💬
Architecture & Design · Flaviano Capriotti Architetti

A vision born
from the Dolomites

How Milan-based architect Flaviano Capriotti transformed a historic Cortina hotel into a landmark of alpine contemporary design.

The Architect

Flaviano Capriotti Architetti

Flaviano Capriotti is one of Italy's most distinguished hotel architects — the mind behind the Bulgari Hotels in Milan and globally, working within Studio Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. When the Pirro family entrusted him with the complete renovation of Faloria between 2018 and 2020, it was the beginning of an ongoing creative partnership that continues today.

The brief was precise: create a hotel of international luxury standard that is unmistakably, irreversibly from Cortina d'Ampezzo. Not a generic alpine aesthetic — but a specific, botanical, material language rooted in this valley.

The result earned Faloria its fifth star and established it as a design benchmark across the entire Alpine arc.

Faloria interior design by Flaviano Capriotti
The Concept

Nordic spirit,
Ampezzo soul

Capriotti's guiding vision was to create an atmosphere simultaneously Nordic and intimate — elegant and essential, yet relaxed and familiar. The architecture speaks to the surrounding landscape through a carefully chosen material palette: brushed larch boiserie, honed Dolomia stone, boiled wool upholstery, and teal-blue ceramic tiles that echo the alpine lakes of the valley.

The Renovation

2018–2020:
A new landmark

The renovation comprised not just refurbishment but significant structural expansion — a brand new central building resonating the typical Dolomites style. Thirteen new rooms, a 1,000m² spa, a new gourmet restaurant and bar, and redesigned common areas. Every element conceived as part of a single, coherent narrative.

🌲
Brushed Larch

Wall boiserie, flooring and ceilings — recovered and restored historic larch integrated with new elements in charcoal-stained oak

🪨
Dolomia Stone

Honed Dolomite stone from local quarries lines every bathroom, tabletop and public floor — the geological soul of the valley

🧶
Boiled Wool

Upholstered headboards, draped curtains and woven textiles in 'Faloria blue' — the signature colour of the brand, a sporting alpine blue

🌸
Alpine Botanicals

Ten flowers of the Dolomites, selected by Capriotti from the 18th-century Florae Austriacae atlas by Nikolaus von Jacquin, reproduced on every headboard

Alpine botanical detail in Faloria room design
The Botanical Thread

Florae Austriacae,
1770

One of the most distinctive details at Faloria is its botanical research programme. Architect Capriotti selected ten flowers typical of the Dolomites from the Florae Austriacae — the seminal botanical atlas compiled by naturalist Nikolaus von Jacquin in the 18th century.

These engravings — arnica, edelweiss, alpine rose, gentian and others — are reproduced on padded linen headboards using Rubelli printed fabrics, and recur throughout the spa, restaurant and common areas. Botany becomes a visible, legible narrative threading through the entire hotel.

It is a design language that guests discover progressively — a new detail on every visit, in every corridor, on every wall.

2023 · New Suites

The second chapter:
Tofane & Penthouse

In December 2023, Flaviano Capriotti Architetti returned to Faloria to inaugurate a second phase of expansion — five new Tofane Suites and the Penthouse Suite, unveiled to coincide with the opening of the winter season.

The new suites — ranging from 50 to 80m², with the ability to combine into a single unit of more than 250m² — develop the same aesthetic language as the 2019 renovation, while introducing new elements. Historic larch ceilings, recovered and restored, are integrated with contemporary charcoal-stained oak. Custom furniture designed by Capriotti is paired with iconic pieces by Italian design brands.

The Penthouse Suite occupies the historic building's crown — double-height ceilings, walls and ceilings in larch, padded linen panels with the Florae Austriacae botanical prints, and rich drapes in 'Faloria blue' sporting wool. From its windows: the 1956 Olympic ski jump ramp.

Discover the Tofane Suite →
Tofane Suite by Flaviano Capriotti
Suite detail Penthouse Suite
Materials & Collaborators

Made in Italy, rooted in Cortina

Textiles
Rubelli
Botanical prints on fabric and drapes, custom-designed to Capriotti's specification
Textiles
Rivolta Carmignani
Bed linen, bath towels and spa textiles throughout the resort
Wool & Upholstery
Brand Milano
Special boiled wool for drapes and upholstered furniture — including the iconic 'Faloria blue'
Upholstery
Enzo degli Angiuoni
Upholstery fabrics for padded surfaces throughout rooms and common areas
Lighting
Flos
Technical lighting design and bedroom mirrors
Lighting
Viabizzuno
Bar pendant suspensions
Stone
Pietra Dolomia
Local Dolomia stone for floors, bathroom cladding and public spaces
Ceramics
Acquario Due
Special teal-blue ceramic tiles for pool, fireplace and bathrooms
Local Craft
Lacedelli Cortina
Bespoke furniture produced to Capriotti's design by local Cortina craftsmen
Outdoor
Unopiù
Pool loungers and terrace furniture
Furniture
Poliform
Upholstered furniture in guest rooms
Fittings
Stella Rubinetterie
Tapware throughout the hotel
"It's only now, after a complete redesign at the hand of architect Flaviano Capriotti, that the Faloria Mountain Spa Resort ascends to the highest levels of contemporary luxury hospitality."
MICHELIN Guide
Book your stay →