Hotel Post, Alpbach, Austria
One of the most picturesque villages in the Tirol, Alpbach is not the place for a rip-roaring après ski scene, but its clutch of classic wooden chalet hotels, traditional stube restaurants and quiet bars make it a great choice for a restorative mountain break. Alongside the perfectly groomed pistes accessed by the Wiedersbergerhorn gondola, are easy snow-shoeing trails, a 7km toboggan run and torchlit hikes. Mountain huts dot the Alpbachtal-Wildschönau valley, serving käsespätzle (Tirolean macaroni cheese) and spiced gluhwein. Stay at the Post, a charming, family-run hotel in the heart of the village – and the best value in town.
Doubles from £138 B&B; hotel-post.co.at
Les Grands Montets Hotel & Spa, Argentière, France
Like other premier ski resorts, Chamonix can get over-run in winter, but stay 10 minutes down the road in Argentière and you combine easy access to the Grands Montets ski runs and snow parks, with a tranquil place to stay. The village is the birthplace of some of France’s most famous guides, with gorgeous winter walks mapped from the village, offering spectacular views of Mont Blanc, and easy access to both Switzerland and Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel. Stay at Les Grands Montets for a mix of vintage style, soothing spa treatments and cosy rooms with a classic Savoyard feel.
Doubles from £146 B&B; hotel-grands-montets.com
Mineral Lodge, Sainte Foy, France
Deep in the Tarentaise valley, Sainte Foy is surrounded by some of the best ski touring country in the Alps, with long-lasting powder and wide green and blue runs that make it an ideal resort for beginners. Non-skiers are well catered for with dog sledding, ice climbing and forest bathing, along with the chance to tackle a piste on a mountain kart, or swoop above the slopes on a tandem paraglide. Mineral Lodge, a few minutes’ drive from the village, has five sleek bedrooms and communal lounge and dining areas filled with statement furniture, set against brushed steel-and-glass walls.
Doubles from £189 B&B, minerallodge.fr
The Moss, Obergurgl, Austria
Tucked away at the end of the long Oetztal valley – meaning there’s no through traffic – Obergurgl is a peaceful, relaxed resort with an easy bus link to neighbouring Hochgurgl and an excellent choice of cruiseable blue pistes and more challenging reds. Walkers and nature lovers should drop into the Hohe Mut Alm exhibition on the Oetztal glacier, its flora and fauna and the effects of climate change, while non-skiers can hike, snowshoe or dip into the Aqua Dome in nearby Soelden, a thermal spa with hot outdoor pools. The Moss is a newly renovated hotel with a contemporary feel and clean design, and a brand new wellness area with indoor pool, sauna and steam room.
Doubles from £138 B&B; themoss.at
Hotel Meleze, Grimentz, Switzerland
Tucked away in the spectacularly beautiful Val d’Anniviers, Grimentz is a charming village dotted with mazot (traditional stone and wooden farmhouses) and flower-decked chalets, with lift access to excellent off-piste and touring terrain. A lattice of winter hiking trails fans out from the village, along with toboggan and cross-country ski runs, perfect for working up an appetite for the hearty Valais cuisine and the town’s unique glacier wine, aged for 10-15 years in larchwood barrels and known as the “Sherry” of Valais. Stay at the Hotel Meleze, a traditional chalet with five cosy bedrooms, and a restaurant specialising in traditional Anniviard fondue with spiced meats.
Doubles from £162 B&B; hotel-meleze.ch
Mountain Lodge, Les Crosets, Swizerland
Photograph: Rolphus/Getty Images
At 1,700m, pocket-sized Les Crosets has a great snow record, but doesn’t draw the crowds that flock to the rest of Porte du Soleil, making it easy to access the 600km of linked pistes, before returning to the village for a peaceful evening. Snowboarders will love the Superpark, with all manner of jumps and half- and quarter-pipes, while non-skiers can explore the 40km of hiking trails. The Mountain Lodge is a family-friendly, boutique hotel with an excellent spa, cinema and chic rooms.
A week from £1,095pp half-board, mountain-lodge.co.uk
Romantic Hotel Jolanda Sport, Gressoney la Trinité, Italy
Cobbled streets flanked with historic wooden houses, a clutch of small shops and traditional restaurants make this village in the Aosta valley that rare thing – a peaceful backwater with access to a great ski area, in this case the 80km Monte Rosa circuit. There’s excellent cross-country skiing, too, as well as the chance to dip into the region’s Walser history (a German-speaking race who settled in the area in medieval times) with a small museum and 18th century house. Stay at the Hotel Jolanda Sport, with cosy wood-panelled bedrooms, a wellness area with saunas, steam room and a hamam, and a rustic restaurant with good veggie and vegan options.
Doubles from £102 B&B; hoteljolandasport.com
Jagdschloss Resort, Kühtai, Austria
At 2,020m, quiet Kühtai is one of Austria’s highest resorts, making it a sure-fire bet for great snow, often until the end of April. Relatively undiscovered by the British market, it’s also perfect for a few days of classic Alpine scenery, snowshoe hikes and sleigh rides, with lunch on the terrace at the Kühtaier Dorfstadl offering panoramic mountain views and hearty Tirolean classics of Wienerschnitzel and gröstl (fried potatoes and bacon topped with a fried egg). The Jagdschloss Resort combines contemporary style with Tirolean touches, expertly mixed cocktails in the chic Schloss bar, traditional raclette evenings and comfortable rooms ranging from wood-panelled attics to modern family suites and self-catering studios.
Doubles from £120 B&B; jagdschloss-resort.at
Hotel Alpenhof, Filzmoos, Salzburgerland, Austria
With a good choice of easy runs, beginner and intermediate skiers will love Filzmoos, as will fans of Austria’s chocolate-box charm. Tight building restrictions mean the village has escaped any high-rise developments or sprawling hotels. Even in the school holidays the lifts are relatively quiet and the pistes uncrowded, making it a great family choice, with horse-drawn sleigh rides and ice skating on offer for those not wishing to ski. What après ski there is centred around the Happy Filzmoos, in the slick new Alpin Bar 87, or the more traditional Happy’s Umbrella Bar. The Alpenhof is a traditional Tirolean hotel with a well-equipped wellness area, offering herbal massages, themed saunas and indoor/outdoor pool.
Doubles from £112 B&B; filzmoos.at
Frutt Mountain Resort, Melchsee-Frutt, Switzerland
Almost unknown to non-Swiss skiers, Melchsee-Frutt is a charming small resort with a traffic-free centre set on the shores of Lake Melchsee. Flanked by two small ski areas, Balmeregghorn and Erzegg, the village has beautiful winter hiking trails and cross-country ski tracks sledging run to the neighbouring hamlet of Stöckalp. The Frutt Mountain Resort sits above the village at 1,900m, with access only by cable car, giving a delicious feeling of escape. Once there, everything you need is on hand – three restaurants, (including an Italian and a steakhouse), the Mountain Lodge Spa with panoramic sauna and an in-house kids’ club.
Doubles from £240 B&B; fruttmountainresort.com.
