Between art and architecture (designed by Modus Architects), under the guidance of Angelika Sattler, third-generation hotelier
A vacation destination between creativity and nature, art and wellbeing. A work of art and a wonder to live in. Surrounded by some of the most majestic peaks of the Dolomites, the UNESCO World Heritage Site. At an altitude of 1900 meters, the Icaro Hotel is a resort that since 1936 has benefited from the natural and cultural landscape of the Alpe di Siusi. A design hotel that is also an art hotel, designed by Modus Architects, which opened in July, and is now immersed in the wonder of winter. The house is managed by Angelika Sattler, a third-generation hotelier, and her family. Angelika, with her reserved and friendly bearing and her profound sense of hospitality, takes care of every tiny detail in the hotel, making certain that every guest finds peaceful shelter and a source of energy here.
Icaro is more than a hotel, it is a Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art to discover and experience: the walls are colourful and evocative, the rooms become telescopes to look our over the mountain peaks, the art is even embedded into the walls and the imagination runs free inside and outside the confines of the hotel.
Thirty rooms in this small hotel located at the gates of the Dolomites. Immersed in an almost totally “car-free” natural park, the hotel is perched on the Monte Piz, 3 kilometers from Compaccio, the station at the foot of the Alpe di Siusi gondola lift and the central parking lot.
Since 2010, Icaro is the first zero climate impact hotel in the Dolomites. Its green electricity comes from hydro-electric energy, it is gas-heated, uses ecological cleaning detergents, and its CO2 emissions are offest through climate-protection projects. The hotel boasts the EU Ecolabel, a prestigious certification for conscious sustainable environmental management.
Not just mountains and nature, but contemporary art, design and architecture as well: each corner of the hotel is conceived with care, to open up to the imagination and the pleasure of the unexpected. Even the artwork by Hubert Kostner, a renowned artist and Angelika Sattler’s husband, give the entire building a characteristic imprint. And like the architecture, the art elicits surprise and curiosity, slipping into places one would never expect to find it.
The name? It is said that one day the owner of the original shelter performed a daring jump with his skis in the snow, and some of the guests exclaimed: “You fly, like Icarus!” And so he decided to christen his Alpine lodge with that mythological name. The historic wooden chalet inspired the architectural design of the new structure, which the firm from Brixen built with sustainable materials, in collaboration with expert local craftsmen. And thus, like an immense wing stretched out towards the sky, the boutique hotel observes the horizon from afar, and invites you to come closer, to explore every corner. Powerful and protective, it stands out against the immense panorama of the Alpe di Siusi, and then discreetly slips into the silence of the mountain, leaving space for rest and relaxation, discovery and exploration, awe and curiosity. Like an embrace between the wood and the meadow, a flight amidst the terraces and the clouds, a refuge amidst peace and joie de vivre.
The kitchen is also part of the project: the chef Saverio Fiore, who was born in Apulia and experiments by vocation, and his brigade deploy flair and irreverence in blending the flavours of the mountains and the generous aromas of Southern Italy, classical recipes with the most daring and appetizing flights of gastronomic fancy. His dishes themselves are an adventure.
When a new day rises from the mountaintops, whether it be awash in sun or snow, it is time to step out. On a high-altitude excursion, an exploration of secret sites in the Dolomites, a ski run, a bicycle or e-bike ride into nature. Outdoor activities, to be followed by a massage, a treatment, a sauna, amidst the aromas and the beneficial effects of hay, pine and hot stones, or a swim, or even a few hours of dolce far niente in front of the immense panorama of the Alpe di Siusi.
Cover: Icaro Hotel ®ICARO by Leonhard Angerer
Translated by: Olga Barmine
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