Hotel Ancora: Layered Elegance in the Italian Dolomites

Discover the newly reimagined Hotel Ancora in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a historic 1826 landmark blending layered elegance, warm details, and Italian Alpine charm in the Dolomites.

Decorative arched entry corridor at Hotel Ancora — Photo by Giorgio Baroni

By Jamie Ditaranto

Why it works

Hotel Snapshot

In the heart of Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Hotel Ancora is a historic hotel with a brand new look. Originally built in 1826, this hotel, trimmed in sky-blue shutters, has been a fixture on well-preserved Corso Italia for nearly two centuries, but step inside now and you’ll find a design-forward haven of warm details carefully assembled by a venerated Soho House alum.

A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, the Hotel Ancora offers 38 rooms and suites, a multi-level spa, and an exclusive speakeasy bar where you’ll have to check your phone at the door. This boutique experience in one of Italy’s most refined ski towns delivers the intimacy of a private members club and exacting design details that present visual poetry wherever your eyes might rest.

Design & Character

A collaboration between designer Vicky Charles and owner Renzo Rosso, the founder of the Diesel denim brand, Hotel Ancora has a look as timeless as the surrounding mountains with custom wood furniture, sheepskin throws, and stone fireplaces. Frames of black-and-white photography depicting Cortina’s past carry you through the cozy wood-paneled common areas with pops of rust and sage upholstery ideal for languidly lounging while flipping through one of the hundreds of oversized art books.

Wood-paneled lounge with colorful seating — Photo by Giorgio Baroni

The Rooms

Dark wood tones, plush textiles with playful trims, and crystal sconces set the scene for relaxation as you retreat into your spacious refuge. Being a historic building, natural light is sparse, but balcony doors open out to lovely terraces overlooking the main square, and every room has a view of the mountains. Beds are nestled into regal and functional alcoves, and gold fixtures in the bathroom complement the evocative effect of the sand-colored tiles and distressed mirror accents.

Guest bedroom with a sculpted upholstered headboard — Photo by Giorgio Baroni

Guest bathroom with a freestanding bathtub and pale green ceiling — Photo by Giorgio Baroni

Guest room seating beneath timber beams with a mountain view — Photo by Giorgio Baroni

The Food and Drink Situation

The Viennese-style terrace is a design feature carried over from the hotel’s past, providing a light-filled dining room adjacent to the outdoor terrace that is ready for those cold winter nights with heated floors and a central fire pit. The menu leans into comfort food you crave in the mountains, going beyond pasta, to also serve regional specialties like buttery polenta and succulent Paduan-style grilled chicken. The breakfast menu is varied with healthy and indulgent options, but don’t turn down the pillowy croissants. You can order a pre-dinner drink at the sultry upstairs bar, but you will find the same aromatic-emphasizing cocktail menu downstairs at the Brave Club, where a velvet DJ booth will beckon the best beats and vibes when Cortina’s snuggle-weather comes round. You can’t bring your phone in, but the instant photo booth is complimentary.

Red velvet bar at Hotel Ancora — Photo by Giorgio Baroni

Amenities

In the suites, amenities go beyond the coffee bars and Marshall speakers to include a wine fridge and a TechnoGym bench for personal workouts. Some rooms also feature bathtubs and gas fireplaces. The top-level Ancora Suite boasts a larch-paneled terrace with a hot tub and outdoor fire pit, plus a full kitchen and two bedrooms. Behind the lobby, you’ll find a karaoke room that aims to bring people together during the carefree hours. In the winter, useful amenities like ski lockers and shuttles to the cable car will be available.

Spa & Wellness Scoop

The three-level spa includes one floor for the gym, another for the treatment rooms, and a third for a tranquil and minimal wet room that offers a hammam, steam room, sauna, emotional showers, and a hydrotherapy tub—plus a lounge area with tea and snacks. Hotel Ancora can also arrange for summer wellness activities like yoga in a nearby meadow or hiking with a local guide.

Wood-lined sauna at Hotel Ancora — Photo by Giorgio Baroni

Location & Neighborhood Recs

In the heart of Cortina, the town maintains a healthy buzz in the summer, but ski season is when things kick off, with 72 slopes to ride and incredible mountainside restaurants like Rifugio Col Drusciè, where you can dine up in the peaks. Back in town, go for wine at the Enoteca Baita Fraina and enjoy the après-ski meal your Italian holiday deserves at Pizzeria Porto Rotondo.

Fast Facts

Location: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Vibe: High-altitude elegance for the contemporary jet set

Pricing: From €500 per night

Our favorite thing about the hotel: Each room you enter is a tableau of timeless design that bridges Cortina’s vintage beginnings wth modern luxury

Dining: Terraza, Bar, Brave Club

Amenities: 200-square-meter spa and gym areas, ski lockers, karaoke room, two restaurants, two bars

Nearby Attractions: Cortina d’Ampezzo Ski Resort

Airport: Approximately two hours from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)

Hotels Above Par

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