Italy’s Torgglerhof Apple hotel melds agriculture with hospitality

The Torgglerhof Apple in Italy’s South Tyrol region is a high-end, farm-cum-hotel that delivers experience led, foodie escapes for hunter-gatherers. Olivia Palamountain reports

The Torgglerhof Apple hotel in South Tyrol’s Passeiertal Valley is a new agrotourism destination that taps into everything hot in the hotel scene right now – it’s family-run, sustainable and sells a unique blend of earthy farm authenticity meets hip designer living.

Life at the Torgglerhof Apple hotel reflects honest, traditional values in a way that has been delivered with style by architecture practice Noa.

Its 40 rooms encompass suites (18 of which are new this year), lofts, a barn and a chalet in a mix of old and contemporary architecture, simply furnished in organic materials with Scandi-cool design accents.  The property describes itself as a place where “tradition meets innovation”. Underneath the guest rooms is a deli that sells products made from the farm’s home-grown apples (including its famous apple sparkling wine) as well as other local specialties. A new wellness centre forms the centrepiece of the hotel that blends into a lush slope like a super-lux hobbit hole, integrating smoothly and fully into the landscape. Inside is an apple-shaped sauna, the Brunnenhaus Spa, treatment rooms and an indoor-outdoor pool.

While it scores top marks for design, the Torgglerhof Apple remains a working farm where agriculture and hospitality go hand-in-hand. Guests aren’t spectators here but an integral part of the farming community.  As a welcome gesture, everyone is gifted their own apple tree. Full immersion in the day-to-day running of land is encouraged, from picking fruit, participating in the harvest or even getting rowdy in a tractor. “We are hoteliers as well as farmers,” says founder Sepp. “That’s why we’re committed to extracting genuine, sustainable produce from our land.”

The Torgglerhof Apple hotel is self-sufficient where possible but what it doesn’t grow on its own farm comes courtesy of friends and other local farmers. Simple, seasonal ingredients are on the menu from chef Christian, with dining options including everything from al fresco star-gazing dinners to barbecue nights and elaborate afternoon teas. Italy’s South Tyrol is a nature lover’s paradise and there’s masses to explore outside of the hotel. From fly-fishing and paragliding to trekking and tennis, the local forests, pastures, mountains and rivers have it all.

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