Four Points by Sheraton Bolzano

Striking and contemporary, the Four Points might be at the business end of Bolzano, but it looks nothing like a business hotel. A vast expanse of wood flooring in the lobby is broken only occasionally by red columns, low-lying yellow leather couches, and glass coffee tables perched on fake-grass rugs. This space leads through to the striking B-Bar, a huge space with a great glass atrium and a dramatic monochrome patterned carpet, black-leather Chesterfield sofas, and shiny brass and chrome chandeliers. Leading off from this atrium is a more sedate part of the bar, with dark-wood tables and chairs, and shelves on the walls filled with bottles of wine. Up on the seventh floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the surrounding Dolomites, is the spa, gym, and indoor pool. The Four Points attracts some guests looking to explore the surrounding mountains, but mostly its guests are Italian businesspeople due to its setting near the exhibition center and airport.

Only a minute’s walk from the Bolzano Fair, the Four Points is ideally situated to make the most of one of the largest conference centers in northern Italy, and the various other business facilities that have sprung up around it. The hotel is located in the industrial area of Bolzano, but there are still several shops and restaurants within a 10-minute walk. The town’s picturesque historic center is a 50-minute walk, or a 10-minute journey either by car or by train -- the train station is a four-minute walk from the hotel. It's a four-minute drive to Bolzano Airport, or a roughly 90-minute drive to Innsbruck Airport in neighboring Austria.

By and large, the hotel’s 189 rooms are bright and contemporary, outfitted in a minimalist fashion with white walls, taupe carpet floors with a subtle abstract pattern, and sleek dark-wood furniture. It’s worth noting that while most rooms look out over the mountains, some have views of a dingy interior courtyard. Classic Rooms are simple affairs, with a comfortable bed, desk, and little else, and Executive Rooms only add an armchair. Larger Deluxe Rooms have a small seating area separated from the rest of the room by a dresser with shelves above it, seemingly floating, to create the impression of a partition. Junior Suites have a crimson couch and a couple of slate-gray armchairs, separated from the bed by a chest of drawers that doubles as a TV stand. Some of the rooms are decorated in what the hotel claims to be traditional Tyrolean style, which means charming pine-wood furniture and gray carpeting and fabrics. Straightforward bathrooms have bidets and shower/tub combos, plus magnifying mirrors and toiletries. All rooms have free Wi-Fi, minibars, tea- and coffee-making facilities, safes, and flat-screen TVs. Suites add bathrobes.

Dividing itself neatly into a business hotel and a relaxing vacation spot, the Four Points has a large conference center and a spa. The conference center has several meeting rooms -- from an auditorium that can accommodate 500 to more intimate spaces that can seat a fraction of this. Meanwhile, up on the seventh floor is the spa, which has stunning mountain views and offers a range of wellness therapies and massage treatments, as well as the use of a sauna and Turkish bath. Also on this floor are a decently equipped gym and a sizable indoor pool with a hot tub and waterfall jet, both of which have lots of windows that look out over the Dolomites. Downstairs, the hotel has three restaurants. The Rosengarten Restaurant serves a variety of breakfast dishes, including healthy options and a menu of strictly local produce, while Restaurant Valier serves a decidedly posh a la carte dinner. B-Bar is a more casual affair, serving breakfast, light meals, and drinks, accompanied by live music some nights. Free and fast Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the hotel