Without wishing to brag I’ve stayed in a lot of ski accommodation over the years. From a mildewed Pierre et Vacance studio apartment for 6 in Pas de la Casa to the dodgiest of chalet hotels in Courchevel 1850, The Isba. Back in the mid nineties I can recall The Isba having wires hanging out of the walls but we didn’t care, it was just a least cost option to ski a great ski area. Since getting older and balder I must confess I do like a nice lodging option, so I ‘ve compiled this list of some great hotels I have stayed in. The list isn’t exhaustive or in any particular order, it’s just a list. I’m sure in the coming months and or years I will feature some more great hotels I’ve stayed in. Anyway, enough of the waffle, let’s pole plant and kick off down the piste.
- Hotel Col Alto, Corvara. What a hotel this place is, owner managed by Stefano and Lucia Pezzei this is a truly family run hotel that gets everything right. It has the style and facilities of a 4 star hotel mixed with the highly efficient and dedicated service of the staff whilst retaining a perfectly relaxing atmosphere. The hotel exudes an infusion of rustic charm and alpine chic where woods and slates harmonise perfectly with luxurious haberdashery and furnishings. The spa area is one of the best I have ever visited and in reality I am amazed that this hotel isn’t a 4 star superior. Once some of the more traditionally styled rooms have been upgraded it will certainly be knocking on the door of 4 star plus or 5 star status. The cuisine is sublime and nothing is too much for the experienced and attentive waiters. Being ski-in and just 400m from the nearest main lift may deter some who want that truly ski-in-ski-out experience but let me assure you the complimentary minibus to the lifts operates every 5 minutes and you never have to wait. The driver even takes your skis from the boot room and puts them in the minibus ski rack for you. My kids who have skied all over the world say this is their favourite hotel, it’s relaxed and informal but is spot on for today’s skiers and their every need.
- Hotel Alliey, Monetier, Serre Chevalier. Down a higgledy-piggledy side street sandwiched between an aged local’s terraced house and a snack bar sits this diamond in the rough. It is just a short walk from the ski lifts and the outdoor thermal spring baths of Monetier. Don’t expect big bedrooms or spacious bar areas, this hotel is a cosy hideaway of ambiance, atmosphere, and bonhomie. The welcome is warm and the food is excellent. The spa to the rear of the hotel includes indoor and outdoor pool areas, a hammam plus treatment rooms. This isn’t a place for the flash or the jet set but this is a place where guests surreptitiously give each other the knowing nod of smugness; The Alliey is a 3 star hotel with a 4 star punch.
3. The Fairmont Chateau, Whistler. In prime position at the foot of Blackcomb mountain’s slopes and lifts sits this 5 star Baronial castle-hotel. The chateau is an enormous property of longstanding popularity and reputation and one of the original hotels built during Whistler’s main conception. The outdoor rooftop pool area overlooks the slopes and provides a super recreational facility to unwind after a hard day’s skiing. The ski concierge at the Chateau happily carry your skis from the boot room and place them adjacent to one another in the snow for you to just click your boots into…oh such hardship. Rooms are all generously proportioned from the entry level run of house rooms to fantastic multi-bedroom suites, not to mention the hotel’s own exclusive “Club Fairmont floor” with dedicated bar, breakfast room, and concierge. What’s more, being a North American hotel you can wear your ski boots inside; happy days.
- Raffl’s Tyrolhotel, St Anton. Everything the Raffl family do they do well and the Tyrolhotel is no exception. The hotel is bright and airy and funky and fun, it’s vibrancy cannot fail to lift your spirits from the moment you walk in. Furnishings incorporate a modern twist on the alpine charm with a slow meander through a Persian spice bazaar. Wools and silks are appliqued with hues of okra, pomegranate, aubergine, and saffron. I just love this hotel and actually prefer it to its big-sister hotel, the 5 star St Antonerhof. The truth is that some of the 4 star hotels in St Anton have been dining out on past glory but are now looking tired whereas the Tyrolhotel takes 4 stars to another level. Being excellently placed for the notorious nightlife of St Anton and the slopes this is a great choice for any young at heart skier.
- Club Med, Pragelatto. Club Med is great, but sometimes it can feel like a cruise ship run aground on the snow, however, Pradge, as it is affectionately known as, is very different. Pragelatto is set out like a mini Centre Parcs in the snow; it is a gated and patrolled village with cobbled streets linking the various chalet buildings and electric golf buggies whisking guests from A to B, not that anywhere is far to walk. The hotel is ski-in-lift-out with the ski school meeting point outside the boot room. Staff are attentive but informal, in fact, very jovial. Rooms are extremely well proportioned and many are duplex with multi sleeping areas making this ideal for families. The kids clubs are located away from other areas so you don’t feel like you are sitting in a crèche when at the bar or pool. There is a choice of 3 hotel restaurants plus 2 further eateries on the ski slopes. For an all-inclusive experience the food and service is much better than you would get the vast majority of other hotel chains. Value for money this is one of the best 4 star ski experiences you could imagine, so much so I have stayed here 4 times in total and I will be back again soon.
- Huber’s Boutique Hotel, Mayrhofen. This informal 4 star boutique hotel is a very short walk from the main lift station in Mayrhofen and being family owned has a great friendly atmosphere. Mayrhofen can be quite an apres ski resort so the location of this hotel tucked just over the river is ideal for access and tranquility alike. The recently installed outdoor heated pool is an added bonus to the existing indoor spa facilities and relaxation area. Rooms are all sizeable and most very modern and sleek in design. The entry level rooms are very pleasant and decorated in the older “Laura Ashley country house” design. The cuisine is of the highest quality with Head Chef Klemens Huber, the owners’ son, having worked in some of the world’s best restaurants. This hotel is great for short breaks with Mayrhofen being so close to both Innsbruck and Munich you can expect a swift journey experience from the UK.
- Le Portetta, Courchevel 1650. There are higher class hotels in Courchevel, however, that isn’t the point is it? A hotel is all about connection and experience not just bling and show; this is where the Portetta scores.i find this hotel relaxing, charming, and with a super-friendly team on hand to assist when required. I also love 1650, know rebranded back to Courchevel Moriond, it’s much quieter on the pistes than 1850 and the off piste is perfectly suited here to my requirements. There are a few bards, live music and the usual cheesy ski nightclub. The Portetta is perfectly positioned in the horseshoe of the font des neiges overlooking the slopes, ski school meeting points, snow garden, and the main lift stations. The hotel is modern and modestly luxurious with staff offering the highest attention to detail. Rooms are tighter than one would expect in Austria but this is Courchevel, where real estate is the most expensive in the ski world, in Courchevel 1850 you can easily pay £10,000 for a room for a week and then some. A stay at the Portetta is always a privilege.
- Hotel Trofanna Royal, Ischgl. When I first stayed in this 5 star residence I was totally blown away. In the Michelin starred restaurant staff and diners alike presented me with a cake and sang happy birthday to me……………I took a bow whilst dying inside. The hotel is opulent and the spa areas are truly amazing. I am not sure how many beers I have consumed in the outdoor salt water grotto and hot tubs but seriously it’s quite a few. On one occasion my friend literally crawled into the hotel on all fours at 3 am and the concierge carried him to our room, undressed him, and tucked him. I don’t think he read him a good night story but then i was in an alcohol induced coma at the time. The following morning my fellow skier was greeted with a cheeky wink by said concierege.……and that is God’s honest truth. The adjoining sound proofed apres ski bar, The Trofana Alm , is full on Austrian revelry as is the hotel’s own subterranean nightclub. Don’t get me wrong though, this is still a quiet family run hotel for discerning clients. I’d go back in a heartbeat if only finances permitted, yes I shall lament Brexit.
- Hotel Au Charmant Petit Lac, Champoluc. With its newly appointed 5 star status this amazing eco hotel has hardly had the chance to shine owing to Covid-19. Luckily I was able to stay here just before lock-down. Back then under its 4 star status I fell in love with this mountain retreat. The hotel is constructed from 100% renewable resources. Floor to ceiling picture windows look out onto the hotel’s lake, wooden cladding adorns the walls of the double heighted lounge, natural fabrics are in abundance to harmonise that feeling of being with nature. The bedrooms are all sizeable and the whole hotel gives a tremendous feeling of relaxation and solitude. I will always have a special place in my heart for Champoluc and especially for the CPL. using abstract adjectives would include fresh cut grass, sea spray, perichor, mountain dew…..ooh I’m going all Sylvia Plath or is it Emily Dickinson? Next.
- Hotel Muhle, Obergurgl. This stunning 4 star superior hotel sits on the outskirts of Obergurgl equidistant to the Festkoglgahn and Hochgurglbahn I lifts. The free and uncrowded ski-bus stops outside the hotel every few minutes and the journey time to any lifts of the lifts and town centre takes no more than 3-4 minutes. The hotel also has a dedicated minibus service should you require a lift to or from anywhere in the valley. The stylish but modest reception area gives you a somewhat false sense of just how charming this hotel is. The upstairs bar, wine tasting area, relaxation salon and dining room are beautiful without being ostentatious. The spa facilities are excellent and you can book private access to the complimentary roof-top Jacuzzi with wonderful views over the valley. Bedrooms are all charming and range from a variety of standard rooms through to suites. The evening meal is a gourmet’s delight with 5 courses of local faire and the charismatic Maitre d, Jacob, is the best I have ever experienced in my 50 odd years of living. For those on a lower budget you can always stay in the hotel’s 3 star residence just 15m away but eat and use all of the facilities in the hotel. Therefore, this is a great for a group on varying budgets.
Opinions are like bum holes, we’ve all got one. But these are places that I have stayed and loved so there. Keep ’em peeled pop pickers, until we ski again.