If your idea of a dreamy winter break is gliding down glittering snow-covered peaks followed by serious spa-ing and cosy cocktail-fuelled evenings, these ski hotels in Europe won’t disappoint. This season, our favourite slopeside retreats are setting the bar ever higher when it comes to comfortable chic with cutting-edge design, five-star dining and some of the best pampering on the piste. Whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got your next ski holiday covered.
Hôtel Barrière Les Neiges
Courchevel, France
Hôtel Barrière Les Neiges, in Courchevel 1850, has long been a favourite ski hotel for snowy adventures; nestled at the foot of the legendary Bellecôte piste, it has direct access to Les Trois Vallées and some of the best ski runs in Europe. Now you can swoosh down the slopes with swishy hair, as the five-star hotel has collaborated with Balmain Hair Couture, an offshoot of the Paris fashion house, to bring its guests a new salon that offers a range of services and products from the world-renowned brand (there is also a spa).
Pampering aside, this hotel has luxury at its core. The 42 spacious rooms and suites are all deliciously cosseting with wood panelling, faux fur throws and deep rugs, while downstairs has two restaurants – Argentinian restaurant BFire and Fouquet’s serving classic French fare – and a toasty bar.
422 rue de Bellecôte, 73120 Courchevel, France
hotelsbarriere.com
Como Alpina
Dolomites, Italy
The latest opening from COMO Hotels & Resorts is in northern Italy’s South Tyrol, amongst the majestic Dolomites. Though a year-round resort, it promises to be particularly enchanting in winter, set in Val Gardena on the high-altitude plateau Alpe di Suisi. The rooms typify quiet luxury – a pleasing combination of muted tones and rich furnishings – with large windows framing the dramatic peaks beyond (as beautiful in summer too).
The striking circular Alpina Chalet, its jagged roof mirroring the mountainscape, is linked to the hotel via an underground passageway and home to further suites. This being COMO, guests’ holistic wellbeing is a priority, with the serene Shambalaha Spa offering a long glass-fronted pool, sauna and steam, a yoga room and revitalisating treatments – and the restaurants serving a local, healthy menu.
Via Compatsch, 62/3, Alpe di Siusi, Seiser Alm, 39040 Castelrotto, Kastelruth, BZ, Italy
comohotels.com
Gstaad Palace
St Moritz, Switzerland
One of the grande dames of the mountains, Gstaad Palace celebrates its 110th anniversary this season. As befits the family-owned, 90-room hotel, which towers above Gstaad in the snowy hills of the Bernese Oberland, it marks its milestone in style. Behind the fairytale exterior, guests can expect the usual impeccable service and Alpine comfort, but with a few changes.
The ever-popular Le Grand Restaurant has been lavishly restored (Christmas Eve dinner here is nothing short of magical). Not to be outdone, the Palace’s spa has a new partnership with Augustinus Bader, its treatment menu curated around the cult skincare brand’s most popular products. Prefer art over spas? Renowned gallery Hauser & Wirth returns again this year to showcase world-class pieces in the twinkling Palace Garden.
Palacestrasse 28, CH-3780 Gstaad, Switzerland
palace.ch
The Cōmodo
Bad Gastein, Austria
The not-long-ago-opened Cōmodo, in the heart of the Austrian Alps, is the very definition of glamourous ski hotel. Design-savvy skiers will fall in love with the aesthetic throughout the public spaces and 70 rooms, which pays tribute to the mid-century modernist style of the 1960s and 70s but with contemporary flair. The artwork, the furniture, the palette… everything is beautifully considered.
In its previous life, the building was a spa hotel – and wellness remains deeply rooted. The serene spa has an indoor pool and two saunas, while treatments utilise the healing properties of the mineral-rich Gastein mountain water. The farm-to-table restaurant serves up mountain views alongside modern Austrian cuisine and organic wines. For a breath of fresh air, this is it.
Kaiserhofstraße 18, 5640 Bad Gastein, Austria
thecomodo.com
Grace La Margna
St Moritz, Switzerland
In 1928, Vogue declared St Moritz the “most chic resort in the world”. Little has changed, especially with the arrival of Grace La Margna which promises to bring an “urban touch” to the grand winter destination. The 74-room boutique hotel is divided into two wings, each with its own distinct personality. The Grace Wing is sleek and modern, the La Margna Wing is more contemporary-cosy, but all rooms have huge beds and sizable bathrooms.
Apres-ski comes every which way, from afternoon tea in the lounge to cocktails at N/5 – The Bar and a Mediterranean menu at The View (as the name implies, the vistas from the restaurant across the Lake and the mountains are beautiful). There’s a spa, too, of course.
Via Serlas 5, CH-7500 St. Moritz, Switzerland
gracehotels.com
