VILLAREJA – is more than a hotel.
It’s the first chapter of something bigger:
A curated collection of special places for travelers who value style, stillness, and stories.
A city steeped in stories.
Bolzano has always been a meeting place – of cultures, of languages, of travelers.
VILLAREJA continues this tradition in a quieter, more personal way.
Where merchants once traded, we now offer time.
And history becomes hospitality.
Welcome to Bolzano!
Historic view of Bolzano, around 1890. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, source.
The name VILLAREJA...
...refers to a villa in St. Magdalena — a serene hillside district above Bolzano. Built around 1903 by Ludwig Schörg, royal master locksmith to the Bavarian court, the house was originally conceived as a summer residence –– a place of retreat and craft.
The name itself is a poetic contraction of Villa Regia –– "the royal villa" –– a subtle homage to its origins under Bavarian nobility. Over the decades, the villa changed hands: from a retired British colonial officer, to a travel writer, and later to a winemaker. Each brought a new layer of life, making the house a mosaic of European paths and personalities.
Part of the Grand Tour Collection
VILLAREJA is part of a modern Grand Tour — a contemporary homage to the long journeys once undertaken by young European nobles in search of architecture, art, and insight.
Not to tick off places –– but to understand the world through taste, tact, and time.
And this –– here at Bolzano –– is where the journey begins.
What's next?
VILLAREJA already welcomes you today in the historic old town of Bolzano — an urban prelude to what will grow, with VILLAREJA - Magdalena, into a complete retreat.
This includes two exceptional city suites: an elegant suite on Batzenhäuslgasse and — as a true highlight — the Signature Penthouse Suite on Wangergasse.
The historic villa in St. Magdalena will open its doors in 2027 — as the main house of VILLAREJA: a place to arrive, to pause, and to linger with intention.
More on the Grand Tour
Educational travel with style and elegance.
The Grand Tour was once a celebrated educational journey undertaken by European nobility – especially among young Englishmen of the 18th and 19th centuries. It included visits to Europe’s most beautiful cities, such as Bolzano, and offered opportunities to experience art, culture, and history up close.
With our Grand Tour Collection, we revive this spirit and invite you to explore Bolzano and South Tyrol in your own unique way – at your own pace and in ultimate comfort.
[Source: ÖNB / AKON]
A modern Grand Tour
We bring that idea into the present.
Not rushed tourism, but rooted presence.
Live with the architecture. Lose time.
And gain something deeper.