14. The Upgrade | Weekly - Sonnwies and What Kinder Hotels Do Differently

Family Friendly means something different at Europe's Kinder Hotels, this hotel gave me one of the best vacations of my life

The Upgrade Weekly

🗝️ The Upgrade | Weekly by Anne Marie Brown.

Issue 14 · Sonnwies and What Family Hotels Do Differently

In The Upgrade this week:

1. Pre-Departure – Sonnwies, an interview with owner Anna Hinteregger, and Kinder Hotels

2. The Room Report – Merged with Pre-Departure - Sonnwies

3. The Lobby Bar – This week's Lobby Bar covers Hilton's new points partnership with Explora Journeys, Oetker Collection's US debut at The Vineta in Palm Beach, the opening of Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes in San Sebastián, the Winter 2026 debut of Lily of the Valley Courchevel, and Skift's read on the "barbell" hotel market where ultra-luxury and extended-stay pull ahead while the middle stalls.

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Travelers,

This week, Pre-Departure and the Room Report will be rolled into one – a deep dive on Sonnwies.

I have long been fascinated by family hotels in the Swiss/Austrian/Italian Alps. When I was a child, my family spent two summers in Gstaad, where we hiked through Sound of Music scenery to high-altitude playgrounds, ate fondu, and made flower crowns. Gstaad in the early 1990s was a bit different from the glitzy destination it is now, but it lives in my memories as it used to be. I wanted to give my own children a similar experience and came across Sonnwies in Italy’s Dolomites.

As a luxury traveler and co-founder of a travel agency, I’m constantly on the hunt for hotels that provide a true luxury family experience. I’m not talking about hotels that might have a nice kids’ club, colored pencils on check in, and child-sized robes, but then not allow kids in the pool for most of the day. I’m thinking of hotels where families not only feel welcome at the luxury level, but where the hotel also eases – not exacerbates – the stress of traveling with children.

We had the most wonderful stay at Sonnwies, a Kinder Hotel in the Dolomites, this June, and I don’t think I have ever truly felt that relaxed.

I was lucky enough to meet one of the owners, and have included an exclusive interview with her in this week’s The Upgrade | Weekly.

For paid subscribers, this week’s Master Key includes all my Sonnwies-specific tips and a deep dive into Kinder Hotels as an economic model.

Subscribe below to receive Master Key.

Happy travels,

Anne Marie

Yours truly with my Bougie Bunnies on a Sonnwies Land Rover picnic

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🗝️ Pre-Departure — Hospitality Hot Takes

What Kinder Hotels Do Differently

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Many readers of The Upgrade are savvy hospitality professionals or travelers who know the typical categories of hotels – select service, lifestyle, resort, boutique, all inclusive, etc., but Family Hotels or Kinder Hotels are their own category, typically specific to Europe.

There is a certification program, primarily in the German-speaking Alpine markets – Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy’s South Tyrol. Hotels are rated on a point system across categories like:

1) Kids’ club programming and hours

2) Baby and toddler equipment

3) Family room configurations

4) Childproofing

5) Dining (kid menus, meal timing, allergy awareness)

6) Outdoor play space

7) Staff training for children

The Capex for these properties is extraordinary and they are a complex model to run. I did some research into the financials for the category for this week’s Master Key. Many of these hotels have long been family owned and operated, but are transitioning away as family members of younger generations are no longer interested in the grind. The family that owns Sonnwies is not one of those families. They have fully committed to family ownership, and it shows.

Sonnwies FamilHotel, Dolomites

Sonnwies is a luxury, 5-star Kinder Hotel located about an hour from Bolzano airport, in Italy’s Dolomites. The property sits in Luson, a village of 1,500 people 12 kilometers from Brixen. Family-friendly hikes such as the Woody Walk at Plose are just 20 minutes away. The hotel has a farm with 30 animals, and kids can feed them, gather freshly laid eggs and eat them for breakfast, ride horses, take alpacas for a walk, and pet the bunnies. They also design everything with kids in mind, from hand rails on the stairs that are kid height to a kid-sized buffet, even stairs up to the front desk so kids can talk to the front desk agents.

When we vacationed there just two weeks ago, our children, (and we), were in heaven.

Kids’ Club

Sonnwies’ rates include kids’ club programming from 9 am to 9 pm most days. (Sunday hours are more limited.) Kids receive wrist bands that are either red (they can leave the club only with an adult) or green (they have full run of the property). By day three, we felt comfortable giving our kids green wrist bands and letting them explore on their own. That sort of independence is a unique experience for five and seven year olds.

Food is all-inclusive “soft.” All alcohol is a la carte. Anything ordered by the pool is also a la carte. Kids’ club hours are scheduled to allow parents to enjoy a proper dinner while the kids eat earlier with staff or to easily dine as a family.

Dining

Aside from the excellence of the childcare situation, Sonnwies really pulls ahead with its dining. The meals are designed as tasting menus with farm-to-table ingredients, and dinners are exceptional. Kids always have access to a pasta bar and can order chicken nuggets etc., but by the third day, my kids were eating fresh veggies, local cheeses, and duck. Outside of dining hours, food is available a la carte for an additional charge.

You are assigned the same table for all meals.

The Rooms

Entry-level studios run 40 square meters (430 square feet) with a pull-out sofa bed and a proper mountain-view balcony. The top four-room suite stretches to 130 square meters (1,400 square feet) with a freestanding bath and a separate children’s bedroom.

They have four room categories:

· 22 Studios

· 18 Suites

· 37 Luxury Suites

· 3 Forest Villas

Rates start at around €620 for studios, €830 for suites, and €925 for luxury suites, depending on the season. Full board with childcare is included. In the same tier, Cavallino Bianco in Ortisei starts at €456 and Quellenhof in Passeier at €400. The Sonnwies premium charge is justified by the product.

Sonnwies

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Interview with the Owner – Anna Hinteregger

This week, I’ve written an edition of Master Key for paid subscribers discussing our experience at Sonnwies, as well as the economics of Kinder Hotels, but for the purpose of this week’s Upgrade, I was lucky enough to meet and interview Anna Hinteregger, one of the siblings who own the property.

Coming from a hospitality family myself (for new readers, my family, the Kelleys, owned and operated Hawaii’s Outrigger Hotels for three generations until 2016), I enjoy discussing the unique challenges of family legacy in hospitality.

1) AMB: Your family bought the property as a farm in 1983. What inspired you to create a hotel specifically for families?

Anna: My mother was a teacher, and my father owned a construction company. In 1999, my parents opened a small guesthouse with just 17 rooms, laying the foundation for what Sonnwies has become today.

In 2002, my youngest brother was born, making us a family of four children of very different ages. When the youngest was a newborn my older brother was ten, I was eight, and my sister was six. As a family, we experienced firsthand how difficult it was to find accommodations that truly catered to families with children of different ages.

That experience shaped our vision. We wanted to create a place where families genuinely feel welcome and every generation can enjoy their holiday together.

Having grown up on a farm ourselves, it was equally important for us to keep nature at the heart of the experience. To this day, activities such as butter making, pony riding, feeding the animals, crafting with natural materials, gardening, and cooking together are part of our daily program. We want children to connect with nature while creating memories that will stay with them for a lifetime.

2) AMB: What sets Sonnwies apart from other luxury hotels in the region?

Anna: We are completely dedicated to families with children. Everything we do is designed around their needs while maintaining the highest standards of comfort and luxury.

Our architecture and interior design are timeless and of exceptional quality. Wherever possible, we collaborate with local artisans and use natural materials from the region. At the same time, the entire hotel has been thoughtfully designed so children can easily find their way around and feel at home from the very first moment.

For us, luxury is not only about beautiful spaces – it is about creating a place filled with warmth, nature, and meaningful family moments.

3) AMB: How are responsibilities divided within your family today?

Anna: Two years ago, my brother Lukas and I took over the business. He is responsible for the strategic development of our company, future projects, expansions, and marketing.

I oversee day-to-day operations with a strong focus on our guests, our team, and ensuring that every detail of the guest experience reflects our values.

Our parents continue to play an important role. My mother still supports us with financial administration and shares her invaluable experience whenever we need advice. My father remains actively involved in our construction projects, and our youngest brother supports the accounting department. Our sister Eva currently lives in Milan and is not involved in the family business.

4) AMB: As a family business, what are you most proud of?

Anna: I am especially proud that we have continuously invested in and developed Sonnwies over the past 25 years.

Even more importantly, I am proud of how well we work together as a family. Each of us contributes our own strengths, and together with our wonderful team – many of whom have been with us for many years – we have built something that goes far beyond a hotel.

5) AMB: What is something about running a family-owned hotel that people outside the industry often don’t understand?

Anna: Running a family-owned hotel requires an enormous amount of passion and dedication. The line between family life and work is often blurred because the business becomes part of everyday life.

Working with your own family is not always easy. Discussions can become emotional, but we also know each other incredibly well. We try to ensure that everyone takes responsibility in the areas where their strengths lie.

I believe that this is one of the greatest advantages of a family business. When everyone shares the same vision and contributes their best, there are endless opportunities to keep growing and improving together.

For me, there is nothing more rewarding than working in a place where other people create some of the happiest memories of their lives.

6) What does your all-inclusive concept allow you to do that a traditional à la carte model cannot?

Anna: We deliberately chose not to offer a traditional all-inclusive concept. Instead, we created our own hospitality concept that gives our international guests maximum flexibility.

Every morning, guests enjoy a generous South Tyrolean farmhouse breakfast buffet, while specialty coffees and freshly prepared egg dishes are served individually at the table.

Since we welcome guests from all over the world, dining habits and daily routines vary greatly. We wanted to create a concept that adapts to those different needs rather than asking guests to adapt to fixed schedules.

Serving regional, authentic, high-quality cuisine is very important to us. Many of our ingredients come from our own gardens at Sonnwies and Lake Garda, while others are sourced from trusted local producers with whom we have worked for many years.

Reducing food waste is another priority, so we have carefully designed our dining concept to combine flexibility with sustainability.

Children can enjoy their favorite dishes from the buffet whenever they are hungry after a day of playing, while adults – and children who prefer table service – can choose at any time from a menu featuring around twelve freshly prepared dishes that change daily.

This allows us to combine flexibility, exceptional quality, and sustainability.

7) AMB: What is the greatest challenge in operating a hotel where children are just as much your guests as their parents?

Anna: Although our focus is clearly on families and children, we never wanted to compromise on design or quality.

All our playhouses, family spa areas, and children’s spaces have been built using premium natural materials. The architecture was designed to encourage children to explore freely while creating a calm, elegant atmosphere where parents can relax.

Our philosophy is very simple: When children are happy, parents can truly relax.

8) AMB: How do you maintain consistently high-quality childcare as you continue to grow?

Anna: Our Kids’ Club is one of the most important elements of Sonnwies. Today, we have a team of more than 20 dedicated childcare professionals.

We invest continuously in training and professional development, meet regularly to exchange ideas, and constantly refine our programs. This ongoing collaboration enables us not only to maintain our high standards but to improve them year after year.

9) AMB: We’re excited about your expansion plans. Can you tell us about them?

Anna: Three years ago, we took our first step beyond South Tyrol by opening Borgo Tre on Lake Garda. This beautifully restored historic borgo (Italian for hamlet), overlooking the lake, has become one of our favorite retreats. It currently offers luxurious apartments, and we have exciting plans for its future development.

This autumn, we will also open our new adults-only property, SAN SONNEA Lodge Dolomites, located on the Zanser Alm in the heart of the Dolomites.

The five-star property will feature only 24 suites, each offering breathtaking views of the Geisler Peaks. Here, our focus is entirely on adults seeking tranquility, nature, and refined luxury in the mountains.

• SAN SONNEA will become our new umbrella brand.

• Sonnwies will be renamed SAN SONNEA Family Dolomites.

• Our Lake Garda property will become Borgo SAN SONNEA Lake Garda.

• Our adults-only property will be called SAN SONNEA Lodge Dolomites.

Each hotel will maintain its own unique identity while becoming part of the SAN SONNEA collection.

10) AMB: Could you ever imagine opening a property like this in the United States?

Anna: At the moment, our focus is on the exciting projects we are currently developing in Europe.

Of course, we are always open to new ideas and opportunities. Where the future will take us remains to be seen, but for now our priority is to continue bringing our vision to life here in Europe.

11) AMB: Who is your typical guest today compared to ten years ago?

Anna: Our guest profile has changed significantly over the past decade. Ten years ago, most of our guests came from neighboring countries and Italy. Today, we are delighted to welcome families from all over the world.

This international growth is incredibly rewarding and confirms that our concept resonates well beyond Europe.

12) AMB: Our clients are primarily American families. What do you think makes Sonnwies especially appealing to them?

Anna: I believe many American families are looking for something that has become increasingly rare: genuine connection – with nature, with each other, and with a slower pace of life.

Here in South Tyrol, we are fortunate to be surrounded by untouched nature, the majestic Dolomites, fresh mountain air, crystal-clear spring water, star-filled skies, farm animals, and authentic Alpine architecture.

To us, that is the true definition of luxury.

Sonnwies is about much more than beautiful accommodations. It is about creating meaningful family experiences, spending quality time together, and allowing children and parents alike to reconnect with nature. I believe that is exactly what makes our destination so special for international families – and especially for our American guests.

Final thoughts and a new partnership

I am thrilled that our company, Alpenglow Travel, is building a partnership with Sonnwies.

We had an extraordinary stay there. Our kids loved the waterslides, animals, and friends we made. We loved the food, the chance to really relax while our kids were happy, and the hiking. The Dolomites are stunning. I haven’t felt that relaxed on a trip with our children in years. I’m already planning a return trip.

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🗝️ The Lobby Bar — Hospitality updates, promotions, and the occasional pun

• Hilton x Explora Journeys partnership launches — Hilton Honors members can now earn and redeem points on Explora’s ultra-luxury ocean voyages (MSC Group), with a 5% discount and tier-specific onboard perks. Launched July 9. Read on Luxury Daily

• The Vineta Hotel opens in Palm Beach — Oetker Collection’s first US property (the group behind Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and Eden Rock St Barths) debuts in the heart of Palm Beach. Read on Wallpaper*

• Lily of the Valley Courchevel confirmed for Winter 2026 — The Saint-Tropez wellness brand extends into the Alps with a 575 sqm ski-in/ski-out chalet by architect Charles Zana. Six bedrooms, private cinema, gym, pool, hammam, sleeps 14. Read on The Opening List

• Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes opens in San Sebastián — Isabel López Vilalta transformed a 1914 Beaux-Arts cinema into a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel, leaning into cinematic references and Basque cultural heritage. Read on Business Traveller

• The luxury/extended-stay "barbell" market — Extended-stay demand hit a four-year high (up 6.2% YoY in May vs. 0.7% for conventional hotels), while ultra-luxury holds firm and mid-tier upscale stalls. Relevant context for why clients are paying up at both ends. Read on Skift