SNOW QUEEN

These piste-side pads dazzle with mountain views, excellent service and top-notch design

Hotel de Len, Italy

This bijou 22-room opening completely reimagines what was Hotel Impero, a faded landmark of upmarket Cortinad’Ampezzo — one of Europe’s oldest, chicest ski resorts, and host of the Winter Olympics 2026. Hotelier

Aldo Melpignano has brought earthy, southern Italian charm to proceedings: out goes old-school luxury chintz and in comes playful, contemporary alpine design. The titular ‘len’ (‘wood’ in the local Ladin language), comes in vast, almost hypnotic quantities — much of it reclaimed — on walls, floors and furnishings in various hues and finishes, against which choice pieces of colour-popping decor contrast. Several rooms have balconies with Dolomite views, but you can savour the vistas from the airy rooftop spa overlooking village and slopes if yours doesn’t. That’s not all: two restaurants serve dishes that aim to draw on the best local, sustainable produce and there’s a cafe-bar and an intimate speakeasy. From €255 (£215), B&B. hoteldelen.it

RUNNERS-UP

HOTEL ERINGER, SWITZERLAND

A hit opening on the Swiss slopes last season for its contemporary design, this modern chalet in ThyonLes Collons comes with a first-floor restaurant and sun-trap terrace, as well as the Deck bar, which looks set to see some lively apres action this winter. From €180 (£150), B&B. en.eringerhotel.ch

DAS GERLOS, AUSTRIA

This sustainably minded ‘modern hostel’ in Gerlos is 100% powered by renewable energy. Slick, minimalist rooms come in earthy colours and natural fibres, and rates include organic breakfasts and afternoon tea on return from the slopes. From €75 (£65), B&B. dasgerlos.com