In almost twenty years of event management, we have definitely learned one thing: accommodation is key for the success of an event. We spend a considerable amount of time searching and visiting properties while always being on the lookout for new openings. That’s why we were so excited to hear about the opening of a new Mandarin Oriental hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
As this article on hospitalitynet.org explains, Mandarin Oriental has signed a long term management agreement to rebrand and manage the historic Hotel Cristallo. The property will undergo a substantial renovation, re-opening as a Mandarin Oriental resort just before the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic games.
Mandarin Oriental Cristallo will be the Group’s first alpine resort and expands Mandarin Oriental’s presence further in Italy. The property sits above the most recognized mountain village in the Dolomites, a short walk away from Cortina d’Ampezzo, known as the ‘Queen of the Dolomites’. Venice Marco Polo Airport is reachable in one and a half hours by car.
Hotel Cristallo was built in 1901 by the Menardi family and was a popular ski destination in the 1930s for the European cultured elite. After the Olympic Games of 1956 the Hotel entered its “golden era”, hosting royals and celebrities, including Peter Sellers, Frank Sinatra, Saul Bellow and Vladimir Nabokov. It has featured as a backdrop for a number of award-winning films, maintaining its historical charm as an early 20th century grand hotel.
On re-opening as Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, the hotel will feature 83 guestrooms including 30 spacious suites with beautiful views of the Dolomites. The property will also feature a range of restaurants and bars, flexible spaces for entertainment and events, as well as an extensive spa and wellness facility, which includes a swimming pool that transverses from inside to outside the building.