The First Cortina to open on 4 December in the Dolomites · 76 keys, Zuma and a 1,000 sq m spa

The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts will open its first mountain hotel on 4 December 2026. The First Cortina, offering 76 keys on Corso Italia, replaces the former Hotel Splendid Venezia in the heart of Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Hong Kong-based group brings together three of its brands: The First for the hotel, REVĪVŌ for the 1,000 sq m spa, and Zuma, a restaurant that has already completed a full season at the foot of the building.

☰Contents

1. Corso Italia 209, the former Splendid Venezia
2. 76 keys, a 140 sq m penthouse
3. Zuma already did a season on the ground floor
4. A thousand square metres of spa by REVĪVŌ
5. After the Games, the 2026-2027 winter
6. Our perspective

Corso Italia 209, the former Splendid Venezia

The address is that of Hotel Splendid Venezia, a landmark on Cortina’s pedestrian street. The project, announced in March 2024 with 63 keys targeted for late 2025, was redesigned during construction: 76 keys, an extra year of work, and an opening that falls after the February 2026 Winter Olympics, which the hotel was originally meant to serve. The building has been entirely reconstructed by Studio Marincola Architects, featuring a larch and Dolomia stone façade far removed from traditional chalet aesthetics.

Inside, the Milan-based studio combines larch, Dolomia stone, Saint Laurent marble, leather and burnished metals. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Tofane and Cristallo mountains, and every room opens onto a balcony or terrace. A Sky Room and a lounge terrace complete the communal spaces, alongside a storage area for e-bikes and charging points for cars.

76 keys, a 140 sq m penthouse

Deluxe rooms range from 21 to 24 sq m, Grand Deluxe rooms from 27 to 32 sq m, and suites span 35 to 45 sq m. Two categories are designed for private wellness: the Jacuzzi Suite, featuring an indoor hot tub, and the Wellness Suite, equipped with a private sauna and hammam opening onto a terrace. Family suites complete the offering.

At the top, the Enrosadira Penthouse offers 140 sq m of flexible space with one to three bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room and a 50 sq m terrace overlooking the Ampezzo valley. It includes its own sauna and Turkish bath, and a private chef can be arranged upon request. Its name derives from enrosadira, the pink glow of the Dolomites at sunrise and sunset.

Zuma already did a season on the ground floor

The Japanese restaurant did not wait for the hotel: Zuma Cortina opened on 22 December 2025 on the ground floor of Corso Italia 209 and operated throughout the Olympic winter, seven days a week until 2:00 am. Closed for the summer, it will reopen alongside the hotel for its second season. This is the brand’s fourth Italian address after Rome, Capri and Porto Cervo, and its first permanent mountain location, following pop-ups in Gstaad and Kitzbühel.

The menu follows contemporary izakaya codes: robata grills, a sushi counter, bar cocktails and a late-night DJ. By day, Velo pastry shop handles breakfast, afternoon tea and homemade chocolates. This is the second location for the Roman patisserie, originally launched within The First Dolce hotel.

A thousand square metres of spa by REVĪVŌ

The spa spans two levels, designed by Gherardi Architetti and operated by REVĪVŌ, the group’s wellness brand born in Bali. Its indoor panoramic pool extends outdoors through sliding glass doors, featuring a sunbathing area facing the peaks. A sauna, hammam, treatment rooms, gym and hair salon complete the facilities, equipped by Starpool, including the Zerobody dry flotation bed.

REVĪVŌ brings its longevity and recovery protocols, already tried and tested in Bali and at Château de Fiac in France. Cortina will be its first mountain location, featuring treatments tailored for après-ski as well as hiking.

After the Games, the 2026-2027 winter

The hotel features a ski room, equipment rental services and direct access to mountain guides and certified instructors. In summer, electric mountain bikes are available for exploring the trails of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dolomites.

For its opening, the Cortina Premiere offer features nightly rates starting from 663 euros for two, including a 15% discount on the public rate, breakfast and afternoon tea at Velo. This applies to stays of at least three nights, booked before 31 October 2026, for stays between 4 and 20 December 2026, and from 7 January to 3 April 2027. Subsequent hotel communications mention an entry-level price of 850 euros, with rates varying depending on the dates.

Our perspective

Cortina missed its Olympic moment: several luxury developments, including this one, were not ready in February. The First Cortina therefore arrives for the following season, when the resort must convert Olympic exposure into loyal clientele. Facing the future Mandarin Oriental and historic grand hotels, it adopts a more contemporary approach: a new-build property, a successful Japanese restaurant, and a thousand-square-metre spa.

The group’s strategy is clear. “We have always believed that the most compelling hotels possess strong individuality and a true sense of belonging to their environment,” explains founder Gordon Oldham. General manager Florence Wong speaks of “three distinct platforms”·The Pavilions, The First and REVĪVŌ·to grow “both in breadth and depth”. Cortina is the first hotel where all three overlap.

Practical information

• The First Cortina, Corso Italia 209, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL), Italy
• Opening on 4 December 2026 · pavilionshotels.com
• Access: Venice airports (2 hrs) and Treviso, Calalzo di Cadore train station then shuttle

Photo credit The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts