Rifugio Palafavera

Fantastic fire downstairs, also enjoyed dinner (though prices were a tough high). Room was good quality, very modern. We got an email advising we could check in from 2:30, but ended up waiting in the cold for an hour until 6pm when the refuge opened, if it weren't for this I'd give 5 stars - waiting for an hour in the cold isn't fun!

I know the Dolomites quite well - having stayed in Arabba, Badia, San Cassiano and Val di Fassa before. This time I wanted to take the kids skiing for the first time, so I was conscious of how my daughter would cope having never skied before. Therefore I chose Palafavera due to its location and the Civetta ski area as a nice smallish area for a first timer. You don't get many hotels in Italy that are truly ski-in-ski-out. This one was and it is an excellent location with a real nursery slope, and a blue, red and black run serving the immediate area. The nursery slope is away from the main slope, so the beginners can concentrate without worrying about faster skiers coming through. Once they have their confidence, they can then progress onto the bigger slopes. The Palafavera immediate area was served by a baby button lift for the nursery slope, a button lift for the blue run and links to Zoldo and a chair lift for the blue, black and red run and links to Alleghe and Pescul. The hotel and its staff were very welcoming and the food was very good. Breakfast was a typical buffet, with cereals, croissants, rolls, ham, cheese and fruit. Dinner was something else. Having taken the half board option, dinner consisted of 3 or 4 courses - you could decide - from their à la carte menu. The food ranged from Ladin specialities through to two different steaks, chicken, veal and plain old frankfurters if you wished. On the whole, we were stunned by how good the food was and on the overall value for money. You will not go hungry and the food was great and plentiful. The communal areas of the hotel were what you would expect with a lovely big open log fire (with enormous whole logs) in the bar area. The bedrooms can be split into two - the ones which have been renovated and the ones that haven't. We stayed in a pair of rooms which were the 'old' ones and whilst they were a bit tired, there was nothing to complain about and the three of us had an excellent week. The other benefit, particularly if you have children, is that many of the rooms can be let as a pair (like a mini apartment) with an adjoining corridor, shared by just the two rooms, so you can have your own room knowing that the kids are safe in theirs and don't have to wonder through the hotel to find you. The renovated rooms look very good, having had a peak in them was we walked past a couple of times. It is very clear from the hotel's website which are renovated and which aren't and the prices varying accordingly. When I go skiing I am much more interested in where the accommodation is according to the slopes and whether I can sleep well at night and eat well in the morning and the evening. Palafavera ticks all of those boxes. If you want to go into 'town' in the evening, to other bars, restaurants or clubs, don't stay here. The ski area has around 70km of slopes and for a first week it is perfect. There are some more challenging slopes, but by the end of the week, I could take my daughter down more or less any slope and she enjoyed it. She did manage the black run in Zoldo, (but that is really a red in our opinion - anyone thinking of doing it - don't be scared it is not too difficult). There are a few other blacks dotted around which I did with my son - (his second time skiing) which are a bit more challenging. Having gone here for February half-term, we had a excellent week, with no real queues and a great ski area from Palafavera to Alleghe to Zoldo to Pescul and some lovely terrain for beginners and second year skiers. As for the hotel, if you are not after luxury, but a decent bed, wholesome food and a great location, all for a very reasonable price, then give it a go. I don't think you'll be disappointed.