Yes, but in this case it was an extra sad situation since the hotel was located such that the avalanche would just hit it. The band that the avalache made down through the landscape was about 50 meters wide and the was a house 100 meters from the hotel that was totally unharmed. Anybody looking at the topology could have figured out not to place a hotel there. They probable didn't think of the danger of an avalanche.
Take a look at the pictures here https://images.app.goo.gl/EghDdvuFTUppF5aV8
Thank you for providing the link , also of Castelluccio;
about the hotel
You are right - everyone _ and certainly the local people - can tell you that is not a save place to built something...
I walk a lot in the Alps to see how clever and save the Rifugi's are placed.
About Castelluccio;
It is dificult for me to imagine how much shaking you need to destroy this beautiful village. Very sad it happened.
The landscape around it; these are not the mountains i like- almost a badland landscape.
Quite the opposite of the Dolomites.
There are many ugly mountains i find. Sometime you just see them falling apart.