San Cassiano was founded in 1780 on the small "Armentarola" village, meaning in Ladin pasture for the young livestock.

The first stone of today's "Rosa Alpina" was laid in 1850 when from the donation made by a prosperous family from San Cassiano to the Church, a "Vidum", a parish priest house, was built. Since the very beginning the parishioners were running in that house a small restaurant, an inn and some rooms for the guests. At that time San Cassiano counted little more than 100 inhabitants and the village was made of the church, the priest house, the school, the sexton's house and about ten huts spread in the mountains.

Between 1915-1919, San Cassiano played an important role during the First World War. It represented the last Austrian bastion before the front and therefore all provisioning for the Emperor's troops had to pass through San Cassiano.
People fought till the end, in a trench war, for the front line traced on the mountains of the Valparola Pass. The "Alpenrosen" parish church - hotel, the only public place in the village, was in those years an important meeting point for soldiers and officers and also the centre for all social events.
In 1920, after the First World War the name "Alpenrosen" was replaced by the Italian "Rosa Alpina". In the 30ies tourism increased a lot: some farmers enlarged their farms and built some more rooms for renting them to the guests.
The first development of the tourism in the area was arrested in 1939 by the Second World War. The villages in South Tyrol became smaller due to the "Option", an agreement between Hitler and Mussolini, which put the South Tyrolean people the difficult decision to rest in their homes which meant to agree with the italianization of the area or to leave for an other area out of South Tyrol. So one part of the population decided to move to Germany and Austria while many others had to migrate to Sicily.
The pasture huts which had been abandoned were purchased by an authority similar to a state office (Tre Venezie) and then sold again.
In 1939, also the Schiffereggers moved to Austria and Engelbert Pizzinini, who already owned the Teresa Hotel in Pedraces with 30 beds, decided to take for rent from the state office the Rosa Alpina.

In 1940, Engelbert Pizzinini purchased the farmhouse and the lands.
In 1950 the tourism industry was growing again, even though the summer season was only limited to August and the winter season to Christmas and Easter. In that period there was only one narrow country road connecting San Cassiano to the rest of the world. In winter, foreigners had to be taken from the post house in La Villa to the Rosa Alpina Hotel on some horse sleds.

1952, installation in the Rosa Alpina Hotel of the first telephone, derived from the phone office in Corvara, its number is 1.
In 1955 the hotel underwent the first important renewal, 20 more beds were added 20. The road to San Cassiano was enlarged.
In 1956 Erich Kostner built the first ski lift in Corvara, economic development in this region couldn't be arrested anymore.
In 1957, the Pizzininis built the first ski lift in San Cassiano, 150 meters long. At the Rosa Alpina live music was played for the guests for the first time.
In 1959 a second long ski lift was built (300 m long). 20 more beds were added in the Hotel. Engelbert Pizzinini built his second power plant, increasing electric power from 12 kW to 90 kW.
In 1960, following an accident, the Pizzininis gave up the ski lift activity.
1961, building of the chairlift to the Piz Sorega. From this moment on both the village and the Rosa Alpina Hotel kept on growing.
1963 building in the same house of the first food and sport shop in San Cassiano.
1966, opening of the "Taverna": the first ball room for 200 people.
In 1968, Engelbert Pizzinini presented to his eighth born child Paolo the Rosa Alpina Hotel.

In the same year he got married with Miss Ulrike Frontull from La Villa. Four children were born: Barbara, Marlene, Michael (died after the birth) and Hugo.
In 1970, after a further renovation, the Rosa Alpina Hotel became a three star Hotel.
In 1977 the stables were transformed in the Apparthotel Rosa Alpina.
Since 1979, the Rosa Alpina Hotel also hosted the San Cassiano post office.

In 1980 the capacity of the two power plants was increased to 420 kW. From that moment San Cassiano was supplied with electricity almost the whole year round. In 1986 the Hotel underwent some further important renovations. The tavern was renewed and the lunch room was added together with the terrace, the Hotel counted then 160 beds. In 1987, after a serious disease, Mrs Ulrike Frontull, Paolo Pizzinini's wife, died.

In 1988 the house became a four star hotel. 1989, Paolo Pizzinini married Miss Daniela Steiner; beautician from North Tyrol who had been working in Corvara since 1979. The Hotel inaugurated the first luxury Beauty Spa, run by Daniela and her sister Ulrike Steiner. 1990, Sophy Pizzinini was born.
In 1991 the Hotel hall and 20 rooms were renewed and made more suitable to the first category standard.
1994 Norbert Niederkofler joined the "team". After having worked with the best cooks in the world, he came back to his roots and opened the St. Hubertus Restaurant inside the hotel. The Beauty Spa was enlarged again together with the swimming pool and the saunas. About 500 m of white marble were laid.
In 1996 the Apparthotel was connected to the hotel and the 25 apartments were turned into superior and suite rooms. In 1998 the Guest Room was renewed, taking the name "Stüa dal Pan" and the hotel was promoted to 4 star S (superior) hotel. In 1998 the well-known company "Frette" designed the Suite Frette.
1999 began the restauration of one of the huts owned by the Pizzinini family.

In 2000 The Hotel & Spa Rosa Alpina was accepted in the Hotel association Relais & Châteaux.
The St. Hubertus Restaurant got the first MICHELIN STAR, confirmed in the following years.
The famous Italian Restaurant Guide "Gambero Rosso" referred to Nobert Niederkofler as "Rising Star of Italy".
In December of the same year opened the Daniela Steiner Beauty Spa in the Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz in Switzerland.
In 2002 the Hotel's fourth Restaurant, Wine Bar & Grill, opened and the "Rote Stube" and the "Blaue Stube" were transformed into "Fondue Stuben".
2002 the St. Hubertus got the award of the best restaurant in the whole region of Trentino Alto Adige, setting our restaurant among the 20 best of Italy. The German magazine "Bunte" rated the restaurant as one of the 5 best in Italy.

At the beginning of 2003 the Rosa Alpina Partyservice was founded, a gourmet cater service of the first class. In May there was the opening of the Daniela Steiner Beauty Spa in the Four Seasons Resort Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. The succsessful expansion continued with the opening in July of the Daniela Steiner Beauty Day Spa in Monte Carlo. In November the Rosa Alpina got in London the award by Condé Nast Traveller for one of the best Spa Hotels in Europe. In the same month, the prestigious "Tre Forchette" were conferred to the St. Hubertus by the Italian Restaurant guide "Gambero Rosso", quoting it as one of the 16 best restaurants in Italy. The gourmet guide "Guida dell'Espresso" honoured the St. Hubertus with 16, 5 points.
In December the chef Norbert Niederkofler came out with his first cooking book "St. Hubertus".

In March 2004 the Relais & Châteaux Rosa Alpina organized on Norbert Niederkofler's initiative the I. Chef's Cup, an informal competition among 50 "Michelin star" chefs and wine producers. In April Hugo married Ursula Mahlknecht from Brunico.

In March 2005 Prince Albert from Monaco stayed at the Rosa Alpina during the "I. Stars Ski Event", a charity event which took place under his patronage.

In January 2006 the second successful edition of the Chef's Cup in San Cassiano took place. In spring six hotel rooms were enlarged and refurbished. In mid November Rosa Alpina takes over the management of the Restaurant Kaiserkron in Bolzano, one of the oldest and historical Restaurants there. At the end of November the Michelin guide 2007 was presented where TWO STARS were referred to the Restaurant St. Hubertus.

At the beginning of 2007 the second cookbook by Norbert Niederkofler was published: St. Hubertus and the flavour of the Dolomites. In January 2008 was held the third edition of the Chef’s Cup. August has been the time to celebrate the new hydroelectric power plant that produces all the electricity for half the village of San Cassiano. During fall, a new wing has been added to the Rosa Alpina, a construction completely made of wood, with zero emissions and almost no need of heating. These new Chalet Loft Suites built will all be with open fireplace, hammam and fantastic views.