8 New Hotels for Winter Enthusiasts in the US and Europe | Popgen Tech
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St. Moritz and Zermatt may be the best Swiss ski resorts, but Crans-Montana, perched above the Rhône Valley in the French-speaking canton of Wales, serves up peak pistes and views that stretch from Mont Blanc in the west. to the Matterhorn to the east. Relaxed, caretaker-rich grounds and an abundance of facilities for young children, including Snow Island, a children’s zone with a magic carpet lift for beginners, make the resort a magnet for families. The 300 days of sunshine add to the allure.
Besides skiing, there is tubing and tobogganing; ice skating and curling at the Ycoor Center; dog sledding on the Plaine-Morte Glacier; snowshoe trips to the village of Aminona; and, if you’re visiting over the festive holidays, the Etoile Bella Lui Light Festival offers nightly entertainment and a kilometer-long illuminated path winding through the trees.
When Thai hotel chain Six Senses opens its ski-in, ski-out hotel in February, a shiny new brand of hospitality will descend on this pocket of Switzerland. The luxury group, known for wellness programs and a three-to-one staff-to-guest ratio, aims to “bring the outside in” through design that evokes the alpine forest. The Pierre de Vals stone and wood lobby, for example, echoes a cave under a canopy of trees with light streaming through glass panels, as in nature. The 78 rooms are quietly elegant, with organic bedding, walls of rough wood and textured plaster, oak parquet floors and leather furniture designed by Reda Amalou. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of rugged, snow-covered vistas.
The spa is the heart of the building, with an impressive sculptural ceiling made of 15,000 wooden slats, which is mirrored in the pool. There are So Sound lounge chairs; Finnish, rock and bio-salt saunas; a stretching pod; and a Biohacking Recovery Lounge with treatments involving infrared heat and vibration.
Six senses Crans-Montana; rates from about $700; see on Google Maps.
More ideas to embrace the cold:
8 New Hotels for Winter Enthusiasts in the US and Europe: New and reimagined hotels in New England, the Alps and beyond offer stylish accommodations close to the snow.
The quiet thrill of viewing the winter wildlife: In Colorado’s Rockies, birds and other animals stand out against the snow, and even if you can’t see them, their tracks let you know they’re nearby.
At a Club Med Ski Resort, Learn to love the Apéro: Will the company’s all-inclusive approach work in the North American market? An avid skier puts Québec’s Massif de Charlevoix to the test.
Take back the mountains: Big resorts are crowded, expensive and exclusive. But some skiers and snowboarders are trying to reclaim their sport by building a culture that is more inclusive and sustainable.
Make the slopes fun from day 1: When it comes to site design and the learning experience, resorts are finally starting to think about beginners.
New ski lifts changing American slopes this winter: A flurry of construction at major ski resorts has resulted in a large number of notable new chairlifts and gondolas opening this season.
Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on smarter travel and inspiration for your next holiday. Dreaming of a future getaway or just an armchair trip? Look at us 52 places for a changed world for 2022.
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