Spectacular new hotels tucked into the mountains
Three of the loveliest hideaways for winter
There’s something about being in mountain forests that, no matter what the weather, makes you feel better. That’s not just because pine needles are full of anti-microbial decongestants that help clear your lungs, pollen that’s rich in amino acids, and terpenes that boost your energy levels. Or that hiking on mountain slopes gets your blood pumping. There’s something extra-comforting about Alpine hotels, too: often clad in fragrant wood, warmed by log fires, and fitted with cosy spas in which you can warm your bones or swim while admiring dramatic views. Here we review three new hideaways in which to de-stress in the mountains this winter.
The Arula Chalets, Lech, Austria
Lech is not short on ultra-luxury chalets, and with their classic timber-and-stone exteriors, the Arula Chalets appear to fit the norm. Look more closely at the hot tubs on the balconies, or the penguin on the private ice rink, however, and you start to appreciate the playful character of these unusual properties. Created for a self-made Briton whose love of fun and family seems joyously uninhibited by budget, the chalets, on prime Oberlech pasture, can be taken as a 2,400 sq m party pad for 30 or as two separate properties, one nine-bed and one four-bed, each with its own spa, pools, cinema and staff. Choose to go big, and a button hidden in the library of Arula One opens the wall to its smaller sister. And that’s not the only Bond-worthy quirk. Under the road, a private tunnel links to an artfully graffitied garage which doubles as a private nightclub lined with art, from Slim Aarons photographs to a framed collection of the owner’s favourite tapes. Then there are relaxation rooms illuminated by a backlit wall of Himalayan salt and crafted from bricks of compressed hay, a vintage popcorn cart in the cinema and a self-playing Steinway by the bar, next to the owner’s La Boite turntable and vinyl collection. The playful interiors are the work of the London-based duo Afs Mehrai and Amy Mercer, who have injected the Alpine vernacular (larch panelling, granite fireplaces, natural textiles) with mid-century furniture, ethnic artefacts and antique rugs. The result is so stylish and liveable that it takes a Herculean effort to go out — even if the blue Schlosskopf piste is quite literally on the doorstep.
From €9,500 for Arula One, or €32,000 for both, fully catered, with 24-hour concierge, butler and chauffeur service, thearulachalets.com
Gabriella Le Breton
The Grace, St Moritz, Switzerland
Surrounded by a crown of gold-flecked, pine-furred peaks sloping into a glittering indigo lake, the grand Grace La Margna St Moritz catches the evening sun on its arched windows and shines like a jewel. Even the mountains seem to be craning to glimpse its triumphant renovation, ten years in the making. Designed by Nicolaus Hartmann and built in 1906, the main La Margna building is a masterclass in Engadine elegance, its stone exterior freckled with colour and curved lattice entrance adorned with gilded lettering. The new Grace wing flurries out to the left, sleek and snow-white. Inside, the original interiors work in harmony with modern flourishes: wood panelling with striking marquetry warms the cool marble and glinting golds; the drama of black iron chandeliers is softened by velvet and leather upholstery. Upstairs, the rooms are snug warrens of hidden nooks, fur throws and Polaroid picture windows (in La Margna), or light with floor-to-ceiling windows, wood floors and balconies with fine views (The Grace). In the low-lit spa, a steambath and salt sauna feel like unmatched delights after a day of hiking beside frothing glacier rivers and fragrant pines — until I taste a remarkable chilled sparkling tea and sip a croissant tequila distilled at the bar. Later, The View — a golden crescent of clinking silverware at breakfast; a half-moon of glinting ambers and fizzing wine at dinner — serves bubbling gambas, puttanesca-style sea bass and big bowls of tiramisu. Every sense then sated, you can watch the scarlet Alpine Express chug into the station below, the sun throwing its hazy copper glow over auburn crags before sinking behind the mountain crown as you sink into bed with a satisfied smile.
Doubles from €430, gracestmoritz.ch
Beth Richardson-Barrett
The Comodo, Bad Gastein, Austria
Bad Gastein is a gorgeous, eerie kind of place. At the head of an Austrian valley, the town is split by a crashing waterfall, with grand belle époque hotels looming on either side. They are empty now, the pastel stucco cracked — no one comes here for a thermal water cure any more. But Bad Gastein is undergoing a renaissance, at the heart of which is the Comodo hotel. Formerly a Sixties sanatorium, it has been reimagined by the Berlin architecture firm weStudio, which has given it a cool mid-century-modern feel and made it a must-see for design aficionados. Elements of the sanatorium remain — the stone floor, the stainless-steel pool, the central lift shaft — giving the place a retro institutional feel. But there are also B&B Italia Camaleonda sofas in the bar area and exhibitions of contemporary art. The custom-made wallpaper in the 70 bedrooms is a play on a topographical map of the landscape, while pine and oak features and glossy dark-green tiles reflect the local forests. There’s a cinema and a spa, with a sauna and a yoga studio, and the restaurant serves inventive food from the Berlin-based chef Max Jensen using mushrooms from the mountains and trout from the rivers. But the real draw is the landscape, whether that is enjoyed from the comfort of your room’s balcony or via the creaking, old-school chairlift (there is skiing here in the winter). This deposits you at the start of a circuit through a pine forest where Empress Sisi used to walk, which will earn you your Radler (beer and fizzy apple juice) at the mountain hut. Then it’s back to the Comodo for a dunk in the pool and a loll on the chic striped sunlounger, watching as the sun sets over the peaks.
Doubles from €142, thecomodo.com
Gavanndra Hodge
