The best ski hotels across Europe 2023

Europeans and Europe visitors are spoilt for ski terrain. With hundreds of beautiful slopes spread across nearly 4,000 resorts, the options can be as dizzying as the peaks.

So, how do you choose the best one for you? There are as many answers to that question as there are types of skier and snowboarder. Beginners will want to stay at a hotel near gentle pistes, preferably with a spa to ease those newbie muscles aches; speed demons will want to be slap-bang in the heart of black runs; while young families might not like the haunts favoured by party animals.

Once you’ve decided on the best piste for you, the next decision is choosing the perfect pad to chill out in après ski. Again, Europe’s ski resorts provide plenty of choice.

But if you want something really special, there are destination hotels in every major ski country on the continent – be they home to a standout restaurant, eye-popping design, incredibly cosy interiors or a spectacular natural setting.

Here are the ones to put on your skiing bucket list.

The meandering, forest-lined train ride to Arosa feels like a holiday in itself before you even reach the quaint resort, which shares a ski area with neighbouring Lenzerheide.

Rebuilt and relaunched in 2018, the Valsana Hotel really has sustainability at its core, powered by a massive ice battery that draws waste heat from the hotel and converts it back into reusable energy. The property is also paperless, uses eco cleaning products, serves local produce and even refuses to offer a shuttle service, asking guests to use the resort transport.

The 40 rooms and nine family apartments are eclectically decorated, with an ode to nature and Valsana’s proximity to the forest.