Not so long ago holidaying in the Alps meant staying in 1970s-style pine cabins. Today a new generation of luxury ski retreats is redefining the landscape with a mix of thoughtful interior design, cutting-edge wellness facilities, field-to-fork gastronomy and rarefied experiences that make a spell in the mountains far more than just red runs and après-ski. Here are six of the finest.
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Cervo, Zermatt, Switzerland
Cervo in Zermatt, Switzerland, has views of the Matterhorn
When Cervo reopened in 2020 following a complete revamp, it set a new standard of lifestyle-led luxury in one of Switzerland’s premier ski towns. Its name — Italian for deer — reflects the retreat’s nature-first ethos, through materials, design elements and emphasis on locally sourced ingredients.
Perched above the centre of Zermatt, the ski-in/ski-out resort was designed by the leading German interiors firm Dreimeta and has 54 rooms across three distinct categories — Nomad, Alpinist and Huntsman — alongside serviced private apartments. All have personal touches such as a bespoke bar cabinet containing a vegetable peeler, chopping board and cutlery to prepare your own snacks in the Swiss Alpine tradition.
Alpinist rooms have a minibar and a sitting corner
There are three dining options: the Michelin-listed Madre Nostra, serving elevated Italian food; Bazaar, a vegetarian-first restaurant inspired by the flavours of the Silk Road; and Ferdinand, which offers refined Swiss plates.
Dine at Ferdinand for refined Swiss platesChristian Pfammatter; Visp/Schweiz
Meanwhile, the Atman Mountain Spa offers a global menu of treatments that include Bhutanese, Japanese and Nordic traditions, with sound therapy, sauna immersions and an outdoor onsen with glorious views of the Matterhorn in which to wind down after a day on the slopes.
B&B doubles from £1,170; cervo.swiss/en
Ancora, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
A terrace in one of the suites at the Ancora in Cortina d’Ampezzo
Once the grande dame establishment of glitzy Cortina, the Ancora — a member of the Leading Hotels of the World — was reimagined in time for the recent Winter Olympics by the former Soho House design director Vicky Charles and the fashion mogul Renzo Russo. The result is The Grand Budapest Hotel meets House of Gucci, with quirky, contemporary interiors that tip a brim to the hotel’s heritage.
An Executive Suite at the Ancora
The 38 mountain-view rooms are split into seven categories, each defined by their individually curated objects, materials and furnishings. The regional food of the Dolomites informs the culinary offering. For those seeking relief from post-ski sore muscles, there’s a new spa with a hammam, a Turkish bath and cryotherapy. And the hotel’s Club Brave is a focal point of Cortina’s social scene.
B&B doubles from £679; ancoracortina.com
Rosewood Courchevel, Savoie, France
The Rosewood Courchevel
The Rosewood Hotel Group has been a standard-bearer of luxury in the urban hotel scene for years and now it’s bringing its polished brand to the world’s largest ski area, Les Trois Vallées, in Courchevel 1850. Recasting the traditional chalet in a modern light, the building combines Swiss quartzite, regional wood and copper architectural features.
A Courchevel House bedroom
It offers 51 suites and three houses, the Jardin Alpin being the largest with four bedrooms. The Asaya Spa offers treatments ranging from a signature Deep Alpine massage to an Oxylight 3D Radiance Ceremony to brighten the complexion. The hotel’s showpiece restaurant, Salto, offers both Savoyard favourites alongside seafood platters and freshly grilled meats. A highlight is the personal ski concierge service that can take guests across Les Trois Vallées for bespoke experiences, from tours to view the sunrise over Mont Blanc to shopping jaunts.
B&B doubles from £2,527; rosewoodhotels.com/en/courchevel
Zaborin, Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
Zaborin in Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan, has views of Mount Yotei
Located in Niseko, Hokkaido’s premier ski destination, the Zaborin is a contemporary ryokan with just 15 villas set among landscaped gardens, trees and courtyards designed by the Japanese architect Makoto Nakayama. Dinner is a polished, multicourse kita-kaiseki affair, or omakase, where the chef chooses for you, with locally caught fish, Japanese beef and seasonal produce immaculately plated by the renowned Hokkaido-born chef Yoshihero Seno. There’s also a traditional tea ceremony room.
You can choose between Japanese or western-style sleeping arrangements at Zaborin
Each villa has either western or Japanese tatami beds, and two onsens — one indoor and one outdoor — in which to bathe in the region’s healing volcanic waters while soaking up the views of Mount Yotei. There isn’t an overly elaborate offering of activities or spa treatments as the mantra here is to “sit and forget in the forest”, which is the meaning of Zaborin.
Half-board doubles from £380; zaborin.com/en/the-ryokan/
Eleven Revelstoke Lodge, British Columbia, Canada
Eleven Revelstoke Lodge, British Columbia, Canada
For those who like their powder sports with a side of adrenaline, Eleven Revelstoke Lodge in British Columbia will sate the appetite of even the most demanding thrill-seeker. Reopened in 2025 after an extensive refurbishment, the lodge remains one of the most celebrated heli-skiing addresses in the world — and one of the most unassuming, with just three double-floor mezzanine suites and nine king bedrooms.
A living room at Eleven Revelstoke LodgeJanis Spurdzins
This is the birthplace of heli-skiing and a stay here means access via chopper to the unspoilt wilderness of British Columbia. Alongside bespoke heli-skiing experiences across 3,000 acres of exclusive terrain, you can also try dog sledding, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. There’s a rooftop bar and hot tub, and a private underground speakeasy in which to power down after a day of high-octane activities.
From £9,739 plus tax for one to three guests, full-board, and £18,400 for four to eight, including guided heli-skiing; elevenexperience.com
White Elephant Aspen, Colorado, USA
Aspen has been a high-end ski destination for decades and the town’s layout and location in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains offers a compelling blend of the bucolic and the urban. The newest addition to its hospitality scene is the White Elephant Aspen, with its distinctive mix of modernism, rustic charm and original artwork. It has 54 rooms, ranging from doubles to the 1,550 sq ft, three-bedroom Ajax Penthouse, which has its own kitchen and a mountain-view terrace with a fire pit.
A room with a view at the White Elephant Aspen
The lobby at the White Elephant Aspen
The global bistro restaurant Lola 41° — a firm favourite at sister properties in Nantucket and Palm Beach — serves seafood and sushi inspired by destinations located on the 41st parallel.
The White Elephant’s position on Main Street offers easy access to Michelin-starred restaurants and Aspen’s retail establishments, while winter activities beyond the slopes include fly fishing at Roaring Fork River and snowmobiling. In addition to the in-house spa, guests have access to the nearby Base State Longevity studio, which offers IV drips, red-light therapy and hyperbaric chamber sessions.
B&B doubles from £1,500; whiteelephantaspen.com