The hotel with rooms kept for silence
Forestis stands on a South Tyrolean clearing picked for a sanatorium in 1912. Its spa now has rooms set aside for silence.
Forestis sits 1,800 metres above Brixen, on the South Tyrolean slope of Plose. In 1912, doctors studied the clearing for a tuberculosis sanatorium. Its spring water, mountain air, sunshine and mild climate made the case. The war cut the plan short, and the first hotel opened there in 2009.
The Plose spring feeds every tap. Inside, larch, stone and glass frame the view of the Odle peaks. The spa includes silence rooms alongside its saunas, pool and treatment rooms. I have spent years looking at water and homes, and I still like the nerve of giving silence its own room.
Listen before you buy anything
It’s easy to tune out constant background noise. A buzzing fridge, a whistling bed charger, or a humming router quickly fades into your subconscious, but it still affects your environment. To find the main culprits, try switching off your electronics one by one. You’ll hear which device creates the most ambient noise, helping you adjust your evening routine.
Embarrassing confession time: back in my research days, I used to flip off the main circuit breakers every night (for the whole apartment, the fridge and freezer too). Nothing spoiled, and my morning smoothie still had perfect ice cubes thanks to the insulation. What I didn't know back then was that circuit breakers have a limited number of flips before they wear out and break. But I've since adopted safer habits, which I'll be sharing with you soon.
- Move the charging elsewhere. Keep phones and laptops outside the bedroom. Their lights and faint electrical hums stay out of the room, and it stays cooler too.
- Check the door and window seals. Doors are often the weak point. If sound is slipping through a gap, a draught excluder or a properly fitted seal can help.
- Add softness where the room echoes. Rugs, wool, linen, books and lined curtains absorb some of the sound reflected by glass, tile and bare plaster.
- Run the air purifier before bed. Put it on high while you get ready, then switch it off when you get in. If you need filtered air overnight, a whole-house system can keep the machine out of the bedroom. Plan it around your home. The quiet-home directory covers the options.
Channeling the Forestis vibe doesn't require a dedicated room. Simply pick the quietest spot in your home, whether that's a window seat or a floor cushion. You’re essentially looking for the same qualities you would for a meditation space:
| Start here | At night, switch off one appliance at a time and listen after each one. |
|---|---|
| Common sources | Fridge, router, charger, fan, extractor and anything on standby. |
| Echo | Add a rug, wool, cotton, linen, books or a lined curtain where hard surfaces reflect sound. |
| The bedroom | Charge phones and laptops in another room. Keep powered devices out overnight. |
| The air purifier | Run it on high while you get ready for bed, then switch it off. If you need overnight filtration, keep the machinery away from the bedroom. |
| Noise from outside | Check gaps around doors and windows. A draught excluder or a properly fitted seal can help. |
| White noise | Try it after you have dealt with the hums you can remove. Then you can hear whether it helps. |
| A quiet corner | A chair by a window or a cushion on the floor can be enough. |
| Choosing the place | Sit in a few spots for a minute each. The quietest is often furthest from the kitchen and the router. |
| What you get | A quieter place to sleep at night and sit during the day. |
The short answers
What people usually ask next.
How do you make a room quieter?
At night, switch off one appliance at a time and listen after each one. Move chargers out of the bedroom, seal gaps around the door and add a rug, a lined curtain or a shelf of books where the room echoes.
How do you find a noise you no longer notice?
Switch off one thing at a time and wait a few seconds after each. You will hear which one has been running in the background.
Can a quieter room help you sleep?
Yes. Night-time noise can interrupt sleep even when you do not remember waking. A quieter bedroom means fewer interruptions during the night. Darkness and a cool room support sleep too.
What helps with echo in a room?
Rugs, wool, cotton, linen, books and lined curtains absorb some of the sound that hard surfaces reflect.
Where should you charge your phone at night?
Charge phones and laptops outside the bedroom. Their lights and faint electrical hums stay out of the room too.
When should you run an air purifier?
Run it on high while you get ready for bed, then switch it off when you get in. If you need filtered air overnight, a whole-house system can keep the machine out of the bedroom. Plan it around your home. The quiet-home directory covers the options.
When is white noise useful?
Try it after you have removed the hums you can control. Then you can hear whether it helps with the noise that remains.
How can you reduce noise from outside?
Check the gaps around doors and windows first. A draught excluder or a properly fitted seal can help when sound is coming through those gaps.
Do you need a whole room for quiet?
A chair by a window or a cushion on the floor can be enough.
Where should you make a quiet corner?
Sit in a few places for a minute each and choose the quietest. It is often the spot furthest from the kitchen and the router.
The property. Forestis sits on the Palmschoss clearing above Brixen, South Tyrol. Its history, materials and setting, and silence rooms are described on the hotel’s own site. Its press kit says Plose spring water runs from every tap.
The sleep research. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found that night-time traffic noise was linked with sleep disturbance in adults.
The photograph. Forestis, used with permission.
Reuse. Quote any part of this page with a link back to it. Educational purposes only, and not a substitute for medical advice.