Hotel de LEN in Cortina Blends Design, Art, and Alpine Heritage

The Hotel de LEN in Cortina d'Ampezzo, opened in early 2022 by the San Domenico Hotel group (Malpignano family), transforms the historic Hotel Impero into a 5-star hospitality venue with a panoramic spa and modern design. The architecture by Venetian studio GRIS+DAINESE emphasizes functional wood—spruce and stone pine sourced locally—for acoustic, atmospheric, and electromagnetic protection, supported by a study with the University of Primorska, Slovenia. The hotel houses a contemporary art collection in its common spaces, featuring works by Anri Sala (Untitled, Tagplant#1, 2005), Masbedo (Schegge d'incanto in fondo al dubbio and Teorema di incompletezza), Basir Mahmood (All divided equally, 2018), Irene Kung (The tree series, 2014-19), Shadi Harouni (Unnamed mountain, 2017), Candice Jewell, Giovanni Giaretta, Mircea Cantor, and Goldschmied & Chiari (Nymphaea series #35, 2011). The collection addresses resource consumption and environmental sustainability. Cortina, a renowned resort in the Venetian Dolomites, is preparing to co-host the 2026 Winter Olympics with Milan, alongside events like the 2021 Ski World Championships, the Cortina Cocktail Week in December, and the Genesis project (second edition September 2022) combining culture, gastronomy, and sustainability. The hospitality sector is accelerating with luxury brands (Mandarin Oriental, Relegance) and renovations of historic hotels, including the Alajmo group's management of El Toulà from December.