ADLER: Looking back, looking forward

The year was 1810…
…when Josef Anton Sanoner acquired an inn in what was then the small mountain village of Ortsei. Spanning seven generations and turbulent times, “Zum Adler” – as it was popularly known – evolved into what is now the ADLER Spa Resort DOLOMITI. Forty years later, tourism began to flourish in Val Gardena, driven by mountaineers as well as holidaymakers. Within a few decades, the Dolomites area became an exclusive, high-end tourist destination. As we know, the 20th century saw times of peace, innovation and prosperity alternate with wars, economic crises and social unrest. However, the people behind the steering wheel at ADLER always managed to read the signs and grasp the Zeitgeist. Over five generations, their foresight and acumen transformed the Zum Adler inn into one of the most renowned and exclusive hotels in the Italian Alps.

A trailblazing spa resort
At the beginning of the ’80s, the two brothers Andreas and Klaus Sanoner became the sixth generation to take the reins at ADLER. Together with their wives Verena and Karin, Andreas and Klaus built on the long tradition, not only continuing the legacy but also breaking completely new ground. And so, with the fading of the ’80s, a breath of fresh air entered the venerable walls of ADLER, bringing major renovations and a new offer of services in line with the expectations of a new generation of guests. At the dawn of the ’90s, ADLER became the first spa resort in South Tyrol to offer bespoke spa and wellness programmes.

ADLER spreads its wings...
The new millennium brought a growing desire for new horizons beyond the boundaries of Val Gardena. Despite the inspiration, however, at the time no one could have anticipated the rapid and substantial development towards which ADLER was heading. In 2004, ADLER Spa Resort THERMAE was inaugurated in the rolling hills of Val d’Orcia, in Tuscany. ADLER Spa Resort BALANCE, with its health centre focusing on prevention programmes, opened in Ortisei four years later. After a family trip in Africa, the Sanoners were inspired to create secluded retreats immersed in natural surroundings – an idea that in 2014 concretised with ADLER Lodge ALPE, on the Alpe di Siusi high plateau. In 2019, ADLER Lodge RITTEN on the Renon high plateau was added to the ADLER collection.

… and takes flight
Franziska, Moritz, Lukas and Maximilian are the seventh generation of the Sanoner family to take the helm. After studying business and hotel management and gaining experience in well-known consulting firms, they joined the family business around 2020 – just as the project for ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA was about to see the light. The timing could not have been better: by bringing to the table professional expertise, innovative ideas and special attention to sustainability, they contributed significantly to the project, ensuring a successful debut season for the first ADLER coastal resort in summer 2022.
And there is more exciting news on the horizon for autumn 2024: the first ADLER family hotel is opening at the foot of Mt. Plose, above the charming historical town of Bressanone. AKI Family Resort PLOSE, named after the ADLER Kids’ Club mascot so beloved by all young guests at the ADLER Resorts, sports a different name and a new concept while still bearing all the hallmarks of a Sanoner family project. This new 5-star establishment is an integral part of the ADLER collection – a heavenly nature retreat and a children’s paradise with lots of fun and adventure opportunities, in one single resort.

And so ADLER’s story continues, with roots in tradition and an eye to the future...