The great Alpine resorts — Courchevel, Zermatt, St. Moritz, Gstaad — have been attracting the world's wealthiest travellers for over a century. Their finest hotels are not merely ski lodges — they are among the most sophisticated luxury properties in the world.
The Alpine Hotel Hierarchy
The great Alpine resorts operate according to a hierarchy that has been established over more than a century of winter tourism. At the top are the 'Palace' hotels — the grand establishments that have been the social centres of their resorts since the Belle Époque: Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz, the Gstaad Palace, the Palace Hotel in Gstaad. These are hotels where the social life is as important as the skiing, and where the guest list has historically included royalty, aristocracy, and the international plutocracy.
Below the palaces are the luxury ski hotels — properties that prioritise ski access, spa facilities, and gastronomic excellence over social spectacle. Aman Le Mélézin in Courchevel 1850 is the finest example: a ski-in, ski-out property that combines the Aman's characteristic minimalism with the extraordinary skiing of the Trois Vallées.
Aman Le Mélézin: Ski-In Perfection
Aman Le Mélézin occupies the most coveted position in Courchevel 1850: directly on the Bellecôte piste, with ski-in, ski-out access to the Trois Vallées — the largest linked ski area in the world. The hotel's 31 rooms and suites are among the most beautifully designed in the Alps: a collaboration between the Aman's design team and the local tradition of sapin wood construction that creates spaces of extraordinary warmth and calm.
The spa, which occupies the entire lower level of the hotel, is the finest in Courchevel: a 600 square metre sanctuary with an indoor pool, a hammam, and a treatment menu that draws on both Eastern and Alpine healing traditions.
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Badrutt's Palace: St. Moritz Legend
Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz is the most famous hotel in the Alps, and one of the most famous in the world. Founded in 1896 by Caspar Badrutt — the hotelier who is credited with inventing the concept of the winter holiday, having bet a group of English guests that they would enjoy the Alps in winter — the Palace has been the social centre of St. Moritz for 130 years.
The hotel's 157 rooms and suites are among the most generously proportioned in the Alps. The King's Club, the hotel's legendary nightclub, has been the venue for some of the most celebrated parties in the history of winter tourism.
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The Editor's Verdict
The Alps reward the traveller who understands that the greatest mountain experiences are not found on the most crowded pistes or in the most famous resorts. The best skiing in the Alps is often found in the smaller, less fashionable resorts — Verbier, Méribel, Megève — where the crowds are thinner and the mountain culture is more authentic.
For those who want the full Alpine luxury experience — the palace hotel, the Michelin-starred restaurant, the après-ski that continues until dawn — St. Moritz remains the essential destination. For those who want the best skiing combined with the finest hotel, Courchevel 1850 and Aman Le Mélézin is the answer.
Our editors travel extensively to verify every recommendation. All hotel reviews are independent — we accept no payment for editorial coverage.
