DAS GRAFENSTEIN FAMILY HOTEL REVIEW – A Kid’s Paradise Near Merano (Dolomites)

Are you researching family hotels for your trip to the Dolomites?  If so, I’ve got a good one for you!

I’m a mamma of three here in Italy, and we love exploring the Dolomites as a family.  I’ve been working and playing in the Dolomites since 2004, and I’m always on the hunt for family-friendly hotels.  Das Grafenstein has been on my radar for awhile, and we finally had a chance to stay at the property.  We all wish I’d booked a stay sooner!

Das Grafenstein is a family-run, family-focused property in the Dolomites near Merano.  The highlights of Das Grafenstein (to me) are:

• The incredible children’s play area and family amenities
• The convenient and gorgeous location

We spent four nights at Das Grafenstein in mid-June.  Let’s take a look at what our experience at Das Grafenstein was like and:

• Hotel basics
• Pros and cons of a Das Grafenstein stay
• Arrival at the property
• Accommodation types
• Kids activities and amenities
• Why parents will enjoy staying here
• Dining options at Das Grafenstein
• If we’ll return 
• How to book a Das Grafenstein stay for your family
• Things to see and do nearby

Good To Know:  The official name is Das Grafenstein Familienresidence & Suiten.

Das Grafenstein is one of my recommendations for
Where to Stay in Merano with Kids
Where to Stay in the Dolomites with Kids

Das Grafenstein Familien Residence – Basics

Location: Dolomites, in the hills above the valley that runs between Bolzano and Merano; 10-15 min by car from Merano, 30 min by car from Bolzano
Type of Hotel: Family
Room Options: Apartments & suites
# of Rooms: 18
Transportation:  Reach by car; airports to fly into include Verona, Innsbruck, Venice, and Milan

Should Your Family Stay at Das Grafenstein?

While I can’t say enough positive things about Das Grafenstein, it may not be the perfect spot for you and your family.  Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of a stay here.

Pros for Das Grafenstein

Kids Amenities – Kids will be happy to stay and play here all day.  There’s a

Full of Families – You’ll never feel like you have to shush your kids at mealtime!

Location – Not only is the location in the vineyards above Merano’s valley beautiful, it’s also a great spot to be with kids.  The property has one entrance via a tiny, virtually non-trafficked road.  The rest of the compact property is fenced, so older kids can roam on their own and feel independent.  For example, I was fine letting my 6 and 10 year olds leave the room to go play in the kids area on their own.  It’s also close to Merano (10-15 min drive) and other places in the area you’ll want to visit.  Restaurants and grocery stores are 5-10 minutes away… all very convenient.

Staff – Family-owned, second generation.  They have their kids on the property too.  They’re so great with little ones. 
Cleanliness – We found our apartment to be spotless, and the property is also very clean and the outdoor area is tidy and well-maintained.  Yes, kids are messy, but messes don’t stay around for long.  I was very impressed with Das Grafenstein in this respect, as I know it’s not easy to keep places full of kids clean and hygienic!

Beauty – You can see from the photos that Das Grafenstein is in a gorgeous setting in the hills above the valley.  The views are spectacular, especially from the play area and the swimming pool.

Tranquility – It may sound silly to describe a family hotel as tranquil, but it really is.  The layout of the property is so thoughtful (like the little cabana areas just before the pool), it’s relaxing, quiet, and beautiful!

Teenagers – While the hotel seems to draw mostly families with smaller kids, there are teen-focused amenities too.  In the kids area, there’s a teen room with foosball and video games, and they can also use the soccer pitch and basketball hoop (and the go karts!).   

Cons for Das Grafenstein

Minus the price, these aren’t necessarily negatives about Das Grafenstein.  They’re more things to think about when you’re booking.  For example, there’s not an on-site restaurant for dinner, but that was no big deal for our family (we made pasta in the room’s kitchen and ate out other times).  However, you may prefer to have an on-site restaurant.

Location – It’s nestled up in the hills above Merano, so you’ll need to drive to visit Merano, hikes, and other attractions.

Meal Options – Breakfast is a delicious, abundant buffet in the dining area.  Lunch and dinner options are to cook/prepare something in your room’s kitchen or drive to a restaurant. 

Price – Not a budget option.  In fact, if you’re planning on spending most of your time out exploring (and not utilizing the hotel), it’s not worth it.  But, Das Grafenstein is a great example of ‘you get what you pay for.’  It’s really a special and memorable for kids and adults!

Bathtub – We didn’t have one in our apartment, which was a bummer for us.  It’s so much easier to bathe small children in a bathtub.  Some of the apartments do have bathtubs.

Hiking from the Hotel – If you want to hike directly from the hotel, there aren’t many options.  You can walk on the waalweg path if you can get your kids up the first steep 100m climb.  Otherwise, there are a ton of amazing kid-friendly hikes nearby (accessible with a car).

Minimum Nights – Sometimes there’s a minimum stay of 3-5 days.

Traveling to and Arriving at Das Grafenstein

You’ll need a car to stay at Das Grafenstein. 

If you’re arriving from the south (likely), you can use the Autostrada network to Bolzano, and then make your way to Lana (the small town below Das Grafenstein) on the smaller superstrada. 

When you begin heading uphill toward Das Grafenstein, have your family help you look for the signs (it’s a scavenger hunt!). 

I recommend parking in the covered parking area and checking in before unloading your bags.  If you need to, you can drive your car the 30 meters back to the hotel to drop your bags closer to your room (that’s what I did).

We arrived before check-in, and although our room wasn’t ready, they still allowed us to use the property, which my kids loved!

Check-in was quick and I was shown around the property (5 minutes total) before heading to our room. 

Read more about
Driving in the Dolomites
Driving in Italy
Car Seats in Italy

Accommodation Types

Das Grafenstein has 18 apartments and suites that fit from 3 to 8 people.

We stayed four nights in a Deluxe Two-Bedroom Apartment, the Panorama Suite.  It consists of:

• 2 bedrooms (one queen, one with bunk beds and a single)
• Living room with a sofa bed
• Kitchen
• Dining area with table
• 2 bathrooms (one had a toilet and sink)
• Balcony with lounge chairs and table

The apartment was spacious and had plenty of space for storage (clothing, toys, suitcases, etc). 

We used the kitchen for simple meals (like pasta with salad) and we had some snacks stored in the fridge. 

Good To Know:  The hotel can provide you with so many things to make your stay easier.  For example, they installed a bed railing on the side of the queen bed because my 3-year-old decided to sleep in my bed part-way through the trip.

Good To Know:  Even though the hotel was full of families, while we were in our room we never heard others around us.  We were on the side of the hotel closest to the small road that leads to the hotel, but car noise was not an issue either.

Das Grafenstein – Paradise for Kids

Das Grafenstein is really a dream for kids of all ages.  They’ve set up areas and activities for different ages groups (for example, there’s a teen club) and there’s just so much on offer.

My kids didn’t want to leave the hotel in the mornings. 

Here are some of the amenities and activities for kids at Das Grafenstein:

• Unbelievable playground area with a mini soccer pitch, a sandbox, a 2-story slide, swings, a go-kart track, a trampoline, a huge climbing structure, a clubhouse, a teen club with fusball and so much more.  
• Arts and crafts sessions
• Indoor and outdoor swimming pools, each with children’s pools and toys for kids 
• Farm animals, with scheduled feeding sessions with staff
• Organized family outings (they had a guided group hike while we were there)
• Kids-only lunches and dinners (paid)

Good To Know:  You can sign your children into the kids club where they will be supervised by trained staff.  Older kids can do things on their own (like play soccer, foosball, etc), while younger kids hang out with the staff (arts and crafts, sandbox play, etc).

As a family, you can also go for walks along the waalwegs near the hotel.  Waalwegs are trails next to irrigation canals in the area’s vineyards and fruit orchards.  My boys loved ‘racing’ leaves in the little waterways.

Das Grafenstein Feels Like Vacation for Parents Too

One morning I walked into breakfast and saw a kid laying on the floor while his parents ate breakfast… and I knew I’d found my place. 

I feel like my kids are well-behaved, but out in the ‘wild’ (aka the real world), I notice that we can be a little loud and energetic.  I felt really relaxed at Das Grafenstein because it’s full of families, so we were able to just blend in. 

At Das Grafenstein, there’s no need to entertain your kids or create a complicated and full itinerary so everyone has fun.  There’s plenty for them to do at Das Grafenstein!  And there’s something for all ages.   My three boys all kept busy and loved their time on the property… and I could relax a little bit. 

Example: My older two would be playing soccer with other kids on the mini pitch, my youngest would be doing arts and crafts project with Perler beads (supervised, in the kids club), and I’d have a moment to break out my Kindle and read!

Things you can do at Das Grafenstein while your kids play on the property:

• Relax in the sauna
• Swim in the outdoor or indoor pool
• Hang out in the cabanas with gorgeous views
• Have aperitivo (this is the home of the Hugo spritz!)

At the end of our stay, I actually felt refreshed, which as you probably know, is rare after a family trip!

Eating at Das Grafenstein with Kids

Breakfast is served buffet-style in the dining area near reception.  There’s an indoor and outdoor area, and the views of the valley and vineyards help you start your day off right!  The options are healthy, delicious, and include local and homemade treats.

Lunch options are to eat in your apartment (pasta, sandwiches, etc), eat outside the hotel, or join the kids-only lunches that the kids club sometimes offers (paid). 

Dinner options are to eat in your apartment, eat outside the hotel, join the kids-only dinners that the kids club sometimes offers (paid), or join the special dinners the hotel organizes (BBQs, pizza dinners, all paid). 

What We Did: During our stay, we joined the pizza dinner one evening.  They had a caterer come in with a portable pizza oven and we ate at tables on the lawn.  The pizza was great and we were able to meet other families.  Other evenings we ate in the room (pasta), ordered takeout pizza from Pizzeria Helden (literally at the bottom of the hill), and walked to dinner at Haidenhof.  I highly recommend Haidenhof, as the food is incredible (meat-focused), the views are gorgeous, and there’s a little play area for kids.  We walked, and it took us about 45 minutes to reach the restaurant.  If When we return, we’ll arrive by car instead.

Good To Know:  If you need groceries, our favorite grocery store near the hotel is the Eurospar in Lana (about 10 minutes away by car). 

Things to See & Do Nearby With Your Family

Merano – Just a 10-15 minute drive from Das Grafenstein, Merano has plenty to do with kids.  Enjoy the food, wander the city center, soak in the thermal baths, explore the Trauttmansdorff Gardens, take the cable car up to Merano 2000 where you can hike, play at the playground, and ride the Alpin Bob!

You may want to check out
One Day in Merano with Kids
Things to Do in Merano with Kids
Merano 2000 with Kids
Trauttmansdorff Gardens with Kids
Terme Merano with Kids

Tirolo Bird Show & Castle – Walk along the paved path from Tirolo to the castle (good, but not worth paying for if you’re with small kids, as it doesn’t have much to hold their attention).  Below the castle is Gufyland, a bird sanctuary.  You can see the flight demonstrations twice per day.  They’re not in English, but it’s still really interesting.  And after, you can walk around and see the birds that are being rehabilitated or that live there permanently. 

Waalwegs – You can walk on some waalwegs around Das Grafenstein, and there are tons of others in the area.  Some even have kids activities along the path, like the Eichhörnchenweg Trail in Marling.

Bike Paths – Merano is on the Val Venosta bike path.  You can rent bikes (including children’s bikes) along the route in many towns, including Merano. 

Read more about
Cycling Dolomites Bike Paths
Merano to Bolzano Cycling Path with Kids

Bolzano – It’s just a 40-minute train ride or 30-minute drive to Bolzano, a city with plenty for kids.  We love visiting Ötzi the Iceman, playing at the enormous Talvera Park, and dining outdoors. 

Take a look at
Bolzano with Kids
Guide to Visiting Bolzano
Bolzano Restaurants

I hope this has helped you get an idea of what it’s like to stay at Das Grafenstein, and if it’s a good option for your family’s visit to the Dolomites. We may see you there for a go-kart race!