This Italian hotel has a new Tolkien-esque Hobbit hole

If you travel by the Italian side of South Tyrol, then you might come across a newly-redesigned hotel that features unique architecture that may very well bring Tolkien’s Hobbit holes back to your mind.

The Apfelhotel Torgglerhof, located in the town of St. Martin im Passeier, has recently undergone an expansion and revamp, feature new suites, restaurants and a wellness centre. The wellness centre, the new “green heart” of the hotel, is where the Hobbit holes come in. The entrance blends into a natural green slope, giving the illusion that the wooden door opens right from under a hill.

A picture of the new suites at the Apfelhotel — The hotel is located in an area famous for its apple orchards and it has recently undergone a renovation and expansion process © Alex Filz / Apfelhotel Torgglerhof

Inside the wellness centre, guests can enjoy a whole array of relaxation treatments, including a sauna whose design reminds of an apple to stay perfectly in line with the apple-farming traditions of the area – and then come out on the other side of the wellness centre, to find indoor/outdoor pool.

A picture of the other side of the wellness centre with an infinity pool — The other side of the wellness centre opens up into balconies overlooking an infinity pool © Alex Filz / Apfelhotel Torgglerhof

The new suites, which can host up to eighteen guests, have been built to fit in the same “relaxed country flair” vibe and echo back to a traditional barn design, while the restaurant created the atmosphere of a winter garden with pavilions branching out from the main building and featuring both closed and open canopied for all seasons.