Ray E
Google
Our second year at Cristallo with this classic hotel as our base in this glorious mountain town to ski; and where to begin? First, an amazing team here ensures that even before you arrive, everything is top-notch. Now we may have had an edge, as we were able to rely on our previous year’s experience to lead us in the right directions but from the previous year dealing with Covid to a year of new-found flexibility, the team at Cristallo made sure that all changes were communicated and that everything flowed even better than before. Canio, Head Concierge is an absolute gem and his knowledge of the town and surrounding area encyclopedic. As usual, he secured for us the best bookings (Cortina has several Michelin-starred restaurants) at the (admittedly) early hour of 7:30PM for dinner most nights and boozy, apres-ski lunches at 2:30PM on others and made sure that our favorite tables were held. Even impromptu requests seemed possible with his team. Our skis were ordered and arrived magically and were stored in the cozy ski room that every morning and evening was a delightful little refuge. He made sure our ski guide was prompt and professional and invisibly sorted a replacement when our first choice had an unexpected shift in plans. ||We also must recognize Giovanni from the concierge team who not only made sure that everything was checked and double checked during our stay but helped to pull our car from a snow bank on the way up to the hotel one clear but cold night! (Sidebar advice; make sure that the chains that are required to be in your rental car are actually there for winter driving in the Dolomites). It snowed every day of our stay, which made for incredible skiing but crappy driving. On his way home, Giovanni and the valet team raced down the hill to save us from that silly slide!||The rooms and overall spaces at Cristallo speak of quiet luxury and there is more than a nod to classic Alpine lodges in the decor and overall feel of the hotel. Homey pine and beamed ceilings in the guest rooms contrast with luxurious sheeting and spacious bathrooms. Housekeeping seems constant, with continual refreshes of essentials throughout the day and turn-down at night. Public spaces are generous as well, with plenty of little nooks to find a quiet place to read or simply look over the ski-hills and the adorable town.||We loved the classic alpine restaurant “La Stube” on site, with an intimate, warm room speaking to a previous age. The food is rather special, with Italian classics meeting hearty German influences in perfect portions for lunch or dinner. In fact, we loved the space for lunch and with a glass of local wine… well I say no more. Breakfast everyday started with a tower of sweets (I called it carb-loading) and even one morning it may have started with a chocolate torte for my birthday! What a lovely surprise for a special day. The restaurants are overlooked by Artjon, whose attention to detail is apparent in the team’s training. We did dine at the hotel one cold, snowy evening and had a delightful time chatting, drinking and sampling across the menu. The service teams in all restaurant spaces seemed to quickly recall our names, room, likes and dislikes; incredibly impressive and comforting. ||Admittedly the bar was probably the quietest space we enjoyed. Never busy during our low-season stay, the bar team has a great knowledge of mixology and takes great pride in the assortment of gins (especially) and crafts lovely cocktails at solidly New York prices. But unlike New York, the aperitifs hour includes a wonderful array of snacks that help to soften the pricing blow. Perhaps the only downside to our entire stay was the spacious, but strangely dark and desolate gym. The equipment, although top-notch has seen better days and the room was obviously intended for other purposes at some time. This contrasted to the loft, well-equipped pool and sauna/steam area with an insane “rain tunnel experience” and subtly posh overall aesthetic. ||We had the opportunity to meet the GM, Andrea who shared his passion for the business and for his guests; and it brilliantly shows. Everyone seemed truly engaged with guests in a gracious, helpful way. And the seamless experience we had made our stay truly extraordinary. Andrea’s attention to detail as well as his gentle guidance of the team was apparent and we complement him on his ability to make the experience of Cristallo something to remember. ||Now the challenge. Get there prior to the end of March if any rooms are available. The hotel is closing soon for renovation and a new owner is apparently set to remake and renovate the space into a more “international-style” luxury hotel with a new management company. Although I am a “fan” of the new brand coming in, I do hope that the quirky charm and old-school style is updated (USB ports in the bath and by the bed please) and not lost. A generic luxury space in this charming town might erase what has made Cristallo a place to be for decades. So hurry and make your reservations both for this hotel and for it’s team. ||And well there is some pretty amazing skiing nearby…
