Ortisei or Corvara in Dolomites or both?

You might consider somewhere in between: Santa Cristina or Selva. We stayed in Santa Cristina last summer, with a car. We liked the quiet village, but there are limited restaurant options. We stayed at La Tambra, which was fabulous and the best meal of our 3 week trip. But they were closed for dinner one of our nights. It was less than 10 minutes drive to Ortesei for more options. Ortesei felt a bit like Disneyland - tons of people (especially on a weekend).

Wherever you stay, take the various lifts up. You get completely different views from each. We loved Seceda, Col Raiser and Seiser Alm. Breathtaking, magical place that exceeded our expectations.

Stay wherever you can get suitable lodging. August is busy everywhere with people who go to the area every year and stay in the same place which is booked a year in advance.

We stayed in Ortisei and also Kastelruth and Compatsch. We loved the access to hiking. Kastelruth was fun. But we were there in April and May, so it was a different and quieter place than what you will experience. We loved it so much. The views are so stunning. There are hikes for every ability. Enjoy!

What do you mean by ‘too quiet”? Are you looking for nightlife? With a 13-year old? Most of the hotels in the Dolomites have their own in-house bar and restaurant, and most guests take half-board there. We have been there with various family members a 5 times, staying in Colfosco (smaller village near Corvara, with hiking right from your door), Santa Cristina (same, but next to Ortesei), and up on Alpe di Siusi. The last was our favorite by far, with both hiking and mountain biking (ebikes available). But definitely “quiet”. After a hard day of hiking or biking, we would return to our hotel around 5 pm. Shower and relax, head to the hotel bar at 6:30, then enjoy an excellent 4-course dinner at 7, finishing around 8:30 or 9. A bit of conversation with the bartender or hotel owner after that, then off to bed to rest up for the next day.

As Laurel said, many of the good places book up a year in advance, mostly with repeat guests. And many require a full week’s stay at high season. I just checked the place we really like in Santa Cristina, and they will not take a 5-night reservation in August. Whether they are already fully booked, or want a full week booking, I cannot tell.

So maybe you should look around and find out what is available for your dates, and then some back and ask for opinions on what might be best.

Appreciate all the replies so far! Just to clarify what I meant by too quiet was that we like to try different restaurants when we travel and I wasn’t sure with the different towns if some had less options with the smaller towns having most people eat at their own hotel?

Okay, I see.

If you prefer to dine at different restaurants instead of at your hotel, you would have more choices in Ortesei than in the smaller towns of Val,Gardena.

I have no personal knowledge of Corvara in Alta Badia, but I see a number of restaurants in the town on Google maps.

Laurel is so right about hotels getting booked way in advance. Europeans book their hotels earlier. In 2021 (still under Covid restrictions), most of the hotels in Ortisei were booked up at least 8-10 months in advance. Supply was somewhat restricted because some lodging options were closed and many urban dwellers "worked from home" in the mountains by renting apartments or hotels for a long time. I found my farm stay through sheer luck--there was a cancellation and I snapped up the room immediately.

Five nights is not too long and I highly recommend that you stick to one location. Switching hotels is time consuming. Also, by booking five nights, you may get a better rate.

Ortisei is the only place we have ever had half board, dinner included. We stayed at Hotel Grones and both the hotel and it’s meals were wonderful.