The finest 5 star hotels in the mountains.
Home to the likes of state-of-the-art spas, gourmet restaurants and no-expenses-spared service, these are the crème de la crème of the luxury ski hotels.
Whether you’re escaping for a hard-earned break or celebrating something special, expect to be pampered from sun up to turndown in any of this mountain elite.
Something of a Zermatt institution, the terribly Grand Hotel Zermatterhof was pieced together by local volunteers back in 1879 and their descendants have looked after the residence ever since. It’s filled with the kind of restaurants Zermatt has made a name for: 2 bars, a gourmet salon and mirrored brasserie are joined by a… + more
Highlights • High-altitude skiing • Europe's highest slopes • Picturesque • Ski in Zermatt & Cervinia
Hotel Kulm was Badrutt’s bargaining chip when he bet a bunch of Brits they’d have a cracking winter in St Moritz - and in the process became the founder of winter tourism. Suffice it to say, without the Kulm, ski holidays simply wouldn’t be what they are today. Now with over a century and a half of fine hospitality to its name,… + more
Highlights • Stylish town centre • High-altitude glacier skiing • Glamorous après-ski
Freshest face on the Verbier hotel scene, which opened to rapturous applause for the 13/14 season, W hotel’s debut ski hotel marries New York’s urban cool with Swiss Alpine chic. Glass atria connect four gigantic chalets which house a sprawling spa, restaurants (the Arola’s run by twice Michelin starred Sergi Arola) and the… + more
Highlights • Vast interlinked 4 Valleys area • Vibrant and varied après ski • Chocolate box Swiss chalets • Incredible scenery
With a name inspired by the Tibetan term “Kailash” – translating to “Jewel of the Snows”, there’s no denying that Le Kaila’s a prominent gem in Meribel’s crown. Bedrooms come with en-suite Jacuzzis and steam rooms if you need a break from the gaspingly incredible NUXE Spa, where you’ll find a blue lagoon pool, Jacuzzi grotto,… + more
Highlights • 3 Valleys ski area • Excellent ski schools • Lively après ski
With its very own team of health gurus, Ortisei’s family-run Hotel Adler’s the perfect place for comprehensive detoxing on the mountains. When you’re not walking off fresh juices and “bio-light” energy cuisine in the 9000m private park or soaking your cares away in one of the brine, crystal or bubbling pools, you’ll be zipping… + more
Highlights • Amazing scenery • Charming village • Italian & Austrian influence
Perched atop the highest ski resort in Europe, the Koh-I Nor is every inch the glittering diamond it’s named after. You could probably spend all day gazing out across the snowy Tarentaise bowl from your balcony but the ubiquitous floor to ceiling windows are as much about being seen as looking out of: Come sundown, the building… + more
Highlights • Highest resort in Europe • Top of the world's biggest ski area • Lots of off-slope activities
Based on a baronial Scottish castle, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is the lord of all it surveys - namely, the jaw-dropping Banff National Park. Though we’d wager it wasn’t just the hotel’s monumental facades which earned its moniker as Canada's "Castle in the Rockies"- here guests are also greeted and treated like royalty,… + more
Highlights • 3 ski resorts • Cosy mountain town • Stunning sights of the Rockies
Though it takes a special sort of structure to draw the eye from the Matterhorn, if anywhere’s going to it’s the world-leading Mont Cervin. Looking, for all its 19th century architecture, like a national gallery (and floodlit like one at night), you’ll find yourself scaling the mountain just to get an aerial shot of it.… + more
Highlights • High-altitude skiing • Europe's highest slopes • Picturesque • Ski in Zermatt & Cervinia
Jean Philippe Nuel is famed for designing hotels based on the clientele he imagines will stay… in which case the Avenue Lodge should be filled straight from the Parisian Catwalk. Cross the threshold from the grandiose Avenue Olympique and you may think you’ve stumbled into a modern work of art… You won’t be leaving in any sort… + more
Highlights • ½ of Espace Killy • Fantastic après • Traditional chocolate box village • Skiable glacier
It wouldn’t take much persuasion to keep us here all four of the seasons - it’s frequently ranked among the top hotels in Canada and hopefully they’ll carry on sweetening the deal by dolling out hot chocolates to all who come in from the cold. It’ll take some practice to strike the right balance between Whistler’s legendary… + more
Highlights • Largest ski area in North America • Consistently voted best in the world
The labour of love of Michelin star chef Simon Taxacher (Austria’s very own Heston), gastronomes should set a course for Kirchberg’s Relais and Chateaux Rosengarten. The top floor features a cookery studio, where guests can pick… More ▼
However you spend your stay – venture at least once to the other end of the frozen lake and witness how glorious this hotel looks against the landscape, surrounded by Banff’s UNESCO protected National Park on the banks of Lake… More ▼
Tapping into the mineral-packed waters bubbling through the Nock mountains, stay in Bad Kleinkircheim’s Thermal Spa Pulverer for a spa retreat au naturale. After spending the day in one of a million different saunas or filling… More ▼
This region’s long been loved for its healing properties, and if your body’s crying out for a high-end hotel, the Ambassador’s just what the doctor ordered. For remedial resting, plonk yourself by a fire-pit on the terrace, where… More ▼
The Hotel Alpine Palace is every bit as glamorous as its name suggests (especially if you bag a room in the shiny new wing). With a games room, kids club, and fluorescent outdoor pool, families in particular are in their element… More ▼
Grand in name as well as nature, the Fairmont Chateau is as much a Whistler landmark as the Blackcomb Mountain behind it. Assisted by the ski valet, you’ll glide straight out onto one of the world’s best ski areas before… More ▼
Hotel | Resort | Country | Rooms | Features |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Hotel Zermatterhof | Zermatt | Switzerland | 77 | Historic mountain hotel, swimming pool & spa |
Hotel Kulm | St Moritz | Switzerland | 172 | Iconic alpine hotel, gourmet dining, spa |
W Verbier | Verbier | Switzerland | 123 | Spa, swimming pool, excellent food & drink |
Le Kaila | Meribel | France | 42 | Swimming pool, spa, direct access to slopes |
Hotel Adler | Ortisei | Italy | 110 | Fabulous spa, Dolomite views, piano bar |
Hotel Koh I Nor | Val Thorens | France | 63 | Gourmet restaurant, spa, 2 x swimming pools |
Fairmont Banff Springs | Banff | Canada | 768 | Iconic ‘castle in the Rockies’ hotel, indoor & outdoor pools |
Mont Cervin Palace | Zermatt | Switzerland | 165 | Historic hotel, spa, gourmet dining |
Hotel Avenue Lodge | Val d’Isere | France | 54 | Central location, spa, swimming pool |
Four Seasons Resort Whistler | Whistler | Canada | 273 | Spa, outdoor pool, hotel shuttle |
Relais and Chateaux Rosengarten | Kirchberg | Austria | 26 | Gourmet boutique hotel, leisure area |
Crans Ambassador | Crans Montana | Switzerland | 60 | Spa with panoramic pool, gourmet dining |
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise | Lake Louise | Canada | 554 | Iconic Rocky Mountain hotel, health club |
Hotel Alpine Palace | Hinterglemm | Austria | 131 | Spa, gourmet restaurants, kids club |
Thermal Spa Pulverer | Bad Kleinkirchheim | Austria | 98 | Spa, wine cellar, bar & restaurant |
Fairmont Chateau Whistler | Whistler | Canada | 550 | Ski in/out, swimming pool, spa |
Hotel Le K2 Palace | Courchevel | France | 26 + 4 suites | Michelin-starred restaurant, great kids facilities, spa |
Four Seasons Hotel Megeve | Megeve | France | 52-55 | Michelin-starred restaurant, spa, great family facilities |
Trofana Royal | Ischgl | Austria | 111 | Spa, gourmet dining, cigar lounge |
Gstaad Palace | Gstaad | Switzerland | 90 | Iconic Swiss hotel, gourmet restaurants, spa |
We update this list often but facilities can change, so if any specific feature is essential to your trip, make sure you ask us to confirm the details before you book your holiday.