In 2025-26 the Hotel Castel in Tirolo stayed closed from 8 November to 15 April: in the mountains, a spa in winter is not as much of a given as it sounds. Among South Tyrol's golf hotels, here are the ones with heated pools all year round, saunas and even an indoor course for the cold months.
A spa in the mountains promises winter: steam, saunas, a warm pool with snow all around. But between the promise and the calendar lies a distance worth measuring. At South Tyrol's golf hotels, here are the concrete facts for anyone who wants a spa out of season.
Before you leave: the winter calendars
In the mountains, a spa that is open in winter is not a given. The Hotel Castel closed from 8 November to 15 April in 2025-26; the Quellenhof Passeier offers a Christmas package from 20 to 27 December 2026; the Preidlhof a "Winter Romantic" offer. For the others, it is best to ask for the opening dates before booking.
Spas where the water is warm all year
Hohenwart (Scena)
The VistaSpa, reserved for guests over 16, has a panoramic infinity pool of saltwater at 34 °C overlooking the Merano basin, and next to it a panoramic sauna with daily steam infusions. In the garden there is a 25-metre sports pool heated all year to 28 °C. In all there are three pools and seven saunas; the hotel belongs to the Belvita Leading Wellnesshotels with the "Premium Spa" label. For golf, Hohenwart has special terms on the 9 holes of Gutshof Brandis, which the hotel describes as playable almost all year.
Golf Lodge (Andreus Resorts), San Leonardo in Passiria
The Golf Lodge is adults only. The 4,000 m² wellness area includes a 28-metre infinity pool heated all year, a natural swimming pond and a saltwater pool on the roof. Among the saunas are a two-storey loft sauna, an herbal bio sauna and an outdoor sauna with daily steam infusions, plus a 50 m² outdoor whirlpool. Guests also use the wellness areas of the group's other two hotels, 13,000 m² in all. The golf is on the Passeier.Meran course, playable from March to December; for the other months there is the Boom Boom Room, an indoor course with putting green, bunker and simulator.
Hotel Castel (Tirolo)
The Hotel Castel has an outdoor infinity pool of 20 × 8 metres heated all year, linked to an indoor pool in a hall almost six metres high, and a large whirlpool. The spa adds saunas, baths, sensory showers and a Kneipp pool. But remember the seasonal closure: in 2025-26 the hotel closed from 8 November to 15 April.
Big-number spas
Andreus Golf & Spa Resort
The Andreus has 8,000 m² of wellness, 2,500 of them saunas. The most spectacular is the DOME: 85 square metres by five metres high, with up to six Aufguss sessions a day led by a world champion of the discipline. There are seven pools, including a saltwater infinity pool on the fifth floor reserved for adults; there is also a cryogenic chamber at −85 °C.
Quellenhof Luxury Resort Passeier
The Quellenhof has 10,500 m² of spa in separate areas by age: the rooftop spa from 16, the Vital-Spa from 14, the Family-Spa from 6. It has a 25-metre sports pool with lap timing. The Merano club is five minutes away by car, and Quellenhof See Lodge, the adults-only house, has an indoor pool linked to a 25-metre outdoor infinity pool and three saunas, including a 35-seat Finnish sauna with themed infusions.
Preidlhof (Naturno)
The Preidlhof is reserved for guests over 16, in every area and all year. The 5,500 m² spa has 8 saunas and 7 heated pools, with thermal water from a depth of 200 metres. The showpiece is the Sauna Tower of 2013: six floors with 18 saunas, steam baths and relaxation rooms, open from 11 am to 11 pm. At the European Health & Spa Awards it won best hotel spa in Europe in 2023 and 2024.
Smaller spas with character
- Romantik Hotel Turm (Fiè allo Sciliar): a black pool at 32 °C, four saunas, a salt grotto carved into the rock with floating loungers and the Fiè hay bath, with hay from the hotel's own alpine pasture above 1,800 metres.
- Parkhotel Marlena (Marlengo): adults only, 1,000 m² of wellness with seven types of sauna and a saltwater pool. The panoramic pool in the park is used from April to October; the indoor pool has a three-dimensional wall by the artist Luis Stefan Stecher. Winter dates must be asked of the hotel.
- Castel Fragsburg (Merano): twenty suites and an alchemical spa with home-made products, a Finnish sauna up to 100 °C, a Turkish bath, an infrared sauna and a heated outdoor pool of 8 × 13 metres.
Summary table
| Hotel | What matters in winter | To check |
|---|---|---|
| Hohenwart | sports pool at 28 °C all year; panoramic pool at 34 °C | winter opening dates |
| Golf Lodge | 28 m infinity pool heated all year; Boom Boom Room | opening dates, minimum age |
| Hotel Castel | infinity pool heated all year | closed 8 Nov-15 Apr (2025-26) |
| Andreus | DOME with Aufguss up to six times a day | opening dates |
| Quellenhof | 10,500 m²; Christmas package 20-27 Dec 2026 | other dates |
| Preidlhof | Sauna Tower 11 am-11 pm, 7 heated pools | winter offers |
| Marlena | seven saunas; outdoor pool April-October | winter opening dates |
What to ask before you book
For every hotel: winter opening dates, whether the outdoor pool is heated and to what temperature, the minimum age for the areas (many are 16+), and whether there are indoor alternatives for the days without golf. On the golf side, remember that Passeier.Meran is played from March to December and Lana from February to December, according to the Preidlhof.
Frequently asked questions
Are mountain spas open in winter?+
It depends on the hotel. The Hotel Castel in Tirolo closed from 8 November to 15 April in 2025-26; others, such as the Quellenhof Passeier, offer Christmas packages (20-27 December 2026 on their website). Always check the dates.
Which hotels have pools heated all year?+
For example Hohenwart (sports pool at 28 °C), Golf Lodge Andreus (28-metre infinity pool) and Hotel Castel (outdoor infinity pool of 20 × 8 metres).
Where can I find Aufguss sessions?+
At the Andreus the DOME sauna has up to six sessions a day; at the Golf Lodge the outdoor sauna has daily infusions; at the Quellenhof See Lodge the 35-seat Finnish sauna hosts themed infusions.
Can I play golf in winter in South Tyrol?+
Passeier.Meran is playable from March to December, Golfclub Lana from February to December according to the Preidlhof. The Golf Lodge also has an indoor course with a simulator.
Are the spas adults only?+
Many have areas closed to minors: Hohenwart VistaSpa 16+, Quellenhof rooftop 16+, Vital-Spa 14+, Preidlhof and Golf Lodge adults only. The Quellenhof has a Family-Spa from age 6.
How much does a mountain spa cost?+
It depends on the hotel, the season and the room; rates change and should be requested directly from the property.
