Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG) has signed a long term management agreement with Attestor Limited to rebrand and manage Hotel Cristallo in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Currently operated by Marriott International within its Luxury Collection, the property will close in Q2 of 2023 and undergo a substantial renovation and extension conducted by award-winning architects Herzog and deMeuron.

The property will then reopen as Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina in the summer of 2025, ahead of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Upon re-opening, the hotel will feature 83 guestrooms, as well as a 1,600sq m branded MOHG spa and wellness facility including a pool that transverses from inside to outside the building.

Back in 2019, the hotel spa was restyled to reflect its alpine surroundings and upgraded with a range of new wet and thermal experiences.

The resort will also feature a range of restaurants and bars, flexible spaces for entertainment and events and a range of leisure experiences from skiing to golf, cross-country walking and hiking, tennis, ice skating, mountain climbing and a kid’s club.

The destination will open as MOHG’s first alpine resort and represent its third Italian property.

“We’re delighted to be bringing the MOHG brand to the beauty of the Dolomites which has long been a destination of choice for skiers and adventurers and will no doubt appeal to fans of MOHG who love alpine pursuits,” said James Riley, group chief executive of MOHG.

“We look forward to delivering the group’s exemplary service to the resort and to working with our partners from Lago di Como to create another exclusive property in one of Italy’s foremost regions.”

Hotel Cristallo was built in 1901 in Art Nouveau style 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 as a renowned ski destination, hosting royals and celebrities, including Peter Sellers and Frank Sinatra. It's also featured as a backdrop for a number of award-winning films, maintaining its historical charm as an early 20th-century grand hotel.