As the Winter Games unfold across Northern Italy and nearby Alpine regions, these strikingly contemporary winter sport destinations re-emerge
As the XXV Winter Olympic Games opened in Milan this past weekend, a diverse array of international visitors – avid sports fans and those just looking to be part of the action – found themselves on the edge of one of Europe’s most iconic regions, the Alps. Though perhaps less snow-covered than they once were, these densely packed-in peaks and valleys are not only optimal for many of the specialized sports but also ideal for respite and reset.
Far from the hustle and bustle of often smoggy Milan – where the event itself remains controversial – and even traffic-ridden Cortina d’Ampezzo – which is surprisingly small – several reimagined Alpine chalet hotels unfold as full-service retreats: choice places to stay during or after the games. They contain an impressive suite of amenities while having a lot to offer in their immediate surroundings. Perched on mountainsides, these family-run hotels frame sweeping vistas of endless snow-capped summits. “The body can only truly find calm and slow down when the eyes can see far,” says Martin Reiterer, the second-generation owner of Chalet Mirabell, one such resort situated near the South Tyrolean ski mountain of Meran 2000.
Many of these carefully managed hotels are situated in the particularly roughcast Dolomites – just outside that oh so “The Hamptons” of Northeastern Italian ski-stations, Cortina; hosting all of the 2026 Olympics ski competitions – but also found in adjacent Switzerland and Austria.
Many feature infinity pools that jut out over cliffs or seamlessly embed in crystal blue mountain lakes; extensive spas that cater to all ages and preferences; comprehensive Michelin-star dining options; robust excursion programs; and perhaps most importantly, a plethora of room types, though intentionally kept limited in number to preserve the quality of service and experience. Guests are meant to stay longer, at least five nights. With such range in both soft and hard product, these multivalent destinations aren’t just popular in winter but also in summer and fall.
The emphatically contemporary architecture of these properties – reinterpreted versions of the vernacular timber mountain lodge “chalet” – doesn’t disappoint as it helps to contain and unify everything on offer – but also brings in the stunning nature.
“The body can only truly find calm and slow down when the eyes can see far”
Martin Reiterer, owner, Chalet Mirabell
With just 70 keys – a complete tier of accommodations – Chalet Mirabell perfectly balances out its family-friendly and adult programming. An expansive 6,000 square-metre adults-only spa level incorporates a myriad of specialized wellness spaces: Finnish and organic herbal panorama saunas; brine, light, and aromatherapy baths; an infrared cinema, aroma mist tunnel, and a gentlemen’s room with heated water-beds. All of this perfectly tucks away under a sprawling lawn and natural swimming pond.
A floor above, the family spa features a semi-indoor, semi-outdoor heated pool. Where all guests converge is the Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant, offering multi-course menus curated with locally sourced ingredients. Chalet Mirabell also includes the four Bergenvillen residences, ranging in size from 160 to 303 square meters (1722 to 3261 sq ft), including private heat pools perched above adjacent farmland. Guests, in all categories, can choose to have dinners within these fields – weather permitting – and even go on a mountain trail hike with alpacas. Skiing is of course a main attraction, and the team here does everything to make that experience as smooth as possible. The new ski-in and ski-out Chalet Zuegg addition is 10 minutes away, on top of the slope. This offshoot venue incorporates both rentable residences and loft concept suites.
“My parents – who established Mirabell in 2004 – always say that in summer, people want to go everywhere but in winter they want to go to places that are familiar, where they can ski and go on hikes. We’re making that possible every way we can,” Reiterer adds.
In the past two decades, Mirabell has developed incrementally as demand from primarily German tourists but increasingly, other European, American, and Asian guests has grown. The Reiterers have answered in kind with a tempered approach to expansion; taking a more considered approach to everything from the interior outfit of the rooms to the implementation of a hyper-efficient energy system.
It’s the same story at adults-only Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus, an hour and a half drive east, deep in the Dolomites. Defined by its striking cantilevered sky pool and seemingly sky-suspended Heaven & Hell spa, the 74-key resort – near Kronplatz Mountain – also developed out of a family-run bed and breakfast. “My grandfather bought the little hotel as a place to drink wine and play cards with friends after hunting,” says third-generation owner Marcus Gasser.
Over the past 50 years, the resort has been in constant, if slow, growth. Today, its innovative open-structure log construction – snaking along the mountainside – has made it iconic; historically referenced yet decidedly contemporary. No room has anything other than expansive views of the Valdaora (Olang) valley below. Extensive Spa facilities were cheekily branded to riff on the idea of hot and cold treatments being an interplay of purgatory and paradise. One feels as though they are bathing in the clouds or submerged within the depths of a cave, spending on the type of sauna or jacuzzi they’re frequenting. Sustainability is key as well: excess energy generated from these myriad indoor and outdoor facilities is recaptured to heat the rest of the facility.
While a green roof helps embed the curvilinear monolith in its surroundings, a lower-level garden is filled with plants endemic to the region, serving almost as a kind of outdoor museum. Helming the restaurant, Chef Antonio Triscari finds a way to only use local produce while fusing Mediterranean influences with traditional Alpine flavors. Accessed by a recently updated cable car – a short shuttle away – Kronplatz Mountain is a fully operational ski mountain with some of the best infrastructure in Europe. It’s also home to the Zaha Hadid-designed Messner Mountain Museum Corones, known for its parametric design and especially well positioned viewing deck.
This model of balancing homey yet sophisticated accommodations, providing an eclectic array of activities, and offering comprehensive wellness services can also be experienced at Hotel Krallerhof, an hour’s drive south of Salzburg. Though the resort’s main building remains a traditional, if extra-large, chalet, the Hadi Teherani-designed ATMOSPHERE spa is a contemporary statement piece.
The curved split-roof structure undulated up from its valley floor foundation to encapsulate everything from an ice grotto to relaxation lounges and yoga rooms. The main feature, however, is the 50-metre-long infinity pool that cuts straight out into the adjoining lake. Today’s Alpine resorts, even those maintained by the same family for generations, are far from being folksy or out-moded than some might think. Few proprietors here are resting on their laurels. Rather, they’re making consistent improvements as requirements shift. This same sentiment can also be felt in the development of new – and the reconstitution of old – public attractions.
Take the TITLIS Project, a freshly imagined cable-car-accessed viewing platform slated to take center stage in the soaring Swiss Alps. Innovatively designed by world-famous firm Herzog de Meuron and embodying revolutionary sustainable strategies, the new infrastructure project will restore access to one of Switzerland’s most iconic summits, located just south of Lucerne.