With temperatures currently pushing 40C in traditional Med holiday destinations, it’s time to up the altitude for an escape that combines reliable rays with activities galore.
At these hotels, higher elevation spells cooler climes — yet still with plenty of sun-drenched charm.
Eriro, Austria
Come for the 20-something-degree sunny weather, stay for the jaw-dropping view: a dramatic panorama of Tyrolean mountains, footed by a carpet of green pines and alpine meadows. At minimalist nine-room hideaway eriro, it’s all about savouring the setting, with clean architectural lines in natural woods defining uncluttered living spaces lined in huge windows.
Set at 1,500m amid the peaks of Ehrwald, this is a place where time slows down, moods shift to the meditative and nature takes on an almost holy status. Food, drink and activities are all included, so switch off and surrender to the experience.
Book it: From £1,315 all-inclusive. eriro.at
Grand Hotel Belvedere, Switzerland
Combining old-world alpine charm with contemporary cool, this recently renovated stay by the chic Beaumier group serves up the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Bernese Oberland on a plate. Board the Wengernalp cogwheel train and ascend to the Heidi-esque scene with horse-riding trails, paragliding and hikes like the Royal Walk, which squirrels up to the summit of nearby Männlichen.
With sunny but temperate climes you can spend whole days outdoors, sailing on Lake Thun, hot air-ballooning or lazing by the pool overlooking the iconic Jungfrau before heading for a dinner of local beef pithivier in the restaurant.
Book it: From £248. beaumier.com
Aman Rosa Alpina, Italy
Following a revamp by Jean-Michel Gathy, Italian ski resort San Cassiano’s premier hotel reopens under the Aman banner later this month — so there’s no cooler time to visit. Featuring classic alpine timber and stone plus Aman’s typically zen Asian-inflected interiors, expect super spacious bedrooms and a double-height lobby bar.
Despite the temptation to linger, be sure to force yourself out to explore the hiking and biking trails, and pretty church-studded centre. If for no other reason than when you return you can delve into the Aman Spa guilt-free, savouring the three swimming pools and Dolomite-inspired treatments for the rest of the day.
Book it: From £1553. aman.com
Schloss Elmau, Germany
Brilliant for families — and even more brilliant for spa-lovers — this long-running hotel in the Elmau Valley, 1000m above sea level, is packed with organised activities, cultural delights and superb food. Twice host to the G7, it’s got the swank and privacy required for jet-setters but still feels homely. It’s perfect if you’re coming for a week of football camp with the kids, an expert-led Pilates retreat, rock-climbing, tennis or one of the concert hall recitals. Nearly a dozen dining options, some Michelin-starred, allow you to quickly restore any calories you’ve burned from constantly being on the move.
Book it: From £242pp. schloss-elmau.de
Hotel Milka, Slovenia
With its rugged peaks, medieval towns and glassy lakes — including the famed Lake Bled — the Julian Alps are mountainous eye-candy, ideal for those who’ve already explored the usual peak suspects in Austria and Switzerland.
On the banks of Lake Jasna in the foothills of an alpine pass, boutiquey Milka is a love letter to the north-eastern Kranjska Gora region wrought in beautiful design, exceptional (two-Michelin-starred) food and sustainable ethos. It might be your first time in Slovenia but, after this, it won’t be your last.
Book it: From £384. hotelmilka.si
Lyngen Lodge, Norway
With its waterside setting in the photogenic Lyngen Alps and greenery-topped living roof, family-run Lyngen Lodge in northern Norway looks every bit the Scandi summertime dream. Ultra-long summer days — the sun doesn’t set at all here between 18 May and 26 July — give opportunity for almost limitless exploration.
Spend a morning whale watching or salmon fishing, then the afternoon hiking across the Strupbreen glacier, reached by boat gliding across the glassy Lyngen fjord. Back at the eight-room home base, you’re given a warm welcome with wood-lined walls, a snowy palette and a social lounge area with crackling fire, plus outdoor jacuzzi for late-night dips in the golden light.
Book it: From £291pp full-board. lyngenlodge.com
Schlosshotel Fiss, Austria
From the on-site kids’ club to the Splash water park – and the dedicated family spa – this Tyrolean resort, perched 1,438m above sea level in ski resort Serfaus Fiss Ladis, knows how to keep little travellers busy. Courses like trampoline or hip-hop are perfect for older kiddos while parents slip off to lie by the sun-trap pool, or you can make the most of the mountain cable car a five-minute walk away for a serene, grown up hike on one of the many walking trails. Rooms in greens, greys, whites and naked woods reflect the tones outside and ground the mood at the end of a busy day exploring.
Book it: From £407. schlosshotel-fiss.com
Casa Cook Madonna, Italy
If you need any proof that coolcations are trending, the opening of the first mountain retreat from adults-only group Casa Cook is it. The design-forward getaways have traditionally been in sun-drenched climes (think Greece, Egypt) but the newest location throws open doors 1,550m up in the Italian village of Madonna di Campiglio this 18 July.
Earth-toned rooms with sweeping views will make your pulse slow and shoulders drop – while a cocktail terrace and a restaurant dishing up polished Italian plates will perk you up again.
Book it: From £173. casacook.com
Six Senses Crans-Montana, Switzerland
This is glamour high up in the Swiss alps. At 1,500m Crans-Montana enjoys blue sky and sunshine around 300 days a year, and the luxurious Six Senses helps you make the most of it, arranging everything from paragliding to e-biking and golf. Views stretch out to the iconic Matterhorn, while cooling, coddling rooms in deep greys feel as though they could have been hewn straight from mountain rock. Given it’s a Six Senses USP, a visit to the spa is practically mandatory, for laps in the rooftop pool or biohacking treatments that aim to turn back the clock.
Book it: From £653. sixsenses.com
Chedi Andermatt, Switzerland
Love the idea of a mountain break, but don’t ‘do’ rustic? The Chedi, with its pristine, polished and glassy interiors — which wouldn’t look out of the place in a high-end city hotel — has got your back. You’ll want for nothing here, whether you’re seeking two-Michelin-starred Japanese dining, a premium cigar (they stock more than 900 options) or a seaweed body wrap in the 2,400-square-metre spa. When (or if) you manage to make it outdoors, beautiful alpine panoramas and the golf, luxurious shopping and mountain railways of chic Andermatt await.
Book it: From £804. thechediandermatt.com
My Arbour, Italy
Is it a hotel? Is it a treehouse? Architecturally ambitious My Arbour is certainly one-of-a-kind, sitting on stilts in a woodland perch overlooking the purple-hued panorama of South Tyrol peaks. Designed to inspire personal wellbeing and connection with nature, this hotel has a two-storied spa (including five saunas) and a rigorous outdoors programme that includes sunrise hikes, forest bathing, yoga and meditation. The rooms, unsurprisingly, are a homage to the tree, lined in characterful woods and with deep soaking tubs.
Book it: From £212pp half-board. my-arbor.com
Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras, Slovakia
There’s an old-world romance to this palatial hotel in the Slovakian High Tatras mountains, an untamed wild filled with bears, lynx and wolves. With its white tablecloths and silver service, chandeliers hung above the pool and billiards room in the Players’ Lounge, it feels frozen in another time, amid this vast wilderness etched with hiking trails, river gorges and underground lakes.
Book into a water-facing room and you can rise to coffee and breakfast on your balcony, looking out for wildlife moving between the bushy bankside pines beyond.
Book it: From £250. kempinski.com
