Go Deeper into the Italian Dolomites at Rosa Alpina
Filed under: Journeys

The New York Times just ran a lovely story encouraging travelers of the ski-enthusiast and foodie variety to head for Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Italian Dolomites. If you're looking for something that's just as luxey and lesser known in the US (which makes it more-luxurious by definition) I would nudge you just a bit further west and north into Alta Badia, and specifically to the tiny little town of San Cassiano.
Americans that visit the Alta Badia region and particularly San Cassiano tend to come in the summertime, for hiking and fishing. But in the winter, the area is mostly frequented by Italians, and for good reason: San Cassiano and its environs have all the scenery and the skiing, plus its restaurants are a tightly-knit constellation of Michelin stars -- apparently the highest Michelin star concentration in the Alps.
The place to stay here is Rosa Alpina with 51 rooms, three restaurants (including St. Hubertus, with two Michelin stars) It's owned by the Pizzinini family which fairly dominates hospitality in this area, having been in the hotel business here since the 1930s. The family owns hotels, restaurants and even the local butcher shop. This means that whatever you need is not only within the grasp of the management here, they're probably related to the people who can make it happen.
The clientele they cater to obviously expects nothing less. It was snowing on the day I arrived, and the winding mountain roads with their hairpin turns and minimal guardrails would have been difficult in a car without four wheel drive. One guest had his Porsche Carrera flat-bedded up the mountains so he could drive it during the weekend, having followed behind in a more sensible form of transport -- if you'll allow that sensible is a word that could at all be fairly applied to that entire situation.














