What are the best ski hotels and resorts in the world, including the best ski hotels in Europe, the best ski hotels in North America, and the best ski hotels in Asia? In the European Alps, many of the luxury hotels are family-owned. They are not part of a big chain like the Four Seasons, Aman, or Ritz-Carlton, so it isn’t easy to work out which hotel is best beyond judging the hotels from their websites and reading reviews on TripAdvisor.
In North America, the luxury resorts of Whistler and Aspen tend to be the best for luxury, but Jackson Hole and Vail are also worth considering as these are the locations for some of the best Four Seasons ski hotels in the world. As you probably know, there is no Four Seasons rewards program, so you can’t spend or redeem your loyalty points at these.
If you collect hotel loyalty rewards, we have outlined the best and cheapest ski hotels you can book with points. Whether you want to redeem your points at the best Hyatt ski hotels, the best Marriott Bonvoy ski hotels or if you want to redeem InterContinental IHG or Hilton Honors loyalty rewards and points, we have picked the best ski hotels for your next ski vacation.
In Asia, The Vale Niseko in Japan is the place to head with luxury and slopeside access. The Vale Niseko has one of the best spots in town, just meters from Grand Hirafu’s newly renovated Ace Family lift. Designed by renowned architectural firm Nikken Sekkai, the hotel comprises 49 fully-serviced apartments, including two luxury penthouses. Some of these apartments feature private onsens that overlook Mount Yotei, Niseko’s iconic semi-dormant volcano. While this is a great choice in Asia, this hotel doesn’t make it into our top 10 best ski hotels in the world because the North American and European ski hotels are easier for most of our readers to get to.
In this review, we endeavor to uncover some of the very best ski hotels worldwide, judged from our own personal experience. Within each hotel review, we highlight the pros and cons of the hotel so that you can judge exactly how one hotel compares to another.
Many of the hotels that we have picked are high in altitude or are connected to Glaciers that are so high that they are perfect for late-season skiing and are snow-sure throughout the season.
Some glaciers can be skied on from October through to May, so never discount skiing out of the main season. It is much cheaper out of the Christmas and Jan-Feb-March season and, in many places, still as beautiful.
In no particular order, here is our pick of the best luxury ski hotels in the world:
1. Almhof Schneider, Lech, Austria
My top resort choice for skiing in the Alps is the pretty Alpine village Lech. Lech is my absolute favorite resort in all of the Alps. You can guarantee snow-sure skiing here into April and from December.
With a resort altitude of 1,444m, the slopes remain snowy right down to the resort, and the lower runs remain ski-able, so you can ski right from the mountain top into the resort, even in the low season. The village remains picture-postcard pretty, with the snowy slopes sparkling behind the pretty chalets throughout the season. Higher up, the mountains surrounding Lech reach an altitude of 2039 meters and offer brilliant conditions at any time of the year.
It’s worth noting that Lech is ideal for intermediates who can ski the sometimes mogulled slope right into the village and right into the luxury hotels Aurelio and hotel Almhof Schneider, which we review in more detail below.
If you’re a beginner, some cute button lift slopes on the other side of the village from the main run are a great place to learn and are ideal ski-out slopes for beginners. Experts will love the off-piste powder, which is excellent here all year round.
We think the Almhof Schneider is the joint best ski hotel in the world. It’s also located in one of the best spots in Lech. It’s ski-in, ski-out, but is also only a few steps from the village, where you can enjoy apres-ski in the classy but lively bars, buy designer wear from Strolz or pick up essentials from the village pharmacy or supermarket.
The style of this gorgeous hotel is a modern ultra-luxe chalet. Luxury hotels simply don’t get better than this. From the moment you step inside, every staff member tries to make your stay as easy as possible for you, from unpacking your ski gear to bringing you whatever you want, whether it’s on the menu or not.
The food here is exquisite, and the staff are warm. I particularly love the large windows that look down over twinkling Lech from the restaurants and bar. If you come here in the low season, you will be served the hotel menu (which is AMAZING) in the fine dining restaurant area, which is a real treat. In the high season, the main menu is served in the main restaurant, which is larger.
Bedrooms here are a mass of pines and dark woods but are decorated in a modern style. Walls and ceilings are pine-clad, floors are dark wood, and luscious chocolate-colored rugs keep your feet cozy. There is so much high-end detailing in this hotel. Every piece of furniture has been carefully selected. Lamps are often made of reindeer horns, thick blackout curtains complement the pine walls, and fresh, high thread count, crisp white linens match the snow outside.
The bathrooms here are also beautifully designed in creamy marble with delicious AESOP amenities, which means that your body and hands always smell of Christmassy oranges when you stay. AESOP is also the only hand and body cream that works for my skin in the dry alpine air. It sounds silly, but the Almhof Schneider has even got the perfect choice of toiletries. It is this attention to detail that keeps their loyal repeat guests returning.
All the bedrooms are extravagant. During our last stay, we had room 103. It had a separate bedroom and a lounge with a roaring fire, which my son loved throwing logs on. The hall area (yes, our room had a large hall) was an ideal place to stow your bags and hang your clothes. Previously, we have stayed in 2 other rooms at this gorgeous hotel, and they have all been brilliant. Even the base rooms here are fabulous, and of course, you get the same breakfast and evening meal here, whichever room you choose.
Back to the food… There is one of the best breakfast buffets imaginable, smoked salmon and meats, with around 15 homemade accompaniments. Loads of muesli and cereal choices, including choco pops for the kids, plus salad items and cheeses. Eggs made to order are brought to the table, and there’s a patisserie tray with the most delicious homemade patisseries, including homemade muffins and patisseries stuffed with cinnamon and apple. All are so good that you feel obliged to take one or two back to the room to scoff once your stomach accepts food again.
In the evening, the food can only be described as exquisite and is delivered in one of the classiest fine dining restaurants I have experienced. Beautiful Alpine decor is complemented by generous Alpine flower arrangements (we had a lovely purple flower on our table) and six courses of deliciousness. The additional option is to order something different if the menu doesn’t take your fancy. It’s one of the few menus that I have come across where the food is more beautiful and tastes even better than it sounds in the menu description.
Also within the hotel is a stylish pool and spa, a smoking room with a pool table, a kids club, an impressive spa, a ski room, and as the hotel is ski-in, ski-out, there’s nothing more you could want or need. We tend to stay here towards the start and the end of the main season when the rates are cheaper. Even in the low season, the rates are expensive, but you get what you pay for, and you simply won’t find a better ski hotel in the Alps. Almhof Schneider is paradise on alpine slopes. Ski perfection.
Review Of Almhof Schneider In Lech
Lech is one of my favorite ski destinations in the Alps. I have to admit that I was originally attracted to this snowsure resort when I found out that it used to be a favorite of Princess Diana. If it is good enough for the Royals, then it is good enough for me! I am now on my 5th trip to this picture-perfect little alpine village, and each time I return, I find something new to delight me and keep me coming back for more. There are so many things I love about Lech. The cute chalets (ugly buildings simply aren't allowed here!). The alpine river rushing through the center.
2. Aurelio Hotel, Lech, Austria
Aurelio in Lech is an Aman style ski hotel in the Alps that also offers everything you could want from a ski hotel. In fact, it’s just up the hill from the Almhof Schneider, maybe a 2-minute walk. How can the two best ski hotels in the Alps (IMHO) be right next to each other?
At the Aurelio Lech, every room faces into the valley and across the slopes, and each balcony is bathed in sunshine throughout the day. The rooms themselves are uber-modern ski chalet style, with amazing and generous marble bathrooms with yummy Hermes Paris Un Jardin Sur Le Nil toiletries. A million little touches make this place special, such as chocolates and hankie packs in your ski locker, high-end lotions at your bedside to fight the mountain dryness, and breakfast served at any time you like.
The swish pool area, connected to the Spa, hosts free fruit, water, teas, and nuts, just to keep you going between meals. If that’s not enough, the bowls of delicious Swiss chocolates dotted around this magnificent chalet are just too hard to resist between meals.
Hotel Aurelio is expensive but worth every penny. You want for nothing, and in true Aman style (even though this isn’t actually an Aman branded hotel), everyone knows who you are, and you never need to sign for your extras or mention your room number – they already know. Every room is awesome, the location is amazing, in the middle of the main slope, and the food is innovative and award-winning.
Book a room at Aurelio via our luxury travel concierge and get brilliant extra benefits at no extra cost.
Almhof Schneider Vs. Aurelio in Lech
Don’t make me choose! These are two of the very best ski hotels in the world. The Almhof Schneider is more convenient for the village, but the Aurelio will whisk you into town in their Bentley, so neither is inconvenient.
I guess the hotels’ main differentiating feature is that the Aurelio is a boutique and the smaller hotel of the two. The Aurelio has a more modern style and is not desperately alpine. The Schneider is slightly more traditional-modern, with an Alpine feel and a darker, more atmospheric candlelit bar area. I would say the Aurelio is like an Aman, whereas the Almhof Schneider is an even better version of the very best Four Seasons hotel in the world.
There’s no winner here. Neither is the best. They are both Fantastic. I recommend staying in both!
3. Four Seasons Whistler, Canada
My next top pick is in Canada, the Four Seasons Whistler. The brilliant ski resort of Whistler is conveniently located just an hour and a half away from the international destination of Vancouver. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay in Whistler’s two best luxury hotels on numerous occasions, and you cannot go wrong with either hotel. They both offer a five-star experience and are both nestled at the base of Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, framed by evergreen forests.
We have discussed the best luxury hotel in Whistler, Four Seasons Vs. Fairmont Cheateau in more detail separately. The Four Seasons is the most luxurious of these two hotels, but the Fairmont Chateau Whistler has the advantage of the Gold club level.
The rooms at the Four Seasons Whistler are stunning and have been recently renovated with a newly updated take on the classic mountain lodge. Renovations were completed in the fall of 2019, and all 273 rooms and suites have been newly refurbished.
Rooms combine elements of the classic lodge, paying homage to the nostalgia of winter chalets while looking forward to new memories to be made. Clean, mid-century-inspired furnishings are featured prominently. Sleek, iron-frame leather chairs and ashwood credenzas are contrasted with warm, raw-edged coffee tables. Foregoing more traditional bed frames, beds are complemented with plush wallcovering in a rustic yet refined woven textile.
Each room at Four Seasons Resort Whistler features a balcony where guests can seize every moment of the outdoors. Inside, the view is highlighted with expansive windows opening up to forest-lined mountain vistas, a view that can be taken in perched on the window seats in each room.
This stunning setting luxuriates through unfussy details such as floating brass bedside light fixtures and sculptural ceiling light features, allowing the mountains’ grandeur to be center stage. Modern granite fireplaces in every room at Four Seasons Resort Whistler mean guests can cozy up fireside long after the sun goes down.
Even the base “Premier Room” at the Four Seasons is huge at 53.8 (m2) 580 (ft²). This lowest-category room at the Four Seasons also features both a fireplace and a balcony. The Four Seasons offers 50 mL sized bottles of L’Occitane products in their bathrooms, one of my favorite amenity brands. 50ml is large, and they smell delicious.
Four Seasons hotel beds are fabulous across the brand and almost guarantee a good night’s sleep. Book a room facing the mountains and forest, and you will not find a quieter hotel room in the world.
The Four Seasons is about a 5-minute walk away from the base of Blackcomb Mountain, which is a real pain in ski boots. Instead of walking, you’ll probably take the very regular Four Seasons complimentary shuttle from the entrance of the hotel to the entrance of the ski room. Their heated and stylish Four Seasons ski room has complimentary hot chocolate cookies, apple cider, and boot heaters, along with a member of staff to help you store your skis and boots. From the ski room, you step straight onto the slopes.
Worth noting is that the Four Seasons ski concierge staff are amazing and will do everything for you, from helping you to get your boots on and off to carrying your skis out to the snow. The concierge even delivers your skis from your room or car to the ski room, dries them, and heats your boots before you put them on again! They offer true ski luxury.
The Four Seasons Whistler pool is heated and offers panoramic vistas of Whistler and the Blackcomb Mountains. In the winter, it’s so warm that the steam rises from the pool as the snow falls, so you will be swimming through a cloud of warmth as the warm, humid air from the pool hits the cold mountain air.
I love that the Four Seasons pool deck is heated (underfloor), too, so you don’t have to run from the indoors to the pool like an idiot to avoid frozen toes (this also avoids any icy slippiness). There’s little better than swimming in a warm pool or sitting in a hot tub with snow falling onto your hair.
There are also three therapeutic hot spring-style whirlpools along with a fully equipped gym that comes complete with personal trainers. In the summer, you get all mod cons that typify and Four Seasons pool, including Sunglasses cleaning, daily treats, complimentary sunscreen and aloe gel, complimentary amenity every hour, Evian spritz, cold towels, and cooling cucumber eye slices.
Four Seasons Whistler is extremely kid-friendly (and is also pet-friendly in certain rooms). Four Seasons hotels are always a brilliant choice if you are traveling with children. The restaurants at the Four Seasons Whistler have kids and teen menus. Rooms offer children’s bathrobes and slippers and babysitting services. There’s also a children’s program offering evening entertainment. The resort offers fantastic winter and summer programs, providing loads to do for kids of all ages.
The most exclusive accommodation at the Four Seasons is the Private Residences. Perfect for family holidays in Whistler. Set apart from the main hotel, the Residences are beautifully designed and decorated, with views of the surrounding forest, valley, or mountains from private furnished terraces accessed by enormous French windows. They feature kitchens, spacious living areas, state-of-the-art home entertainment systems, and pampering bathrooms with deep-soak tubs.
Four Seasons has a daily free wine tasting, and if that doesn’t win you over, you can also enjoy excellent food at this Four Seasons in an atmospheric setting. The Four Seasons Whistler’s main restaurant is Fifty Two 80 Bistro, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers fabulous views of the surrounding mountains. The Four Seasons Sidecut is a sleek steakhouse featuring an open fireplace and a 1,800-degree infrared grill that cooks Canadian prime beef to juicy perfection. Right outside is the heated patio, which has its own fireplace where kids (and kids at heart) roast marshmallows after dinner. For après cocktails and live music, guests stop at the swanky Fifty Two 80 lounge.
The decor is beautiful throughout this Four Seasons hotel. The bar and restaurant are atmospheric and romantic. The staff are superb with kids, and there are lots of clubs and amenities. Four Seasons Whistler ticks all the boxes and is the best luxury hotel in Whistler.
4. Fairmont Chateau Whistler
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is the second-best ski hotel in Whistler but is included in our listing as it has the best club lounge of any ski hotel, so if you like a hotel with a club lounge, this is your very best ski hotel choice.
Fairmont Chateau Whistler has recently been concentrating on renovating its Suites. They have been installing fireplaces (perfect for those cozy winter months), modern spa bathrooms with soaker tubs, and updated modern alpine decor. Plus, there’s now a generous built-in wet bar in the larger suites.
The rooms at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler are less impressive. They are more generic 5-Star. Most have decent-sized windows, but few are floor-to-ceiling. The majority of rooms don’t have balconies, which is a real disadvantage. The ones with a balcony only offer Romeo and Juliette style, so you can’t step out or sit out. There’s nothing like swinging open your balcony doors to take in the summer air or stepping out barefoot onto a balcony covered in snow as the flakes are falling, only to return immediately to the warmth of your room so you can cozy up at your own private fireplace. For this joy, you have to pick the Four Seasons Whistler, I’m afraid.
The standard rooms at the Fairmont face backward, towards the car park rather than over the pool and the slopes. While they remain luxury rooms with 37m2 of space, they are nothing special, and if you are a luxury traveler, you may be disappointed if you get a car park view. If you want a fireplace in your room, it’s only the suites at the Fairmont that offer fireplaces.
The Fairmont offers small 40 mL bottles of Le Labo Rose 31 bath amenities in their bathrooms, which is standard for the Fairmont brand. These amenities smell nice but are not my favorites.
The big advantage of the Fairmont is that it’s located at Blackcomb Mountain’s base by the Wizard Express ski lift. This means you walk out of the hotel and onto the slopes. They have a ski concierge room to store your skis/boards/boots overnight, so you don’t have to carry everything back to the hotel. In this ski concierge room, there is sometimes hot chocolate available, too.
The Fairmont pool is heated and is much larger than the Four Seasons, and although it has an indoor and outdoor section, it feels more traditional in design and lacks the boutique feel and interesting design of the pool at the Four Seasons. That said, it’s still a magical place to swim, and you can warm up in the hot tubs that surround the pool.
The other big advantage of the Fairmont is that it offers a club lounge, which you can access by booking their Gold rooms. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Gold floor accommodations offer jetted tubs and gas fireplaces in every room, along with upgraded hotel amenities and Bose sound systems. This means that the Fairmont Whistler offers something that most ski hotels don’t have. There are very few ski hotels with club lounges.
The Fairmont Gold accommodations are located on the 9-12th Floor, with some Fairmont Gold rooms on the 8th floor. Privileges include:
- Private check-in and check-out
- Exclusive Fairmont Gold Lounge for Fairmont Gold guests
- Deluxe Continental Breakfast in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- All day coffee & tea service in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- Afternoon canapés & honour bar in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- Complimentary newspapers and personalized wake-up calls
- Fairmont Gold privileges include exclusive access to the Fairmont Gold Lounge. Relax fireside while enjoying complimentary Deluxe Continental Breakfast, local newspapers, and magazines, catching up on email with our complimentary laptop computer, or simply unwinding after a day on Whistler Mountain
The Fairmont also has lounges and restaurants, but the overall feel is less intimate and more traditional than the Four Seasons. While the Fairmont is undoubtedly one of the best ski hotels in the world, the Four Seasons up the road is just that little bit better!
5. Schlosshotel Fiss
If you are skiing with your family and you have kids, you would be crazy not to try Schlosshotel Fiss. This luxury ski-in-ski-out ski hotel sits directly on the slopes of Fiss. It is, without any doubt, the best luxury family ski hotel in the world.
It has a lift that elevates you directly from the hotel ski shop (part of the hotel) right onto the slopes. The hotel is perfect for adults but offers an insane amount of fun for the kids too.
Schlosshotel Fiss is located at 1,436m altitude in the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis region of the Western Tyrol. It’s a 1-hour drive from Innsbruck or 2.5 hours from Munich or Bolzano. The nearest train station is in Landeck, a 30-minute transfer away.
The arrival is spectacular. An alpine road winds its way up the side of the steep mountain leading to Fiss. The hotel has a modern alpine feel. The lobby has lots of pines and stonework and leads to the bar area, a mass of candles, and stylish alpine furniture.
Much like a Four Seasons hotel but more individual, the entire area is immaculate. Beyond the bar area is a sun-dappled terrace and a further lounge with a roaring fire where you can enjoy an extravagant afternoon food buffet included in the room rate.
All the rooms at Schlosshotel Fiss are extremely stylish and modern whilst retaining their alpine heart. Rooms are immaculate, large, and recently refurbished, with exquisite furnishings and flint-colored tiling in the bathrooms. Pinewood floors, doors & cupboards are offset by white sheets and cream rugs. Expect enormous baths, walk-in showers, and a separate toilet in the bathroom. Outside, there are balconies with seats, a table, and a lounger offering dramatic mountain views.
On the slopes, this region has invested massively in a huge array of fun things for the kids to do. Wigwams, American Western-style villages, dragons breathing smoke, and monsters in caves are all hidden on the slopes. Even the magic carpet ski lift has animated Cinderella characters trying on shoes and depicting other fairytale scenes as you are transported past. This is a mini Disneyland in the snow for the kids (and the young at heart).
Off the slopes, the Schlosshotel Fiss doesn’t disappoint either, for the adults and the kids. The absolute highlight for kids at Schlosshotel Fiss is their “Splash Zone” waterslide pool, where children can get a thrill from whizzing down an enormous curly slide, complete with flashing lights and powerful jets of water. Even little kids are catered for in the Splash Zone with a babies’ pool, a shallow puddle full of toys, and fountains.
The beauty of the pool area is that the Splash Zone is a sealed-off pool next door to the quieter and more sophisticated adult infinity pool. The infinity pool area is extravagant and peaceful, the best I’ve seen in the alpine mountains. Inside the pool area are numerous comfy loungers to relax on, and the room and pool are deliciously warm. Beyond the pool, the facilities are almost endless, with an enormous spa area offering treatments, an adults’ relaxation area, and a sauna area along with a family relaxation area and sauna.
The food is also brilliant at Schlosshotel Fiss. Breakfast is lavish with everything you could wish for, from salads and fruits to pastries and muffins to cereals, sushi to juices, including numerous multivitamin options. There is an exclusive egg chef who will do your eggs as you wish, and of course, being a luxury hotel, there is plenty of champagne for breakfast if you want to start the day with a glass.
The afternoon buffet is also generous and almost rude in volume, with vats of delicious homemade pasta, pizza, salads, trays of hot and cold meats, and the deserts… apple strudel, a million chocolate, and black forest gateau type cakes, custards (both vanilla and chocolate) and every soft drink you can think of.
There’s a large and stylish bar area for pre and post-dinner drinks in the evening, decked out with candles. Bar prices for a luxury hotel are surprisingly low, with a bottle of Heineken coming in at just €4 EUR, and if you like wine, there is a complimentary wine tasting most evenings. Another nice feature is the live music in the hotel bar most evenings.
The restaurant deservedly has two stars, 78 points, and two bottles in Austria à la carte 2009 gourmet guide. The hotel itself is a TripAdvisor Travellers Choice winner from 2017, although I can’t imagine why it doesn’t win every year.
Schlosshotel Fiss is definitely a five-star luxury hotel. I can’t imagine there is a hotel in the Alps that does more to amuse children, with the “Splash Zone”, their own food buffet, a kids’ club, a cinema room, a teens’ area with a pool table, and a bunch of consoles for playing computer games. The dining is fantastic for the entire family. The staff are welcoming, efficient, and kind. With the lift that takes you directly to the ski slope, ski hotels don’t get better than this.
6. Four Seasons Resort, Megève, French Alps
Situated in Megève in the French Alps, the Four Seasons Megeve is the only hotel located on the slopes of Mont d’Arbois, five minutes from the village center. It is the latest addition to one of the most beautiful ski resorts in Europe.
Megève is superbly pretty but low-lying, so be careful when you book. This is not a ski resort you want to visit in November or April as you are unlikely to find brilliant conditions, much like the expensive but lovely Gstaad. However, Megeve does have direct access to more than 400 km of ski slopes.
This Four Seasons Resort, Megève is the first to offer a Ski Valet and Ski Concierge service and Ski Safaris by helicopter, to allow skiers to discover more ski areas. A host of winter outdoor activities are available near the hotel, from snowboarding, dog sledding, rock climbing, and ice sports such as hockey, skating, and curling.
7. The Lodge, Verbier, France
Sir Richard Branson’s Alpine retreat, The Lodge, is a nine-bedroom year-round mountain hideaway with an additional bunk room that sleeps up to six children. The Lodge is situated in Verbier, and the mountain’s main lift is very close, with the town of Verbier only a ten-minute walk away. The Marriott Bonvoy competitor in Verbier is W Verbier a brilliant ski resort.
The Lodge is part of the Virgin Limited Edition Collection and is decorated with a mix of modern and rustic alpine décor, clad in a cream and Swiss-chocolate color motif.
Back at The Lodge, there’s no shortage of things to do — bask in the indoor swimming pool, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, steam room, and spa, or enjoy the party room with its plasma-screen television and games console. Summer outdoor activities include mountain biking and hiking. Come winter, enjoy some of the most acclaimed skiing in the world.
8. Amangani, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Amangani (which means “peaceful home”) is Amanresorts’ first North American resort. Nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, the resort overlooks meadows and grazing land. Across the valley is Teton Pass, which divides the Snake River Range from the snow-capped Tetons. Fitting seamlessly into its Wild West surroundings, the resort is a vision in sandstone columns and floor-to-ceiling windows, with views of the Teton Mountains.
The 40-suite, three-story resort is set on the cliff edge of a butte. Its roof, crafted of cedar shakes, flows like a natural outcropping. Amangani makes extensive use of Oklahoma sandstone and Pacific redwood. Douglas fir and cedar also lend shape and style to the resort. A soaring ceiling and a wide, two-story window with stunning mountain views open up from the lobby.
Amangani offers 29 Suites, 5 Deluxe Suites, 2 Amangani Suites, 1 Shoshone Suite, 1 Sena Suite, 1 Spring Gulch, and the Grand Teton Suite. These suites include a bedroom/living room and a spacious bathroom/dressing room. The living area consists of a king-size platform bed and a gas-lit fireplace. Furnishings include a redwood-frame day bed for lounging, a black resin-and-terrazzo dining table, woven cowhide chairs in faux wolf fabric, and a pine-stump table. The suites also offer a mini-bar, a CD player, a TV/DVD, and a two-line phone with a data plug-in, as well as complimentary Wi-Fi. Living-area walls are decorated with back-lit cedar planks.
Sliding glass doors lead to a deck with mountain and valley views. A deep soaking tub with a window view highlights the large bathroom/dressing area, and the twin vanities and shower room are trimmed in slate. Double dressing areas include a full-length mirror and drawers, shelves, and open closet space for two. The floor is of clear-heart redwood.
The Grill, a 65-seat dining room, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A wood-burning fireplace, redwood-paneled walls and ceiling, specially commissioned artwork, and window views to the mountains lend a mood of stylish comfort. The Grill specializes in creative American cuisine, including steaks, chops, seafood, and regionally produced organic foods. Private dinners and receptions are arranged in the special-occasion room adjacent to the library, and picnic lunches are available.
Amangani’s Health Center offers two exercise studios, four treatment rooms, and separate steam rooms for men and women. The gym, which faces the exercise salon, is equipped with three StairMasters, two recumbent bikes, one treadmill, one flexible bench, a variety of free weights, and a five-way workstation. With a winter water temperature of about 86°F, the swimming pool can be enjoyed year-round. Additionally, outdoor activities are all but unlimited year-round.
9. The St. Regis Aspen Resort
The St. Regis Aspen Resort is nestled at the base of Aspen Mountain, just a block from the Cooper Avenue and Mill Street pedestrian malls and two blocks from the Silver Queen ski gondola. This hotel also features in our best Marriott Bonvoy ski hotels.
After an adventurous day of skiing or hiking, treat yourself to an oxygen-infused facial and enjoy the elaborate amenities of Remède Spa, like the oxygen lounge, steam caves, cold plunges, hot tubs, fitness center, and the Confluence waterfall. Indulge in one of the resort’s three food and beverage offerings, including the Velvet Buck, the hotel’s signature restaurant featuring modern mountain cuisine; Chefs Club; and Mountain Social Cocktail Bar & Lounge.
The hotel has 179 guestrooms, and room amenities include a fully stocked honor bar, marble bathroom with double vanities, free-standing soaking tubs, walk-in showers, hairdryer, personal wall safe, 42-inch flat-screen color television, Bose Wave CD player with AM/FM radio alarm clock, terry bathrobes and slippers, three telephones phone lines, complimentary Wi-Fi, and complimentary NORDAQ Freshwater.
10. Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Arosa, Switzerland
The Grand Hotel Tschuggen is located in the small mountain town of Arosa, Graubünden in the East of Switzerland. It is a region that also includes the world-renowned resorts of Davos and St. Moritz. When heading to the mountain resorts of Graubünden, all trains lead to Chur (pronounced Kur), so this is a great way to arrive, and there are always plenty of folks heading for connecting services carrying skis and snowboards.
The charming Rättische Bahn train winds steadily climbing back and forth around the mountains’ contours to get you to Arosa. The views from the Langwieser Viaduct are fantastic, and, as you’d expect in Switzerland, the journey is a procession through an endless string of quaint little alpine villages. The station at Arosa is reached in around an hour from Chur, and the hotel’s Mercedes S class will pick you up. This is a courtesy extended to all guests staying at Tschuggen Grand Hotel, and it is repeated on departure at no additional cost.
Although externally, the hotel’s main building is a typical example of the clean-lined, modest (or bland, depending on your taste) modern Swiss architecture, the Bergoase Spa built into the mountainside is simply stunning, especially at night when the huge sail-shaped windows that adorn the roof are backlit in shades of blue. It is the only hotel-based sports facility ever to receive an architectural award from the International Olympic Committee, being awarded silver in 2009, the year the Bird’s Nest in Beijing took Gold. Inside, though, is another world. This hotel is a veritable museum of fine finishing and interior design.
Within the hotel, every surface has some special finish. There’s a lot of Italian leather, even covering walls in places, and the standard of fixtures and fittings extends throughout the hotel, with each floor having a color theme.
Each guest room is unique, and even the ceilings are works of fine finishing of the highest quality. At first, we were a little taken aback at having a green ceiling, but it grew on us and is certainly more interesting than the usual bland white or magnolia. It is impossible not to be impressed by Switzerland’s level of cleanliness, but the Tschuggen Grand Hotel excels even by local standards.
We stayed in a deluxe room with a view, and what a view. Looking out at Lenzerhorn from our spacious balcony, with the early morning sun greeting the peaks as the first few skiers break in the freshly raked pistes, is an exciting and heart-warming sight. The bathrooms are generously proportioned and finished in granite, which looks new. The showers are fantastic, easily large enough for two with tons of pressure, and capable of being steaming hot.
The main pool is fabulously warm (about 36C) and has indoor and outdoor sections. The outdoor part has lovely views of the alps. Adjacent to the indoor section is a deeper pool suitable for swimming lengths, kept somewhat cooler. Then, there are two plunge pools in a mirror image of each other. One is toasty, the other icy cold. In between is an experience shower that can simulate thunderstorms, complete with sound effects and lighting. Suffice to say that this is a hotel where you will enjoy yourself enormously.
The hotel’s star attraction is, in fact, its wellness areas, one of the most impressive in Europe. The architects used white granite, Canadian maple, glass sails, and connecting bridges to create a 4 story wellness area that blends in well with its stellar surroundings, so don’t just come here for ski, come here for the wellness too, and you will not be disappointed.
You can read our full reviews of these hotels Below.
Top 10 Best Luxury Ski Hotels In The World
Review Of Almhof Schneider In Lech
Lech is one of my favorite ski destinations in the Alps. I have to admit that I was originally attracted to this snowsure resort when I found out that it used to be a favorite of Princess Diana. If it is good enough for the Royals, then it is good enough for me! I am now on my 5th trip to this picture-perfect little alpine village, and each time I return, I find something new to delight me and keep me coming back for more. There are so many things I love about Lech. The cute chalets (ugly buildings simply aren't allowed here!). The alpine river rushing through the center.
Review Of The Luxury Ski Hotel Aurelio in Lech
If you are in doubt of the level of luxury and comfort you are going to experience as your taxi weaves its way up the back roads of Lech towards hotel Aurelio, perhaps the bright yellow, mobile Veuve Clicquot champagne bar in the front garden will put your mind at rest? Sitting in the style of a burger stand, but instead, serving the highest quality champagne, this is a clear indication of the luxury that awaits. The look of the hotel mixes the contemporary with the alpine lodge.
Hotel Review: Four Seasons Whistler, Canada
We have reviewed the best Four Seasons hotels in North America, which includes the stunning Four Seasons Whistler in the rocky mountains in Canada. The Four Seasons Whistler is also one of the best Four Seasons Ski Resorts in the world. I have stayed there many times since its opening in 2004. The fact that it is almost ski in, ski out (see details of their ski concierge below) and that it has a glorious year-round, fully heated 23-meter outdoor pool along with the views out to the stunning rocky mountain scenery means that it is a great choice for a vacation.
Best Luxury Hotel In Whistler: Four Seasons Vs Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Four Seasons Whistler and Fairmont Chateau Whistler are the best luxury hotels in Whistler. Whether you are staying in winter for skiing or in the summer to take in the mountain air and bike or hike outdoors, whether you are traveling with your family or on a romantic couples break, you need to know which luxury hotel is the best: Four Seasons Vs. Fairmont in Whistler. Whistler is conveniently located just an hour and a half away from the international destination of Vancouver.
Picture Review Of The New Four Seasons Ski Hotel In Europe
It is now open! The first and brand new Four Seasons Ski Hotel in Europe. But what is it really like in this ultra-luxury chalet? Situated in Megève in the French Alps, this is the only hotel located on the slopes of Mont d'Arbois, five minutes from the village centre and is the latest addition to one of the most beautiful ski resorts in Europe. It opened on December 15th and will remain open until April 15th. It then re-opens in the summer from June 1st to September 30th.
Review: Grand Hotel Tschuggen
The Grand Hotel Tschuggen is located in the small mountain town of Arosa, Graubünden in the East of Switzerland. It is a region that includes the world-renowned Davos and St. Moritz resorts. With that kind of competition, we were keen to find out how this hotel would stack up. So we packed our salopettes and goggles and headed off by train to find out. The railway system in Switzerland is a dream to use. Everything runs on time, and though carriages can be full at peak times, they never oversell the train, so there is no prospect of standing even in second class.
Photo above from the Schlosshotel Fiss, one of the best luxury ski hotels in Austria.
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