A small village in the Italian Dolomites hit the international scene when it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics. Then decades passed, and Cortina d’Ampezzo went back to being the pure, perfect mountain village that made it so special. That’s all about to change again. In anticipation of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, the Mandarin Oriental will open its first alpine resort in the iconic Cristallo hotel.

Overview

The Mandarin operation is about to open its first Alpine resort, and we couldn’t be more excited. In the spring of 2023, the renowned Hotel Cristallo, a popular ski destination that’s hosted royals and celebrities since the 1930s, will officially be transformed. Reopening as the Mandarin Oriental Cortina in Summer 2025, the property will be renovated and reimagined, which means more rooms, better restaurants, and a new wellness facility. Additionally, there will be an increase in event spaces. This property will be the  Mandarin Hotel Group‘s third in Italy, after Lake Como and Milan, but the first ever in the mountains. The management team hired renowned Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron to head the project. So be on the lookout for a modernized homage that maintains the Hotel Cristallo’s iconic tradition.

Rooms

When the new Mandarin Oriental Cortina opens, it will have 83 rooms, including 30 specialty suites. It will also have lots of restaurants and bars (a given). But the priority of the new designs — especially for the suites — is views of the Dolomites that go on forever. In order to help make it a reality, many of the new suites will have balconies that face the mountains.

Spa and Wellness

When it comes to wellness facilities, for M.O. it’s out with the old and in with the new. The Cortina location’s spa and wellness center is about to undergo a major reno and extension, including a new swimming pool that will stretch from inside to outside the building. Also, access to skiing, golfing, hiking, tennis, ice skating, and mountain climbing is right outside the door of the resort.

The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics

Just like the existing Cristallo, the new Mandarin Oriental resort will sit above the mountain village of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Known as the “Queen of the Dolomites,” the town became famous for hosting the 1956 Olympic games, after which the hotel entered its golden era as a ski destination for the international elite and the backdrop for many award-winning films. M.O. aims to restore the hotel to its former glory ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, while also creating true, modern luxury. The Mandarin Oriental Cortina will no doubt be another landmark in the making.

FAQs

Q: When will the Mandarin Oriental Cortina officially open?

A: The Cristallo Hotel will reopen in the Summer of 2025.

Q: What are some of the renovations the Cristallo Hotel will undergo?

A: The new hotel will have new restaurants, event spaces, 83 rooms, and a new wellness center.

Q: Does the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group have any other Mountain Resorts?

A: No. The Mandarin Oriental Cortina is the hotel group’s first mountain resort.

Mandarin Oriental Cortina Information:

Address: Via Rinaldo Menardi, 42, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo BL, Italy