Wonderful winter sports accommodations on, near or on the slopes: straight down the mountain (and hop to the bar/into bed)
Ok, winter sports team or summer holiday team? Opinions are divided on this, but who knows? hooked has become interested in winter sports, and is even prepared to put his summer holidays aside for it. Rent a large house with friends in the Alps, a chic hotel in the Austrian Lech or original (low cost) skiing for beginners: we think it's great and we can't choose. That's why this list of nice winter sports accommodations on/on or next to the slopes: straight down the mountain (and hop into the bar/into bed).
Winter sports, yes, but sometimes you just want to sit in the mountains and enjoy the fresh air, beautiful views, and preferably in the tranquil setting of a luxury hotel. Preferably in Austria, because we love the classics, and isn't Austria still the ultimate winter sports destination? Because, okay, okay, yes, if possible, we'd still like to strap on those long skis... Kids can come along. Or not. Either way: by all means, Hotel Nesslerhof in Salzburgerland, Austria on your list. This lovely (family) hotel has that nice, warm, friendly atmosphere for the ultimate (fancy) holiday feeling.
Austria
Take the whole gang to Austria, because active holidays—where you can also completely relax—are hot. So where will you sleep? If it were up to us, it would be at POST Family Resort in Salzburg, Austria, one of the most beautiful family hotels in the Alps. all year round This 4-star hotel is nestled among the towering mountains of Austria's Saalachtal Valley, in Salzburgerland. A paradise for kids, with all the amenities you need. les parents and at the same time also incredibly tasty to the eye.
POST Family Resort is by parents, for parents: a place where you can feel and see that every detail has been carefully considered.
Somewhere in the mountains, hidden between forests and meadows, you will find Nature hotel Lüsnerhof. Upon arrival you would think you have ended up in a winter fairytale. This beautiful chalet slash hotel is located close to the valley of the idyllic village of Lüsen, where you have a great (panoramic) view. It's quiet here. Calm. Serene. Calm. No mass tourism or ski lifts. We hear you thinking, are you good for winter sports there? Of course! The Italian Dolomites (that's the name of the area where this hotel is located) is the perfect place for beginners. On the slope of the hotel you will find a beginners area. Are you a pro now? Then you can take the ski bus to the nearby Plose ski area. Plose is known for its perfectly prepared slopes, unique views and minimal crowds. Read more
Winter sports are – in general – a pricey outing. We know that. That is why we want to share a nice Airbnb with you in addition to the more luxurious accommodations. At home in Tyrol is a private house, equipped for six guests. The house is located in the center of Kirchbichl, the perfect starting point for a mountain hike, bike ride or ski trip. By car you can reach the nearest ski lift in just a few minutes. The Soll, Ellmau and Itter Westendorf ski areas are a 20-minute drive away.
The pastel yellow house is beautiful, and will put a smile on your face when you arrive. The interior is simple, but tastefully and colorfully decorated. The old elements of the house have been restored and maintained, but given a modern look.
In the cute town of St Anton am Arlberg you will find Himmlhof. A small boutique hotel with stylish rooms. There is no shortage of luxury and romance (hello, crackling fire!) in one of the fourteen rooms. After a day on the slopes, you step into the king-size bed with a big smile. The wooden interior, steel elements and typical Austrian plaids give you the feeling as if you are sleeping in a chalet. In addition to the wonderful accommodation, breakfast and dinner cannot be forgotten. The breakfast buffet includes fresh bread, sweets, organic cheeses, homemade granola and jam. In the evening you can join us fine dining. And would you like to linger with a drink? They also have fruity cocktails and really tasty wines. Oh yes, don't forget the ski slopes! These are within walking distance of the hotel. In short: everything you need for a ski trip. We quote: 'The trail to happiness leads to the Himmlhof'
Another one for the we-remain-Dutch category. A (cheap) gem in Salzburg, via Airbnb. This Airbnb, without a name, is located in a beautiful spot in the historic city of Bad Gastein. The apartment is brand new - at least the furnishings - and therefore fully equipped. Good to know: it is certainly not large, but you can stay there with up to five guests.
From the balcony you can enjoy the grandiose view of the architecture and mountains of Bad Gastein. Within a few steps you can reach the supermarket, the train station (you can leave the car at home), restaurants and most importantly: the ski lifts. Let's go skiing!
In the Tyrolean Alps you will find Schlosshotel Fiss – yes, logically – in Fiss. It connects to the ski area of Serfaus and Ladis. And that is really a nice area: 186 km of slopes, with mainly red. Cosy (yes, including a bit of après-ski), and especially very child-friendly. Not only the area, by the way, but also this accommodation.
There is also plenty to do for parents. In addition to skiing, you can just jump into the wellness: indoor and outdoor pools with a view of the mountains, saltwater jacuzzis: a complete sauna world with great massages. There is a separate Splash Water World for the kids. You know, so you can relax without bombs.
And after all that bathing… of course, you have to eat. And you can do that here! Top notch. Drinking too: a wine list with no less than 700 bottles liquid heaven. Come on through.
France
Back to France! Val Thorens this time, but you can say Val Tho. You may know it as a party destination. Fortunately, you can still do that there, as well as sleep well. The advantage of this typical French winter sports destination is that many accommodations are located on, next to or on the slopes. This also applies to the super deluxe Altapura and everyone's friend Hotel Marielle. Both hotels will take away all your worries for your winter sports holiday with good food, great service and wonderful rooms.
Dear winter sports enthusiasts, the moment is here. We are going to discuss it. We're going to talk about Scheveningen under the slopes: Les Menuires, in Les Trois Vallées in France. Unknown and therefore the place where we want to ski (again) this year. Because if you know where to go (and look), it is a hell of a sports destination. If possible, sleep at Ours Blanc Hotel & Spa. Located 2.000 meters from the slopes of Les Trois Vallées, this hotel offers ski-to-door access. It is chalet style, and therefore charming, with a spa (!) and a beautiful view of the snow-capped mountain peaks: the terrace has a panoramic view of the mountains.Read more about Les Menuires
Ok, another budget-proof one in the hotel category. A relatively affordable option at the foot of the slopes in Valloire, France (literally, you can hop straight onto the ski lift). The staff is friendly and the ski locker makes winter sports a little easier. Not a fancy hotel, but for half board you only pay 140 euros per person (so 280 euros for two) and a double room is €160 (in high season). Very nice rooms, but a very good dinner. That dinner there is an absolute must for anyone staying in Valloire and the surrounding area.
Of all the (new) ski resorts, I think this is our favorite. In beautiful French Megève, at the foot of Mont-Blanc, you will stay in a hotel that has exactly the right proportions between classy and cool, color and old-fashioned brown and log cabin versus luxury. Most rooms have their own private terrace with hot tub – perfect for pre-apresso. Speaking of perfect: this also applies to the rooms. They are both beautiful and comfortable. Not too big, not too small. The staff is sweet and if you want to eat in the city, you will be driven back and forth by the hotel shuttle. (Although you can also walk - nice to sober up). The breakfast is excellent: all kinds of dishes are prepared in front of you.
As you would expect from part of the Oetker family (siblings include Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, The Bristol in Paris, Lanesborough in London. Well, pretty chic) L'Apogée opulent and extravagant everywhere. There is even a small private elevator so you only have to take a few steps to the slopes. The building itself sits deep in a mountainside, like an underground Bond house, including the dark, chic furnishings: a dark-wood cocoon of a spa, cigar rooms, sushi restaurant, a sleek kids' club and bedrooms with views over the valley. Anyway, you get the style. Old chic, but new.
Switzerland
Practically next to the ski lift, so take your skis and go. Back at this newly renovated luxury hotel, the NUXE Spa for a dive or a sauna session, the Goldilocks Restaurant for fresh and local food, or simply your lovely bed with a view of the mountains. The look is a fine mix of vintage and modern: lots of wood, soft fabrics, wall prints, a reading nook with Chesterfields, and small details everywhere that make it feel warm. Perfect for those who want to immerse themselves in comfort in one of the most beautiful ski areas in Switzerland, the Jungfrau Region.
With Drei Berge they mean the three mountains of the Trois Bernoises, because from this hotel you have a beautiful view. The beautiful hotel opened in early 2023, completely renovated by the French-Moroccan entrepreneur Ramdane Touhami. Touhami is known for Officine Universelle Buly, the 19th century French beauty brand and he also gave this hotel his own touch. With Drei Berge Hotel, he transformed 19 rooms in the hotel in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland to something you want to go to. The red and white shutters on the outside of the hotel are traditional, but Touhami had to get permission from everyone in Mürren to paint the exterior pine green. Inside, it’s pretty but beautiful, with a colorful mix of paneling and custom wooden furniture and rugs and dozens of vintage travel posters. But Hotel Drei Berge had to be nice, too, so Touhami brought in his family’s personal chef to create a custom Alpine menu and provided bed linens from luxury Italian linen company Beltrami.
In Grindelwald, in the Jungfrau Region, Hotel Kreuz & Post is located just a stone's throw from the train station and right in the heart of the village. It isn't ski-in ski-out in the strict sense, but it is central enough that after a day on the slopes, you can walk from your skis to your room in just a few minutes. The wellness area is on the roof: in summer, you can relax on the furnished rooftop terrace with views of the Eiger North Face after the sauna; in winter, you can step outside for some fresh mountain air after the sauna and then crawl back into the warmth. Three restaurants take care of the rest, and the bar is close enough to roll right in after a day on the slopes.
The Alps of the past are no more. At least not really, especially when you check into the Experimental Chalet in always-good Verbier, Switzerland. Experimental? Yes. That is another one from the French Experimental Club with, among other things, wonderful catering Mallorca and Ibiza and from, among others, the Henriette Hotel in London and hotels such as Grand Pigalle (fav) and Grands Boulevard, both in Paris. And now also in Experimental in the snow. Canal St. Martin cool meets classy Alps so to speak. And we love love love it.
Experimental Chalet is the name. There is no lobby: the ground floor is almost entirely devoted to areas for eating and drinking. Tables and chairs as far as the eye can see, covered with velvety fabrics in peach, pistachio and olive. It is a semi-classic alpine chalet style hotel with gabled roof and wooden balconies, but completely different from anything else in the ski village. It will come as no surprise that the clientele is young, hip, multilingual, well-dressed and handsome.
Hotel Panorama in Bettmeralp is ski-in ski-out. The hotel itself is lovely. old school Swiss, with all the authentic wooden looks and, above all, incredible views. With a bit of luck, you look out onto the village square in front of the hotel with the centuries-old church; it really doesn't get more idyllic than that. If you look to the left in the morning, you are rewarded with a beautiful sunrise over the roofs of the chalets—quite unforgettable. During the evening hours, the hotel restaurant is packed for the tastiest schnitzels, cheese fondue, and other typical Swiss fare. Awake? Be careful crossing the street, because people are skiing throughout the entire village, including right in front of your hotel: walking or skiing is how you get around the village, with a preference for the latter. There are no cars: you reach the village via two ski lifts, an adventure in itself.
Italy
Boutique hotel Haus am Turm, aka "House by the Tower" and Ida Apartments, a stone's throw from the boutique hotel in South Tyrol, Italy, are the perfect place to unwind amidst the Italian Alps, whether you're looking for winter sports in the snow or summer hikes in the mountains. And always a glass of fine wine.
You'll find this delightful place in the picturesque village of Sterzing in the Italian Alps. The beautiful blue building that houses the hotel stands, as the name suggests, next to the village's medieval tower. Not far away, the owners also run about ten apartments under the name Ida Apartments. The stately building where they operate was once a haberdashery and has been transformed into a space with spacious, modern apartments, but with Gothic living rooms, star-studded ceilings, and ornate beams from a bygone era.
A place where time stands still. Casa al Sole in Val Gardena is a charming 30s house. Lovingly renovated with tranquility at the forefront: no TVs, no crowds. But what else? Well, 12 peaceful and comfortable rooms with wooden floors, old doors, and the Dolomites right before your eyes.
The ski lifts of Rasciesa, Seceda, and Alpe di Siusi are practically around the corner, so you can ski straight onto the slopes. For fine natural wine, craft For beers and a well-stocked drinks platter, the bar at Casa al Sole is the perfect place. Enjoy a simple—but oh-so-delicious—breakfast with local products in the morning, and a glass of natural wine in the afternoon under the Val Gardena sun. Owners Manuel and Alexandra will make you feel right at home with their infectious humor, delicious food, and great music.
From My Arbor, a wonderful wellness hotel, you can ski straight into the hotel via the ski-in/ski-out Plose ski area. A small but wonderful ski area with 42 km of varied slopes—not too difficult, mind you. Only the descent all the way down is black. Don't feel like it? Then you can just take the gondola down. We love it, especially after an Aperol or two on the mountain.
And now about this gigantic pearl of an accommodation: My Arbor is a unique wellness hotel, built on 25-meter stilts, so you literally sleep between the trees. All rooms are at the back and facing south, so you always have sun. They have all the facilities for skiers, such as lockers, but the real highlight is the wellness: 2500 m² of spa with 5 different saunas, at least 4 infusions per day, an outdoor whirlpool, an ice bath, and both an indoor and outdoor pool. Wonderful!
This place is a top all year round. In the winter skiing, in the summer hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and of course lots of bathing.
A historic country house is located in the Piedmont ski area La Bürsch. La Bürsch is in the perfect location - close to the Alps - for winter sports enthusiasts. In the area you can also go horse riding, bungee jumping or paragliding (we think it's best in the summer).
The house itself is - in addition to all the adventurous activities - quite an experience. At the reception the journey begins with a geographical theme. Each room is decorated with characteristic items from a particular continent. So you have America with dollars and sheriff stars, and Europe's charm with vintage items.
US
Hotel Jerome in the imaginative Aspen (United States) is truly a winner. And a classic. The historic hotel is a household name in the vast surroundings. During the heyday of Aspen's silver mining industry in 1889, the reason the area gained its wealth and fame, a hotel was built in response to all the great European hotels of the time. Hotel Jerome immediately set the luxury bar sky high: it was the first Western hotel with a working elevator and one of the first buildings to be lit with all-electric lighting. The historic charm combined with (contemporary!) luxury is still unprecedented. Mountain hut meets eclectic interiors and heritage. Enjoy
Nice story: the owner of the new (crazy) Caldera House in Jackson Wyoming, North America (far away), Wes Edens is co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team. He and three partners – all ski addicts – spent six years and more than $100 million creating this passion project. And it shows. They involved the designers of Commune (responsible for the Ace hotels in Chicago and LA – both beautiful) in the realization of the hotel, with the result that the ski resort became a residential hotel. The kind of place where you want to live.
Cheap? Not really (just the journey to get there is quite a challenge). But it is a place to dream of.
And more
Barts Best for beginners: skiing in Poland! Say what?! Sure! That's affordable easy access, really. Poland's most important ski area is located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains on the Slovakian border, easily accessible by train from Poprad Tatry Airport in Slovakia. Zakopane's slopes are fairly basic in challenge, making them perfect for beginners. Moreover, there are waterfalls, lakes and rivers making the landscape beautiful. Zakopane has five small ski areas, three of which are illuminated daily until 22.00pm.
The fresh, new, nice and sleek, child-friendly Villa Nova is located just 50 meters from the popular Krupówki pedestrian area where you will find restaurants and shops.
More tips
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Skiing with kids: these are the best ski areas for a winter sport with the family
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Ski areas that are guaranteed snow and fun? Then you must have this in SalzburgerLand!
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The best activities in the forest of the La Plagne winter sports area for the family
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Barts Best of: Sud Tirol (or South Tyrol, that's also possible)