Sometimes it’s what’s on the outside that counts. The shared areas of the Hotel Ideal Park are not much to write home about, with quartz floors, wood paneling, and furniture that’s seen better days, though square wooden ceiling tiles are classic in an attractive way. The same ceiling makes an appearance in the stylish restaurant, outfitted with plush gray-brown banquettes topped by purple velvet pillows, and metal doily-like placemats. Up on the roof is the real standout, however, featuring a pool terrace with stunning views of the surrounding mountains, as well as a hot tub and an eye-catching waterslide that arcs out from the hotel. The Ideal Park attracts a mix of tourists looking for a comfy base in the Dolomites, and business travelers seeking proximity to Bolzano.

Although Laives is a pretty sleepy town without much going on, the Ideal Park is nonetheless well-located. It’s a 20-minute drive into Bolzano, where tourists will find a picture-perfect city center, and business guests will find the Bolzano Fair, one of the largest conference centers in northern Italy, plus the various other business facilities that have sprung up around it. Away from Bolzano, the hotel is ideally located for trips into the Dolomites, for skiing, mountain biking, and trekking. Bolzano Airport is an 11-minute drive, while Innsbruck Airport, in neighboring Austria, takes roughly two hours by car.

The Ideal Park’s 166 rooms are in various states of repair, depending on whether or not they’ve been renovated. Many, but not all, rooms have furnished balconies or terraces, though most have spectacular views of the Dolomites. Non-renovated rooms have blue patterned carpet, dated wood furniture, wood paneling along the bottom third of walls, and old-fashioned striped or patterned linens. These also show a bit of wear. Meanwhile, rooms renovated in 2017 are sleek and have dark-wood floors, minimalist, grayish wood furniture, leather headboards, and turquoise bed runners, throw pillows. and big chairs. The former have equally dated bathrooms with shower stalls, while renovated bathrooms have fresh tiling and showers with fun purple lighting.

Economy Rooms lack air-conditioning and fridges, and Mini Single Rooms are aptly tiny. Family Rooms have chaise loungers and foldaway bunk beds. Higher-category rooms add fridges, seating areas, bidets, and/or deep soaking tubs. All rooms have flat-screen TV, safe, and free Wi-Fi. 

The Ideal Park has a range of amenities that go above its three-pearl rating in terms of style. Although there isn’t a gym, the hotel has a spectacularly decorated -- think lots of colorful LED lights -- spa with treatment rooms for massages and wellness therapies, as well as a sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy pools, and a sizable indoor lap pool. Up on the roof is a terrace with stunning panoramic mountain views, a long and narrow infinity pool, and hot tub, plus a vertigo-inducing waterslide that loops around the hotel before splashing down in the pool. Plenty of loungers and Bali beds are available here. The restaurant offers a breakfast buffet, which guests speak highly of, and a la carte fare for lunch and dinner consisting mostly of South Tyrollean classics. The hotel has a kids’ club, as well as secure underground car and bike parking. Wi-Fi is free throughout.