La Bercia Dolomites Chalet: review of special little place in Alta Badia

In February 2019 for the second time we spent a lovely week on the slopes of the Dolomites at La Bercia Dolomites chalet in La Villa. We stayed there last year too and I mentioned it in How to Make Ski Holiday possible with toddlers .

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La Bercia is a residence with a dozen apartments but with the services of a hotel, daily cleaning and, from this year, breakfast included in the price in the newly added Breakfast Room. I believe la Bercia is a really good place both in terms of cost, design and location so I would like to share more details.

La Bercia is located in Alta Badia, in the middle of the Dolomites. If you have never skied on the Dolomites you will be blown away by these majestic slopes. If you want more details about where to ski, where to eat and more, you can read my post Ski holiday in Alta Badia with toddlers

We booked and paid in full for our stay, this review is based on our own experience, and I want to help you to know more about a lovely place that lives up to princess expectations!

 

Check-in

The apartments are located in the main building, where on the 1st floor there is the restaurant, and a second building a few metres away.

When you arrive it may seem a bit strange because the entrance on the 1st floor is shared with the restaurant and even if there is a little reception desk, there isn’t a lounge area. If you arrive late, like us, you may find yourself in the middle of dinner service with waiting staff running around like crazy, but don’t worry Karin is usually there to welcome you and take you to your apartment.

In the common areas, especially on the ground floor near the spa there are many leaflets about the area, but don’t hesitate to ask because I believe they have many regular customers, so they will not tell you all the area highlights by default.

 

The apartments

The apartments denote the care and research in design that, while maintaining simplicity and alpine style, characterizes the structure. Each element has been carefully chosen and designed not to be trivial but to add simple design elements that make the space extremely welcoming and pleasant. Our apartment was n.101 in the main building, while last year we were in the other building. We had a comfortable living-dining area with a sofa bed and an open kitchen, separate bedroom, bathroom, and a large balcony. The apartment can host a family of 4 comfortably.

The kitchen is large and equipped with all possible utensils, not just the basics. There is a very useful dishwasher and detergent tablets. Sponges and tea towels are also available, but not dish detergent. For us this solution was perfect because sometimes we cooked for Liam and Santiago and also for us but I had no desire to wash up after!

The bedroom is of the right size, we also made the two cribs fit in there so as not to be bound by Liam and Santiago’s early bed time. On the window there is a black out curtain but if you want total black you have to adjust it a bit to make sure no light is entering from the side. The bed is big and really comfortable with single duvets (Swedish style).

The bathroom is large with plenty of towels and a comfortable bathrobe to go down to the spa. In our bathroom there was a shower but I think there are also apartments with a bath.

Generally there is the right amount of storage, for clothes, suitcases, jackets and all things for the snow.

The only thing that I really find inconvenient is the lack of even basic toiletries like hand soap. Especially for those who arrive late, when shops are closed, not even having soap is irritating. I knew this and yet I forgot anyway … luckily Mark never travels without his Simple soap!

Breakfast

This year they refurbished a space to introduce a breakfast room. The room is well organized and very bright with large tables, and a design in line with the rest of the structure and windows with magnificent views.
The food includes cold meat, cheeses, yogurt, cereals, fruit, croissants and other baked pastries, and a very handy and easy to use juice extractor machine. The spaces are generous and the tables large with a amazing view, a staff member is always present and constantly replenishes the buffet. They are really nice to move tables around to accommodate larger family/friends groups. They also have high chairs available.

There are no cooked options available apart from delicious boiled eggs, but for us there was plenty of food to set us up for the day with great energy to ski on the Dolomites!

 

The common areas

As I mentioned before there isn’t a lounge area, but the restaurant has a nice bar area where you can stop for coffee or drinks.
On the ground level you have a ski/boots depot and the spa. There is also a common washing machine but you need to buy your own soap.
In summer there is also available a heated saltwater swimming pool (of course I can’t comment on this)

 

Spa

The Spa is absolutely fantastic. It is on the level of many luxury hotels! It is divided into 2 areas plus the outdoor hydro-massage tub.
At the entrance there are lockers with a key, a small cabin for changing and a bathroom. The first area houses the Turkish bath, the Finnish sauna, the infrared sauna, and the showers, and in the central part there is a chill out area with sofas. Fresh towels are available in the cabinet next to the showers, and there is an area with tea, herbal tea, water, fruit and dried fruit. Relaxing music pervades the whole space.

In the second area there is a very large relaxation space with 3 different seats: beds, deck chairs, and a sort of hanging beds (the photos are probably more explanatory than my description!)

Outside a big warm Jacuzzi with color changing system will make you forget all the soreness in your body coming from an active ski day!!!

 

Restaurant

The restaurant is quite big but during peak season almost always full, so if you decide to dine there don’t forget to book. One night we came down without booking and we ended in the booth near the reception… to be honest we loved it because it was a little separated from the crowd, but this booth is usually unavailable, the team made a very kind exception for us that night.

The menu is extensive and ranges from an innumerable selection of pizzas to typical local dishes. A couple of things we really liked were polenta with truffle and  cheeses

In the end we ate twice in the restaurant and took the pizza twice in the apartment which was very convenient.

For those with small children like us, the chance to put them to bed, turn on a monitor,  and go downstairs to have a quiet dinner and look in each other’s eyes is priceless.

 

Connections

So … La Villa is a small village, so there’s really no risk of getting lost. The nearest facility is 7-8 minutes on foot, but there is a convenient ski bus that stops next to the residence that also goes to the main La Ila gondola.

Many of the chair/gondola lift are open also in summer so if you like hiking this is a perfect spot also in summer

In the village there are various shops and at least two large supermarkets.

Costs

For us the value for money is excellent. It’s not a cheap place, but I think it’s worth the extra money for what it offers. We paid Euro 1,400 for 7 nights (after the kids will be 3 it will be a bit more). La Bercia Dolomites Chalet is often fully booked, in case you can’t find space have a look at the other option in Alta Badia, all villages are well connected so you can’t get it wrong!

We really like La Bercia Dolomites chalet, in case you had any doubt I hope this article helped you to decide. Let me know if you go 🙂