Cortina d'Ampezzo, the elegant resort town nestled in the Italian Alps, is about to welcome a new luxury property that puts the region's most famous asset front and centre. The First Cortina, operated by The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts, will open its doors in early December on Corso Italia, and its design is built entirely around the dramatic landscape that surrounds it.
Every one of the 76 rooms and suites comes with a private balcony, ensuring guests can take in the Dolomites from the moment they wake up until the last light fades. The mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known for its distinctive pale rock that glows pink and orange at sunset, and the hotel's architecture has been conceived to make the most of that spectacle.
Studio Marincola Architects, the firm behind the project, has used glass panels extensively throughout the building to blur the line between indoors and outdoors. The interior palette is deliberately muted, with Dolomia stone and fir wood providing a natural, understated backdrop that lets the views do the talking. The result is a space that feels both contemporary and deeply connected to its alpine setting.
Rooms with a view
Among the various categories, the Jacuzzi suite stands out. It features a sunken Jacuzzi in the corner of the room, positioned so guests can soak while gazing at the peaks, in addition to the private balcony. It is a design choice that makes clear the hotel's priority: the landscape is the true luxury.
The property also caters to the active traveller. A dedicated ski room allows guests to store their equipment securely, and the hotel offers ski and snowboard rentals, as well as hiking and trekking gear for the summer months. Cortina d'Ampezzo has long been a favourite for winter sports, and the hotel is positioning itself as a base for both the slopes and the trails.
After a day outdoors, the REVĪVŌ Spa provides a place to unwind. Spread over two floors, it includes treatment rooms, a sauna, a traditional hammam, and an indoor-outdoor pool that lets guests swim while taking in the mountain air. The spa is designed to be a sanctuary, with the same attention to natural materials and light that characterises the rest of the hotel.
Dining is another area where The First Cortina aims to impress. Zuma, the international restaurant group with a celebrity following, will operate a Japanese-inspired venue serving aperitifs and dinner, with live music and DJ sets in the evening. For those who prefer Italian cuisine, Velo offers all-day dining, from breakfast through afternoon tea to dinner, with a menu that highlights regional flavours.
The opening of The First Cortina adds to a growing trend of luxury hospitality in the Dolomites, a region that has seen renewed interest from travellers seeking both adventure and indulgence. It also joins a wider wave of new hotel openings across Europe, from boutique seafront properties in Greece to new hotels in Türkiye, as the continent's hospitality sector continues to evolve.
For those who have yet to experience the Dolomites, The First Cortina offers a compelling reason to plan a visit. Whether covered in snow or bathed in the warm hues of an alpine sunset, the mountains are a constant presence, and this hotel ensures they are never out of sight.
