Rifugio Ospitale

Rifugio Ospitale is gorgeous and secluded, and that alone made the stay worthwhile. We had great views from every window, walking paths just across the road, and a fresh, cold drinking water source. It’s close to Cortina d'Ampezzo and also convenient for the places we wanted to see, including Tre Cime and Lago di Braies. We had Room 4, a spacious, clean quad room with wonderful views and a good cross breeze when the windows were open. There were no screens, though, and we definitely had some mosquitos. It didn’t seem to have A/C, or at least it wasn’t on during our mid-June stay. Breakfast was plentiful and quite good, though basic. I’d recommend against eating at the restaurant.

The staff were super pleasant and helpful, which made for an easy stay. Breakfast was simple but had enough for anyone to find something they liked. One thing that puzzled me: the floor lights seemed to switch off right away, so you had to turn them on whenever you entered another floor. It wasn’t a major issue, but it was hard to see where I was going while carrying drinks upstairs. Check-in was easy and there was ample parking. The place is a bit out of the way and not walkable to town, which we expected from a rifugio. Our room and bathroom were both quite spacious. Two windows gave us a nice view and a breeze, which was essential since there was no air conditioning. We ate at the restaurant for convenience, and it was more crowded than I expected. The food was good and hit the spot, though nothing was especially memorable. We had fried artichokes with a nice sauce and great presentation, tagliatelle with mushrooms, beet ravioli with brown butter sauce, and ossobuco with a generous tender portion of meat and polenta. I liked the buttery pasta and the chunks of a mushroom I don’t usually eat; the ravioli had an interesting texture. We asked what to get for dessert and chose kaiserschmarren. I hadn’t had it before and didn’t care for it, finding it a bit bland, though perhaps that’s how it’s meant to taste.

The polenta and goulash, plus pasta with mushrooms and sausage with polenta, were the day’s winners. The food and service were only outdone by the views. It’s a tough but manageable hike from rifugio scoiatolli, about 40 minutes and straight uphill, but worth it.

The owners were helpful, and breakfast was excellent. We spent one night here and found the room super clean, with a big comfortable bed. With the windows closed, street noise didn’t come through. The restaurant is really nice.