Peak perfection: where to ski-and-stay in the Swiss Alps

A warm welcome awaits every guest at Cordée des Alpes Hotel, a stylish wooden ski lodge which has been thoughtfully designed to integrate with the surrounding alpine architecture. Step inside the chalet-inspired reception to a crackling fireplace, decorated with vintage skis. Rooms are cool yet cosy, with timber balconies and light-filled window seats which make the perfect post-ski reading nooks. Relax slope-sore muscles in the soothing spa with a dip in the 15 metre swimming pool or a hot stone massage. To dine under the stars, book a table at the hotel’s sister restaurant, La Marlénaz, where you’ll be taken up by snow taxi and provided with sledges to make your way down! Suggested stay 2 nights minimum.

Set high on a plateau above the Rhone Valley, Crans-Montana is a centre for outdoor adventure all year round – and is just over an hour’s drive from Verbier. Together, these twin-resorts form a modern mountain town where you’ll find rustic inns and fine dining restaurants, designer boutiques and down-to-earth folk traditions – all surrounded by panoramic views across the Valais Alps. Offering some of the sunniest slopes in Switzerland, and with an extensive area of nursery runs, Crans-Montana is a great option for families and beginners.

With sublime mountain views at every turn, Crans Ambassador is a contemporary chalet which immerses guests in the surrounding natural beauty. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood every space with snow-sprinkled scenery, so you feel as though you’re staying amongst the clouds. Terrasse Valaisanne is the hub of this mountain hideaway, with Nordic-style blankets thrown over seats around an open fire where you can enjoy Swiss lunch and dinner dishes overlooking the Valais Alps. When the slopes beckon, pick up snow-sport supplies at the on-site ski shop and stroll to the nearby lift to burn off the Japanese-Peruvian fusion food from La Muna, one of the hotel’s three gourmet restaurants and traditional wine cellar. Suggested stay 2 nights minimum.

For flawlessly groomed slopes and glitzy boutiques, the picturesque village of Gstaad has style as well as substance when it comes to ski holidays. Step away from the high-end shops on The Promenade and you’ll find a different side to this fashionable mountain retreat – with 220km of pistes, there’s a run to suit every taste and every level of experience. When you’re not celeb-spotting on the slopes, head up Glacier 3000 for breath-taking panoramic views of the Alps.

Good to snow: Instead of driving all the way from Crans-Montana to Gstaad, park your car in Montreux and take the Golden Pass train for panoramic views across the frozen landscape.

Enjoying a central location on The Promenade, Le Grand Bellevue benefits from all the local amenities of Gstaad town. With a fine dining restaurant, Art Deco bar, and 3,000 square-metre spa with 17 different experience zones, there are plenty of reasons to stay inside at this early 20th-century grand dame as much as enjoy the great outdoors. Le Grand Bellevue has succeeded in creating a light-hearted, relaxed atmosphere for fun-loving guests, from giant board games in the afternoon tea lounge, to specially designed sofas in the underground bar made from a carpet-like material to encourage dancing on the furniture (yes, really). Suggested stay 2 nights minimum.