OpeningsMandarin OrientalCortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
A first look at Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina
Mandarin Oriental’s first alpine resort
Expected 2027 Not bookable yet
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First look
Cortina’s old grande dame is coming back under a new name. Hotel Cristallo, the Art Nouveau pile built in 1901 that has watched over the town since the 1930s ski era, reopens as Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina — and it’s a first for the group: their first alpine resort, full stop. The brand took over management in 2022, closed the place in 2023, and handed the rebuild to Herzog & de Meuron, the Basel architects behind Tate Modern and the Beijing bird’s nest. That’s a serious pairing for a mountain hotel.
On paper it’s 83 rooms, 30 of them suites looking onto the Dolomites, plus a spa, pool and the usual restaurant-and-bar lineup. It was meant to land around the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics; it missed them, and Mandarin Oriental now says 2027.
What we’ll be watching
Whether Herzog & de Meuron’s intervention actually preserves the 1901 bones. The firm’s track record is transformative rather than conservative — they gut and reimagine rather than restore. That’s the right call for some buildings and the wrong one for a belle époque grand dame that built its reputation on exactly that atmosphere. We’ll be watching whether the result reads as Cristallo or as a Herzog & de Meuron project that happens to occupy a 1901 shell.
Whether Mandarin Oriental can run an alpine resort. Every other MO in the portfolio is a city hotel or a tropical beach property — this is genuinely new territory for the brand. The mechanics of ski service, boot rooms, transfer logistics and après-ski are operationally different from checking people into a tower in Hong Kong. We’ll be watching whether the team has hired for the mountain or just mapped existing procedures onto a new setting.
Whether the private club fills the gap. The old Cristallo ran one of the most storied nightlife venues in Cortina — it drew the crowd that defined the town’s social scene for decades. The press materials mention a private club for music and cocktails, but it’s deliberately vague. A venue that tries to revive that history will earn real regulars; one that doesn’t will leave the hotel socially quiet in a town where that matters.
Whether the 2027 date holds. The reopening was pinned to the February 2026 Winter Olympics and missed them; Mandarin Oriental now says 2027 without a season. A first winter is when a ski hotel shows whether it is ready, so the opening month matters more than usual.
What’s changed
- Now expecting 2027 (was Winter 2026).
Photos
Renderings and press imagery, courtesy of the hotel. Details may change before opening.
Before it opens
When does Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina open?
Mandarin Oriental now says 2027, in its July 2026 release naming the general manager. It had been timed around the February 2026 Winter Olympics and missed them, so treat the timing as expected rather than confirmed until the brand announces a firm date.
Where is Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina located?
It sits on Via Rinaldo Menardi in Cortina d’Ampezzo, in Italy’s Dolomites, a short walk from the town center. A shuttle connects guests to the Faloria and Tofana ski lifts.
Is this Mandarin Oriental’s first mountain resort?
Yes. Every other hotel in Mandarin Oriental’s portfolio is either a city address or a tropical beach property. Cristallo is the brand’s first alpine resort, full stop — which is part of what makes the opening worth watching.
How many rooms will Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina have?
The renovated hotel is reported to have 83 rooms and suites, many with balconies and views of the Dolomites. Around 30 of those are suites, according to Mandarin Oriental’s own press materials.
What restaurants and facilities will it have, and who designed it?
Architecture and interiors are led by Herzog & de Meuron, the Basel firm behind Tate Modern and the Beijing National Stadium. Reported facilities include a fine dining restaurant, a casual restaurant and veranda bar overlooking Cortina, a private club for cocktails and music, a spa, and an indoor-to-outdoor swimming pool. The original 1901 Art Nouveau building by Grand Hotel Cristallo is the structure being renovated.
Will Fat Voyage score Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina?
We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — drawn from luxury travel communities, editorial publications, and verified guests, never paid placements. This is a first look, not a verdict; we’ll score it once there’s enough independent signal to be fair.
