Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Expands Luxury Hotel Line-Up as Le Graal Plans a 30-Room Palazzo Debut

Italian hospitality brand Le Graal plans to open a 30-room hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in 2026, bringing a restored 1920s palazzo, Sicilian dining and a dedicated wellness programme to the Dolomites resort. The development will expand the accommodation available to travellers combining mountain holidays with design, food and spa experiences.

Le Graal Cortina will include 13 suites and is planned to operate throughout the year. Its arrival forms part of a wider luxury hotel pipeline: The First Cortina is accepting stays from 4 December 2026, while Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina is scheduled to open in early 2027. As of 21 October, Le Graal’s own hotel website lists a 2026 opening without giving a precise date. The distinction matters for winter holiday planning, as the three properties have different published schedules.

Cortina’s Luxury Hotel Opening Schedule

A Restored Palazzo Gives Le Graal Its Cortina Identity

Le Graal Cortina occupies a 1920s palazzo at Via Marconi 2, close to the town’s historic centre and ski terrain. Italian architect Achille Salvagni has reworked the interiors with deep woods, coloured velvets, bespoke furniture and carefully balanced lighting. Mountain views and natural light connect the rooms with the surrounding landscape. The project updates an existing building with contemporary accommodation and services. Its boutique scale also separates it from the larger properties preparing to enter Cortina’s luxury market.

Suites account for approximately 43.3% of Le Graal’s 30-room inventory. Deluxe and Prestige Rooms measure 28 square metres, while the suite categories range from 35-square-metre Junior Suites to the 100-square-metre Le Graal Suite. The latter includes a 38-square-metre terrace, separate living and sleeping areas, and a marble bathroom. Selected Deluxe Rooms connect with Prestige Suites, creating accommodation for up to five guests. Families and groups of friends can also reserve the entire fourth floor exclusively, with individual rooms retaining separate entrances. These arrangements give travel advisers specific options for clients seeking shared accommodation and privacy.

Wellness Becomes a Reason to Stay Beyond the Slopes

Le Graal Spa will bring together an indoor swimming pool, sauna, hammam, plunge pool, cryotherapy chamber and dedicated treatment rooms. A private spa suite with a fireplace will provide a separate setting for guests seeking greater seclusion. The hotel groups its wellness programme around three themes: longevity, energy renewal and stress management. Its published spa menu combines 50-minute treatments with 25-minute additions, allowing guests to build shorter or longer appointments around their plans.

The emphasis places wellness alongside skiing and hiking in the hotel’s intended guest experience. Visitors will have facilities for spending time indoors as well as an activity programme in the surrounding mountains. The company’s stated plan for year-round operation extends that positioning beyond the main winter holiday period.

Sicilian Dining Brings Southern Italian Flavours to the Dolomites

The food and beverage programme has been developed with consulting chef Giovanni Guarneri of Ristorante Don Camillo in Ortigia, Sicily. Three venues will cover fine dining, informal meals and drinks, giving the hotel several ways to serve guests throughout the day. Le Monsù will be the fine-dining restaurant. Its concept draws on Italian and Sicilian traditions, combining dishes created for Cortina with established Don Camillo specialities. The published menu approach pairs local ingredients with Sicilian influences and contemporary techniques.

Le Café will combine a café, bistro and pâtisserie, with service planned from morning until midnight. Its offering brings together modern Sicilian cooking, pastries and familiar dishes such as a club sandwich and Caesar salad. Le Graal Bar will follow an American-bar format, with signature cocktails, spirits and variations on classic aperitifs, including the Negroni and Spritz. Canapés and pastries will accompany the drinks. The group describes the restaurant and bistro as venues intended to engage both hotel guests and the local community.

A Mountain Programme Reaches Across the Seasons

Le Graal’s published experiences include guided trekking, cycling along the former Dolomites railway, winter walks and skiing itineraries. The range also features visits to a historic Alpine farm, private art-gallery dinners and outings combining mountain scenery with food. Around Passo Giau and Cinque Torri, guided hikes can be paired with cooking experiences. Other winter options include excursions through snow-covered landscapes and routes exploring the wider Dolomites ski area. Activities are tailored to the season and prevailing conditions.

The location gives guests a base close to Cortina’s historic centre as well as nearby skiing. The property’s Leading Hotels of the World listing identifies a chargeable hotel shuttle, ski passes and ski rental among its services. Cortina’s mountain setting sits within the wider Dolomites region, whose UNESCO World Heritage property comprises nine areas. The landscape supports a tourism offer spanning winter sports, walking, scenery and cultural experiences, matching the range of seasonal activities described by the hotel.

The First Cortina Combines December Arrivals With Zuma Dining

The First Cortina, by The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts, will bring a larger accommodation offer to Corso Italia 209. Its published inventory comprises 76 rooms, suites and penthouse accommodation, with bookings available for stays from 4 December 2026. Rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies or terraces and Saint Laurent marble bathrooms. Selected categories include private saunas and steam baths, while another suite category provides an in-room Jacuzzi. These facilities extend the wellness offer into individual accommodation.

The hotel’s REVĪVŌ spa will provide treatments, beauty therapies, yoga, fitness facilities and a hammam. Its programme also includes Starpool technology, including a dry-float experience. Zuma’s official website confirms that its Cortina restaurant will open at the hotel on 4 December. The Japanese dining venue adds a separate restaurant draw for visitors spending time in the resort.

For the travel trade, The First Cortina’s opening promotion includes a 10% commission for registered travel agents and a 15% reduction from its Best Available Rate. Bookings must be made by 31 October 2026 and require at least three nights. Eligible stays run from 4–20 December 2026 and 7 January–3 April 2027. The promotion excludes 21 December to 6 January, and remains subject to availability.

Mandarin Oriental Cristallo Sets Its Return for Early 2027

Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina is preparing to reopen in early 2027 following the redevelopment of the historic Hotel Cristallo. The property is on Via Rinaldo Menardi in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Its current official website lists 84 rooms and suites, alongside restaurants, bars and a Mandarin Oriental spa. That inventory updates the earlier development plan for 83 rooms, including 30 suites. The current hotel page does not provide a revised suite breakdown. The published dining offer includes a signature restaurant with a new terrace, while outdoor experiences focus on winter skiing and summer hiking.

Originally built in 1901, Cristallo’s redevelopment includes extensive renovation and a new extension designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The scheme therefore combines the restoration of a historic hotel with additional construction. Le Graal’s Cortina launch also belongs to a broader Italian collection that includes a private members’ club project in Rome and a future retreat on Lake Garda. The company identifies Cortina as its first opening, bringing its combined focus on architecture, gastronomy, wellness and local experiences into the Alpine hotel market.