Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini

"Elisabetta is a special refuge, as well as a "special" refuge. ;) Embrace the madness of the bedding/bathroom situation, and everything else is great.

Setting: literally right below a glacier, with incredible views of the valley. Hard to top.

Reception: Boots and poles stay in the entryway, but bags can be brought to the rooms. Staff is very friendly. They make an effort to know when the hot water runs out, for example, so you don't waste your shower token if it has.

Showers: Not very many for so many guests, and the stalls are dated, but pressure is good. Coins are provided for hot water, but it runs out by the end of the day, so ask the person before you if you care! We had luck taking our showers in the morning right after breakfast, when most others were packing up and leaving.

Toilets: There were only a few stalls in each bathroom, so there could be a wait at busy times. THERE IS NO HAND SOAP so bring sanitizer.

Laundry: none.

Food: Very solid. We appreciated the espresso machine and full bar! Dinner was risotto for primi and meat/veg for secondi (the meat was a bit dry but fine). Breakfast was ok--pastries/coffee/tea and cereal were available. No yogurt or other protein. Adding some hearty muesli to the cereal options would be welcome.

Rooms: As others have mentioned, the bed situation here beggars belief. The dormitories pack guests in like sardines, with wall-to-wall mats that sleep 10+ people, and are stacked up to three bunks high in some rooms. The actual sleeping spaces are designated only by the folded blanket and the sorry excuse for a pillow (fold it in half and stuff a puffer jacket into the pillowcase to make a decent cushion). My companion and I (two young women) were assigned to spots between two older men. It is what it is, everyone makes the best of it, and we slept surprisingly well, but this was by far the most cramped lodging situation we encountered on our 10-day hike.

WiFi: none.

Outlets: we found some in the main hangout/dining area and charged before and after dinner, but didn't see any in the dorm."

Linnea Geno

"Stopped here just for lunch — be prepared for a bit of an uphill walk. The view is absolutely stunning, with a decent variety of menu options and warm, welcoming service. The coffee was excellent. Note: there's only one restroom, so expect a bit of a wait. The lentil soup is a light choice, perfect if you're not too hungry. Dessert was delightful!"

Yulia Herasimovich

"Nice staff. Cool location. Too long of waits for showers, lack of plugs and hot water. But... most of the stars lost is because I'm 1.93m and my bed on the third floor was probably 1.6m with a sloped concrete roof. Didn't work. Not to mention the terrible crammed bunks in other parts of this place. Can't give many stars when you can't sleep. Crammed sleep spaces leads to other issues too."

Jim Ryan