Folgaria, Italy: A Serendipitous Stay at John Luxury Suites

Some of the best travel memories happen by accident. Folgaria, a small alpine town in Italy’s Trento province, was never on our itinerary. We were driving from 3 Zinnen toward Milan when the map — and my instinct for finding interesting, non-standard stays — nudged us toward it. That’s how we ended up at John Luxury Suites, a name that appeared only because I changed how I searched on Booking.com.

Sometimes, when looking for accommodation, it’s fun to break the pattern. Instead of sorting by hotel stars, I switch the filter to Recommendations. It opens the door to places that aren’t always in the obvious top spots but have something special to offer. That’s exactly how we found John — hidden in plain sight, just waiting for the right traveler to notice.

John, it turns out, he’s something of a local legend — his kingdom includes a bar, restaurant, patisserie, and a handful of beautifully furnished suites that somehow manage to be both authentic and warmly homelike.

We stayed in the Luci dell’Alba apartment, a cozy loft tucked under a sloping roof. It instantly transported me back to childhood winters, waking up to snow-filtered light through white-framed skylights. There’s something about a room that feels like it belongs to a season, and this one was pure winter comfort — even though outside, autumn was holding on with golden leaves.

The apartment wasn’t just pretty. It held a surprise: a Hydrosoft Private Spa right in the living space. After hours on the road, stepping into the gentle, cedar-scented warmth was pure bliss. It wasn’t the overwhelming heat of a traditional sauna, but a soft, enveloping warmth that eased every knot in my shoulders and legs. By the time I stepped out, skin tingling and mind quiet, I’d almost forgotten there was more to the evening.

Dinner reminded me. The in-house restaurant served up local flavors that tasted like they’d been made just for us — rich, hearty, and deeply satisfying after a day in the mountains. The next morning, breakfast was equally thoughtful: fresh pastries from the patisserie downstairs, fragrant coffee, and that easy pace you only get when you don’t have to rush anywhere.

Folgaria itself was a quiet delight. The streets were strangely busy with kind people both local and tourist, framed by alpine scenery, with a sense that life here unfolds at its own rhythm. It wasn’t a planned stop, but it became one of those unexpected chapters that make a trip feel layered and real.

If you ever find yourself somewhere between the Dolomites and Milan, take the detour to this 1169m height. Book the suite with the skylight windows and the Hydrosoft Private Spa. Let dinner and breakfast be part of the experience. And when you’re searching for your next stay, don’t forget to play with the filters — you might just uncover your own John Luxury Suites, and a story you didn’t even know you were going to tell.