As one descends, the temperature rises, and the environment becomes more protected. It feels like a descent into the centre of the earth, with the poles reversing,” said architect Gottfried Gruber, who supervised the project for noa* architects.

The platform hovers 15 metres above the ground detached from the main building and is supported by two pillars clad in larch logs.

Visitors reach the wellbeing area via a suspended walkway, which at the same time opens up to the newly constructed relaxation area, offering space for up to 27 people.

Changing perspectives in wellness

The hotel’s Sky Pool is a free-floating 25m pool at a height of 12 meters that is unique in South Tyrol. With a glass front and windows in the floor, and heated to 32C all year round, it gives guests the liberating feeling of swimming above all things as the water surface merges seamlessly with the mountains.

Both the suspended wellness platform and the cantilevered pool were created by noa* architects.

Lukas Rungger, the architect in charge of the project and noa* founder, said: “The essence of this project is the overturning of horizons, with the resulting effect of wonder for the observer. If you think about it, however, changing perspectives is a common exercise in wellness areas, where, depending on whether you are lying in the sauna, sitting in the relaxation area, or diving headfirst into the pool, the views are constantly changing.”

The hotel’s 7,000sqm Alpenreych Spa gives guests the choice of seven different saunas, six heated pools, several relaxation rooms, and numerous wellness and beauty treatments using Babor and Vitalis Dr Joseph. Robes and towels are supplied by Prima and uniforms by Milesi.