Ski season is here again, and it’s looking better than ever. The arrival of fresh snow has also brought with it the arrival of another cool new alpine retreat, which joins the recent wave of design-led properties now dotting the snowy landscapes of Europe. Here’s the Wallpaper* edit of where to ski in style.
The best alpine retreats in Europe
Le Coucou Méribel in France
The traditional wooden chalet exterior of Le Coucou blends in seamlessly with the mountainous backdrop of Méribel. Inside, French designer Pierre Yovanovitch has put a contemporary riff on the traditional Alpine style. Classic wood-panelled rooms are jazzed up with a modern palette of salmon pinks and pops of electric blue, polka dot carpets and winter white bouclé furnishings. Guests can also find a small collection of artwork dotted throughout the property, including a fresco of owls painted on the lobby ceiling by Matthieu Cossé, a stone sculpture by Ugo Rondinone from the owners’ personal collection, and hand-crafted rock engravings by Gaultier Rimbault-Joffard. Le Coucou’s location in the heart of the Three Valleys, the largest ski area in the world, offers a ton of options for snowy adventures; that is if you can drag yourself away from the spa with its two mountain-view pools and Tata Harper treatments.
Le Coucou Méribel is located at 464 route du Belvédère, 73550 Les Allues Méribel, France, lecoucoumeribel.com
The Cōmodo in Bad Gastein, Austria
Sitting high up in the spa town of Bad Gastein, The Cōmodo is housed in a historic 1881 property which has been given a new midcentury look by designers Barbara Elwardt and Piotr Wisniewski. The duo drew inspiration from 1960s modernism and Vienna’s cafe culture to create a rich palette of wine, bottle green, and retro browns complemented by layers of oak, pine and terrazzo flooring. The richly textured rooms feature a mix of organic materials, from custom wallpapers and woollen throws to vintage chairs, leather bed benches and curved tactile headboards. The surrounding valley offers plenty of ski runs whilst back at the hotel, the spa rejuvenates with treatments based around Gastein’s mineral-rich thermal waters.
The Cōmodo is located at Kaiserhofstraße 18, 5640 Bad Gastein, Austria, thecomodo.com
Experimental Chalet Val d’Isère in France
After launching its first ski hotel in Switzerland, the French Experimental Group is back on home soil with its soon-to-open second Alpine address in Val d’Isère. The trio behind the group has handed the keys once again to long-time collaborator Dorothée Meilichzon, who has put a fun twist on traditional Alpine design – think glossy ceilings in classic chalet shades of burgundy and green, fabric headboards with oversized cross stitching, and an interesting mix of wooden textures and shades in the public spaces. By day, guests have access to various ski slopes including cross-country and off-piste, and by night, the hotel’s three restaurants are complemented by the brand’s signature Experimental Cocktail Club bar for après-ski drinks.
Experimental Chalet Val d’Isère is located at rue de la Poste, 73150 Val-d’Isère, France, experimentalchaletvaldisere.com
Forestis Dolomites in Italy
Forestis Dolomites owners Stefan Hinteregger and Teresa Unterthiner tapped South Tyrolean architect Armin Sader to imagine the minimalist mountain retreat in a way that encourages guests to reconnect with nature. Sadar put Dolomite stone at the centre of the Forestis style, along with spruce wood furnishings crafted bespoke by a local carpenter. Smooth curved lines in the spa suites make a soothing space for relaxation whilst the textured walls and a heavy wooden tasting table in the wine cellar create a more rustic atmosphere that nods to the local terroir. In contrast, blonde wood brings lightness to the Garden Restaurant, complemented by natural fabrics from a weaving mill in Trentino and sweeping mountain views.
Forestis Dolomites is located at Palmschoß 22, 39042 Brixen, Dolomites, Italy, forestis.it
Hotel de Len in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
With the name ‘de len’ meaning ‘of wood’ in Ladin – a Romance language mainly spoken in the Northern Italian Dolomites by the Ladin people – it’s no surprise that Hotel de Len comes dressed from head to toe in layers of Alpine wood. Italian design team Gris+Dainese used locally sourced timber to root the hotel in the surrounding area, starting with the panels on the striking main façade. Inside, the 22 pared-back rooms have been lined with reclaimed fir and Swiss pine, both chosen not only for their style but also their natural perfume and sleep-enhancing properties. For guests who need more than just an Alpine scent to drift off, a panoramic glass-fronted spa sits on the top floor of the hotel with steam baths, salt saunas, and an outdoor rooftop Jacuzzi.
Hotel de Len is located at Via Cesare Battisti, 66, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL), Italy, hoteldelen.it
Six Senses Crans-Montana in Switzerland
The sophisticated design of Six Senses Crans-Montana warmly welcomes guests in from the cold whilst still keeping them connected with nature. In the 78 guestrooms and suites, French interior designers AW2 put a contemporary spin on traditional cosy Swiss cabins and married together rough timber planks and soft leather and wool with modern stone-coloured wall render whilst, in the bathrooms, real stone walls were chosen as a nod to the surrounding mountainside. There’s direct ski-in and ski-out access to the Chetzeron red slope and when you’re done, refuel with piste-side dining at the hotel’s two restaurants. But in true Six Senses style the 2000 square metre spa is the heart of the hotel, where treatment rooms are imagined as mountain cabins with timber panelled walls placed around the Alpine Garden, fully landscaped with native trees and plants.
Six Senses Crans-Montana is located at Route des Téléphériques 60, 3963 Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland, sixsenses.com
