"You can't go back home to your family,
back home to your childhood ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and
of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and
systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the
time…"
Thomas Wolfe
“You can’t go back to Parkhotel Planac.”
No Crowds
Every year since 2005, we have skied in a
wonderful, undiscovered region of the Dolomites called the Alta Badia. The
advantages are many. It is a massive area of dramatic scenery, easy skiing, few
lines, excellent food and comparatively low prices. For most of those years, we
stayed at a brilliantly positioned hotel on the slopes outside the town of
Corvara called the Parkhotel Planac. A comfortable 3 star with good food and
charming staff, we were happy as clams and if you care, you can read about
those halcyon days here.
But how it pains me to write the next sentence.
Reader, they sold it. Yes, our hotel was sold and is under new management. All
the things that made the place convenient and charming – the shuttle bus into
town – gone. The gala dinner where the chef paraded something on fire around
the dining room – gone. The carnival party (even during Lent) when we danced
the night away with Chez Guevara and Scooby Doo – gone. What is left is a
rather soulless place, desperately in need of renovation.
In fairness, the new staff tried to make us
happy, the food was still pretty good, the rooms were clean and the position on
the slope still fantastic. But now that the shuttle bus has been axed, you
really need to bring a car if you are going to stay at Planac. As far as No
Crowds is concerned, this was our last year.
As for Corvara, we still love it – for all the
reasons we written about over the years. So we are searching for a new ski-on,
ski-off 3* hotel in the Alta Badia filled with good food and good cheer..If you
know of one, please do get in touch.
Photo Credit: Dubai Gary
