In the shadow of the Dolomites the Ladin heart of the new Aman Rosa Alpina

Do you like the new Aman Rosa Alpina?" "I do, very much. Do you?" "I preferred it before." There are realities to which the respectable but subjective concept of like/dislike does not apply. These are personal opinions, but they do not apply to a project of the size of the new Rosa Alpina, which involves a gigantic investment and a substantial change of scene of an entire territory, Alta Badia. The historic hotel owned by the Pizzinini family, born as a guesthouse in 1939, then four stars, and with the latest generation - Hugo and his wife Ursula - has become one of the beacons of Italian luxury hospitality with an international vocation. And it is they who have already, years ago, made a considerable contribution to placing San Cassiano and Alta Badia on the map of the high holiday resort. At tourism fairs, Hugo arrives with photos of the Dolomites to show to travel agents, because, in his opinion, they are the first and most important heritage of his land and, coincidentally, also of Unesco, which included them in its list in 2009. The hotel is presented as an observation and access base to those wonderful mountains that are explored during the day and tinged pink in the evening. The historic hotel that everyone was so fond of needed a change. However, it takes a certain courage to close for a couple of years and reopen with a different shell and a small addition on the sign: the new Aman Rosa Alpina speaks a contemporary Ladin - wood, cirmolo, fireplaces, tapestries by South Tyrolean artists - and brings the Aman brand, one of the most elegant hospitality groups with only a few resorts in the most prestigious locations and only one other Italian address, in Venice on the Grand Canal, to the top

Nostalgia aside, the new hotel is sumptuous, comfortable, contemporary. You enter into a double-height lobby with great perspective depth that ends with a full-wall window overlooking the dense, green pine forest. The spaces are large and airy, with plenty of islands to sit in front of a blazing fire. Here everyone can come for a drink at the bar, munch on some nuts and hot snacks. The variety of spaces borders on the labyrinthine. There is a smoking room, a wine tasting room, three private mini-cinemas with hugging chairs, a nice selection of films and supply of popcorn and soft drinks during the screening. Of course there is space for children, but there is also a room for teenagers, with an interactive exergaming system for playing and practising, for example skiing, using the body as a joystick. And here there are no age or inclusion limits. The spa space is much larger than before. A centre with a Zen and meditative style, with indoor and outdoor pools, wet areas and spaces for relaxation and massage. There are fifty rooms and could have been twice as many. But Pizzinini maintains that space is a luxury commodity, and has preferred to make only suites, with built-in wardrobes, XL bathrooms and a fireplace in each. Thank you, he says. Because according to the new theories, on holiday one seeks space, time and kindness. Kindness is in the DNA of the family, who grew up there and live there, and their willingness to keep almost all the staff from before. If there is one criticism to be made of the Aman group, it is the exaggerated minimalism, which then helps to soothe the mind. The warmth is provided by Hugo and Ursula, who are always present, as is Hugo's father Paolo, who is also head-over-heels in love with this fragrant wooden shell with sweeping views. The restaurant has also gained from the change of scene. Abandoned the stars, today the focus is on substance: pizza, tagliatelle al ragù, cotoletta alla milanese or grilled meat and fish, in anticipation of the opening of Enju, the Japanese restaurant with shabu shabu and rare teas. With this new adventure, the Pizzinini are writing another chapter of Italian family hospitality, warm, local and increasingly international