The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts is making a confident new move in Europe’s luxury hotel market. The group will open The First Cortina in Cortina d’Ampezzo on 4 December 2026.

The 76-room-and-suite hotel takes The First brand beyond its established Rome base. It also gives The Pavilions a high-profile foothold in one of Europe’s best-known alpine destinations.

Behind the polished timber, marble and mountain views sits a bigger commercial story. The group is now building its expansion around three complementary brands. They are The First, wellness specialist REVĪVŌ and the experiential Pavilions hotel and resort collection.

That may sound like corporate architecture. In Cortina, however, it comes with considerably better scenery.

Set on Corso Italia, The First Cortina is being pitched as more than another handsome mountain retreat. The formula combines design-led accommodation, serious dining and a substantial wellness programme. Add the Dolomites outside the window and even breakfast risks becoming cinematic.

Its timing is also significant. Cortina was one of the main competition clusters for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The resort hosted alpine skiing, curling and sliding events. That global exposure strengthened an international reputation that was already far from modest.

A new alpine chapter

The First Cortina occupies Corso Italia 209 in the centre of the resort. The hotel was created by redeveloping an existing property.

Studio Marincola Architects has led the design. Its palette includes larch wood, Dolomite stone, marble, leather, velvet and burnished metals. The aim is contemporary alpine luxury with a genuine connection to place, rather than a mountain lodge dressed for a fashion shoot.

Accommodation ranges from Deluxe rooms to larger suites and specialised wellness categories. Selected suites have private Jacuzzis. Wellness suites also include a sauna and steam bath.

At the top is the 140-square-metre Enrosadira Penthouse. It can be configured with one, two or three bedrooms. It also includes large living and dining areas, a private kitchen and a terrace facing the mountains.

The approach fits a pattern already visible elsewhere in The Pavilions portfolio. The group has worked with historic and destination-sensitive properties in Rome and Madrid while also developing purpose-built resorts in Asia.

Official hotel information and accommodation details are available directly from The Pavilions. The First Cortina official website.

Dining takes centre stage

Food and beverage will play a starring role in Cortina.

Zuma Cortina will be the headline restaurant. The internationally known concept specialises in contemporary Japanese dining. It will be joined by Velo, a second outpost of the pasticceria concept already operating at The First Dolce in Rome.

The choice is deliberate. The Pavilions has increasingly used restaurants and bars as destinations in their own right, not simply as hotel facilities.

Its wider portfolio includes Acquolina at The First Arte in Rome. The restaurant holds two MICHELIN stars. The group also operates ALTO concepts and REVĪVŌ’s wellness-focused NUTRIO offering in Bali.

For The First Cortina, that strategy could be commercially important. A successful restaurant can pull in skiers, local residents and visitors who are not staying at the hotel. In a luxury resort, that broadens both the audience and the revenue base.

It also helps create the sort of social energy hotel groups increasingly chase. A beautiful lobby is useful. A restaurant people book even when they sleep somewhere else is better.

Wellness goes alpine

The strongest statement may come from the hotel’s wellness offer.

The First Cortina will include about 1,000 square metres of spa and wellness facilities under the REVĪVŌ brand. The concept takes expertise developed in Bali and adapts it to an alpine setting.

The programme will combine spa treatments, yoga, fitness, thermal experiences and recovery technology. Official hotel information also points to a hammam and Starpool technology, including the Zerobody Dry Float system.

For skiers, hikers and travellers who discover that mountain holidays involve rather more muscles than expected, the appeal is obvious.

The Cortina development follows the introduction of a REVĪVŌ Spa at Château de Fiac in France. It suggests The Pavilions sees wellness as more than a stand-alone resort niche. Instead, REVĪVŌ can become a specialist layer across a wider luxury portfolio.

Gordon Oldham, founder of The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts, said the company has always valued hotels with individuality and a sense of belonging. Of the new property, he said: “The First Cortina brings that philosophy to one of the world’s great alpine destinations.”

Three brands, one growth strategy

The Cortina opening also makes the group’s wider strategy easier to read.

The Pavilions says it is pursuing growth through ownership, management and franchise partnerships across Europe and Asia. Its three brands give it different platforms for different destinations and market segments.

Chief executive officer Florence Wong said: “Our growth strategy is focused on building breadth and depth, as well as scale.” She said the three-brand structure gives the group distinct platforms while allowing it to remain selective about properties and partnerships.

That final point matters.

Luxury hospitality is not short of brands, sub-brands, lifestyle collections and increasingly inventive descriptions of expensive bedrooms. Adding another flag to a map is easy. Giving a property enough character to justify its price is much harder.

The Pavilions currently operates 13 hotels and resorts across Asia and Europe. The Pavilions Phuket, The First Arte in Rome, and REVĪVŌ Wellness Resort in Bali were among the properties the group highlighted in connection with its 2025 MICHELIN hotel recognition. The Pavilions Phuket is independently listed by the MICHELIN Guide as a One MICHELIN Key property.

Opening offer now on sale

Bookings for The First Cortina are open for stays from 4 December 2026.

The current Cortina Premiere promotion includes 15 per cent off the best available bed-and-breakfast rate. It also includes afternoon tea for two at Velo and a welcome amenity. A room upgrade, early check-in and late check-out are offered subject to availability.

A minimum three-night stay is required. Book by 31 October 2026. The currently published eligible stay periods are 4–19 December 2026 and 7 January–3 April 2027.

The hotel group provides full booking conditions. The Cortina Premiere official offer.

For Australian travellers willing to cross continents for a good ski field, serious spa and excellent dinner, this is a hotel worth watching.

Cortina has never struggled for glamour. What The Pavilions is attempting is more ambitious. It wants to turn that glamour into a modern commercial formula built around rooms, restaurants, wellness and a strong sense of place.

If the formula works, The First Cortina will be more than a handsome new address in the Dolomites. It will clearly demonstrate how The Pavilions intends to grow without sanding away the individuality luxury travellers increasingly expect.

 

By: Susan Ng – © 2026.

Read Time: 5 minutes.

 

Author Bio:

With the polish of an international hotel professional and the instincts of a born storyteller, Susan Ng learned hospitality where it truly lives behind reception desks, in banquet halls, beside linen carts. She understands that excellence isn’t announced; it’s felt, in the small, quiet gestures that linger long after checkout.

Away from the bustle, her curiosity found a new front desk: the blank page. Her blog, candid and gently wry, drew readers who recognised truth when they saw it. She wrote about grace and imperfection with the steady eye of someone who had lived both.

Today, at Global Travel Media, Susan brings that same warmth and insight to her stories. Expect writing that is polished, generous, and reassuring, like the perfect welcome after a long journey.

 

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