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Society -
Extraordinary
July - 2011 |
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6 Stars
& 5 Stripes
Overall - 'Hotel & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| Our Seven Stars and Stripes Team recently spent time
at the Cristallo Hotel Spa & Golf in Cortina D’Ampezzo, high in the
Dolomites of Northern Italy, said to be the only luxury ski resort in this part
of the Alpine region “where one can wear heels”. We flew Lufthansa,
and landed on a picture perfect summer afternoon at Venice Airport, ‘The
City of Water’ ever adored for its beauty, history, architecture and
festivals. Luca, our driver, a friendly young man, welcomed us at the gate and
guided us to a black Mercedes S town car. We loved every minute of the one and
a half hour ride to the hotel, slowly gliding from Venice’s sea level up
to 1200 meters above sea level, with its ever changing, charming country
sights, the time just flew by. Approaching the Cristallo Hotel was an
unforgettable experience in itself,
the
location and views are priceless (CLICK HERE). With under eighty
accommodations, two restaurants, a spa and a golf course this two-season ski
resort is small enough to keep its one hundred and ten year old charm alive and
still embrace most of the new world amenities effortless. |
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| Cristallo Hotel
- Arrival: Thorsten Buehrmann & GM Giorgio Borgonovo |
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| We embraced the feel and look of the dark wood, the
cozy-luxurious design of our accommodations and the most imaginative fresh
flower creations. The fabrics and bedding were exquisite with hypoallergenic
mattresses and armchairs and beds covered with fragrant cotton and silk, a
deserving addition to our breathtaking views of Tofane, the spectacular
expressive mountain group of the ancient Dolomites just outside our picture
window. We especially liked the Cristallo Ultimate Spa’s own bath and spa
amenities by Swiss Transvital and the flower discretely floating in the
toilette. The laundry service was great, returned shirts not only timely and
impeccably ironed but with a little lavender sachet tucked in the
wrapper. |
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| "Views
to die for!" (CLICK HERE) Guests can indulge in these amazing views
everywhere but especially from The Veranda del Cristallo, the restaurant
serving traditional Ampezzano dishes. We ate at La Stube, an original, rustic
wooden room heated by a large Majolica stove, where we tasted the wonderful
local cuisine and wine. We feel that General Manager Borgonovo is very
fortunate to have F&B Manager Ms. Ursula Chioma as part of his team. Her
knowledge and ease in the international world of spirits, and food, as well as
her service, was extraordinaire. The hotel has a spacious spa and fitness
center 'The Cristallo Ultimate Spa’, which features ‘The Transvital
Swiss Beauty Center’ and ‘The FitWell Club’ with a decent seized
pool. Spa treatment rooms include Hammam, Thermarium, Relaxarium facilities and
additional private facilities. I recommend experiencing the Swiss Transvital
technique. |
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| Cristallo Hotel
Spa & Golf - Junior Suite |
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| During a tour of the premises we discovered The Frank
Sinatra suite as well as some interesting facts about famous guests and their
history. In 1901 Emilia and Giuseppe Menardi opened the Palace Hotel Cristallo
after the small alpine village of Cortina was discovered by European
aristocracy and became the base for excursions of the area and part of the
Dolomites grand tour. Cortina was so popular during the winter that advanced
plans were made to host the Olympic games there. But WWII broke out and that
was the end of that. The Menardi family restored The Cristallo after the First
and the Second War, to find themselves finally in the international limelight
during the Winter Olympics in Cortina in 1956. Cristallo welcomed Dame Shirley
Bassey, Brigitte Bardot, Infamous Klaus Kinsky and America's Frank Sinatra, to
name just a few. |
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The hotel became the set for
numerous movies, including the famous Pink Panther, which brought actor Peter
Sellers to Cortina, as Inspector Clouseau. The most famous scenes in the film
remain the comings and goings of lovers from Capucine’s room,
Clouseau’s exits and returns, the communicating doors, the characters
hiding under the bed, in the bathtub, in the wardrobe and outside on the
balcony, were all filmed here.
The hotel’s welcome signature drink
resembles the breathtaking sunrise as admired from the terraces and / or the
balconies of our accommodations. ‘The Cristallo Cocktail’ was created
with Tattinger Rose, a secret liquor, and real pearl dust for the rocks, and
the stunning sunrise, draping the Dolomites in pink.
We were honored to
present the world's ultimate Seven Stars and Stripes award to
Ms.
Paola Gualandi (CLICK HERE), representing the family who owns the hotel,
and
GM
Giorgio Borgonovo (CLICK HERE) and congratulate all of them to this
dedicated team and their 110th anniversary. |
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| Cristallo
Cocktail |
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| “On July 4th, on the terrace of Cortina’s
Jewel, overlooking the Tofane mountains, the Cristallo Hotel Spa & Golf,
the only five-star luxury establishment in the Alpine range, received another
important and most prestigious recognition, the Seven Stars and Stripes Award.
This is an award that is given, following an inspection by the awarding judges,
to hotels, resorts, spas and travel guides that have distinguished themselves
through their excellence. Recent winners include the Eden Roc Hotel in Ascona,
Switzerland. The Grand Spa Thermal Resort in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, the Forte
Village in Sardinia, New York’s Waldorf Astoria and the Emirates Palace in
Abu Dhabi. The award was presented to Paola Gualandi, representing the family
who owns the hotel and Giorgio Borgonovo, the General Manager, by the award's
presidents and founders, Thorsten and Edmund Adolf Buehrmann who, in addition
to the hotel itself, surprised everyone by also presenting the award to the
Hotel’s own beauty facility, the Cristallo Ultimate Spa. |
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“It is an honor to receive such a prestigious
award. The fact that this is a double award makes it all the more flattering",
said Paola Gualandi. The General Manager, Borgonovo, also echoed these
sentiments by stating, “This award represents yet one more incentive to do
even better and to become increasingly motivated in years to
come.”
Great pleasure was also expressed by the Ampezzo’s local
authorities, as evidenced by the presence of Herbert Huber, Municipal
Councillor responsible for Tourism and Stefano Illing, President of Cortina
Tourism Consortium. “It is an honor to be present for this award ceremony
that brings prestige not just to the Hotel but also to Cortina d'Ampezzo as a
whole. It is an example of excellence at an international level.”
The
hotel is celebrating its 110th anniversary in style all summer long, magically
transporting guests into the charming, enchanting atmospheres that have helped
make Cortina one of the world’s most famous, elegant holiday destinations.
Numerous special events will be held to celebrate more than a century of great
successes, culminating in an exclusive party in perfect Dolce Vita style on
Saturday, August 27, 2011. |
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by
Edmund Buehrmann & Thorsten Buehrmann
Editor: Ingrid
Lemme
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola |
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| © 2011 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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