Cortina d'Ampezzo has been a magnet for skiers and mountaineers since long before it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics. Now, as the town prepares to share the global stage again for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, a new five-star property is getting ready to welcome its first guests. The First Cortina, part of the Pavilions Hotels & Resorts group, opens on 4 December 2026 on Corso Italia, the main shopping street in the heart of this legendary Italian resort.
A Building Designed to Frame the Mountains
Studio Marincola Architects have completely reimagined the building, and their guiding principle was simple: let the Dolomites do the talking. Dolomia stone and fir wood ground the interiors in the local landscape, while oversized windows turn the peaks outside into what feels like living wallpaper. Every one of the 76 rooms and suites comes with a private balcony, so you can watch snow blanket the mountains in winter or catch the pink and orange glow of sunset in summer.
Rooms, Suites, and a Penthouse Worth Bragging About
The room categories cover plenty of ground. Families can spread out in dedicated family suites, while the Wellness Suite offers a terrace with a view and the Jacuzzi Suite pairs a balcony with its own hot tub. At the very top sits the 140 sqm Enrosadira Penthouse, a three-bedroom spread with a 50 sqm terrace, sauna, Turkish bath, living and dining areas, and a fully equipped kitchen. You can even hire a private chef if the mood strikes.
Zuma Returns, and Velo Holds the Fort
Food is a serious draw here. Zuma, the contemporary Japanese restaurant that started in London, reopens at the hotel for its second winter season, serving aperitifs and dinner with live music and DJ sets at the bar well into the night. For something more grounded in Italian tradition, Velo is the hotel's signature restaurant, covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea, plus homemade pastries and chocolates.
A Two-Storey Spa and a Ski Room That Does It All
Wellness comes courtesy of REVĪVŌ Spa, the group's luxury wellness brand. The two-storey facility includes treatment rooms, a panoramic swimming pool with an outdoor area, sauna, hammam, gym, hair salon, and beauty services. Down in the dedicated ski room, guests can arrange ski and alpine guides, book instructors, and rent everything from hiking gear in summer to skis and snowboards in winter. E-mountain bikes are also on hand for anyone who wants to explore the area on two wheels.
Getting There and What It Costs
International travellers can reach Cortina from Venice Marco Polo and Treviso Canova airports, both about a two-hour drive away. If you're plotting a winter escape, it's worth checking how the season's flight schedules are shaping up, especially with Qatar Airways just made winter travel a whole lot easier and jet fuel prices forcing airlines to rethink their winter schedules.
The First Cortina isn't aiming for the budget crowd. The opening offer starts at €663 per night for two, and the 'Cortina Premiere' package throws in breakfast, afternoon tea at Velo, and a complimentary room upgrade subject to availability. For that price, you're paying for location, design, and a level of service that's rare in these mountains.
The Dolomites Are Having a Moment
This summer, hundreds of visitors flocked to the Friedrich August mountain refuge in Val di Fassa for its freshly made krapfen, an Alpine doughnut-like pastry that went viral on social media. The surge led to long queues and fresh worries about overtourism in the mountains. The First Cortina, with its five-star price tag, won't be adding to that particular problem. But it will give skiers and summer hikers a new reason to put Cortina d'Ampezzo back at the top of their list.
