Our History

Vittorio and Rosina’s experience in the tourist industry began in the early 1950s when both of them worked in the first hotels in Andalo.

Vittorio was the “handyman” at the Hotel Maria, and Rosina was a maid at the Hotel Piz Galin. This is the background in which they met, fell in love, and decided to get married as soon as their economic conditions would allow… which they did in 1959.

That same year, they used their savings from work to buy a piece of land to fulfil their dream to have a house of their own for their family.

Not by chance, their choice was located on Pian Castello, which is Via Paganella today.

There was almost nothing here, just beautiful meadows and a spectacular view of the fabulous Brenta Dolomites, which made a particular impression on Vittorio when he first arrived in Andalo from a small village in Alta Val di Non.

With the determination and spirit of sacrifice that characterises the people who live in these mountains, they built their first home, setting in motion the “great adventure” of Negritella, our Hotel in Andalo.

Once completed, they decided to christen it with the name of a small and delicate chocolate-scented flower found high in the mountains, the Negritella, expressing Rosina’s great love of flowers.

The evolution continued, and a few years later, Vittorio and Rosina put their tourism expertise to use in Villa Negritella, creating the first two apartments rented out seasonally during the summer. This was the beginning of the business activity that, step by step, would involve and inspire the entire growing family.

During the 1960s, the first lifts to the Paganella were built in Andalo, acting as a stimulus to the operators to expand their tourism offer to the winter as well: Vittorio sensed that this was a special moment to be taken advantage of and decided to turn things around by taking out his first bank loan... resulting in several sleepless nights, which he always liked to remember, related to the mortgage that was attached to the property.

1 July 1970 was the official opening date of the Pensione Negritella with 14 rooms. It quickly became 21 rooms in 1974 with the Albergo Negritella, proving that his intuition was on target.

The family was completed in the meanwhile with the birth of their three children, Angela, Teresa, and Giovanni. Vittorio took care of the kitchen and Rosina the rooms, but what they had in common was their “passion for hospitality”. Great importance was placed on human contact and welcoming guests into the warmth of a family, so guests soon became friends, forming small groups that met every year.

Tourism took root in Andalo, and in the second half of the 1970s, a new cableway company was established (Paganella 2001), which was quickly characterised by the dynamism of the local entrepreneurs, and which Vittorio joined, as a shareholder and “activist.”

New and modern ski lifts and runs were designed and built to expand the ski area. It was now time to “change pace”, and in 1978 Vittorio and Rosina, strengthened by their growing family, were no longer afraid to request a bank loan to purchase some adjacent land and double the size of their building.

Work began immediately, with the Hotel Negritella opening at Christmas 1979. It now had 30 rooms, a new kitchen, a new restaurant, an elevator, and a garage. The goal was reached even though on 22 September 1979, Vittorio had a major accident, falling from the roof during building, causing near infirmity in his legs.
However, due to his great tenacity and will, and thanks to the invaluable support of his family and friends, he managed to overcome even this obstacle.

In the meantime, his children, aware of the difficulty and holding firmly to their parents’ principles, entered into the Hotel management, enthusiastically carrying forward the numerous projects still underway.

In 1989, the accommodation was expanded to 37 rooms and improved, and a series of new services were added, allowing it to be upgraded to a three-star hotel.

What followed were intense years of continuous work, changes, and innovations, both for the building and the services and management.

In 2002, we purchased the nearby Hotel Zeni, enhancing our offer both in terms of accommodation (increasing the number of rooms to the current 56) and services by doubling the number of communal areas available, where we then built the new restaurant, miniclub, game room, reading room, and wellness centre.

Five grandchildren also arrived – Eleonora, Clarissa, Gianmarco, Cristiano, and Gianmaria – who are well-integrated, highly motivated, and committed to the family business. They are a great source of pride for us and, above all, for their grandparents Rosina and Vittorio! In our Hotel in Andalo, you will be welcomed by our wonderful family, who will help you have a carefree, relaxing, and active holiday!