Winter Wonders: These 5 Hotels are Best Enjoyed When it’s Freezing Outside

Winter has come, and it is the ideal time to pack your bags and get moving if you love the sight of snow-clad mountains and the tingling sensation of icy winds brushing againstyour skin. A holiday to snowy locales can be a lot more than cosying up against a warm fireplace. Snowboarding, skiing and enjoying arctic lights from an ice hotel room—here is all that you can do at these 5 hotels for an unforgettable winter holiday.

1. Palazzo Viviani Hotel, Rimini, Italy

This castle-like luxury property is a winter getaway located among the clouds, quite literally. Built on the boundary between Marche and Romagna regions, the Palazzo Viviani Hotel, also known as Relais Palazzo Viviani Montegridolfo, is situated on a high point of the green hills in Valconca Valley that gradually winds into the Adriatic Sea. The bountiful snowfall in the region makes it a destination worth looking forward to despite the bone-chilling cold. The vantage position of the hotel building offers a panoramic view of the countryside, with towers, ancient churches, and abandoned old fortresses. The property comprises of 54 luxuriously appointed rooms that offer everything you need for a memorable vacation.

Price starting at: INR 36,014*

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Read More: 5 Reasons Why Indians Love Travelling to Italy

2. Kulm Hotel, St Mortiz, Switzerland

The Kulm Hotel at St Mortiz is hands-down the numero uno destination for an Alpine winter holiday, for no other place celebrates the beauty of Switzerland as a winter wonderland like this place. This plush property with its own golf course at the foothills offers spellbinding views of the Piz Nair Mountain and the Lake St Mortiz sitting below it. During winter months, these attractions are walloped in a thick blanket of snow, painting the entire place in pristine white hues. The well-appointed luxury suites and rooms, designed to keep you warm and cosy, are perfect for marvelling at the beauty of these unspoiled natural surroundings. For those seeking some thrill and adventure, the hotel organizes a host of winter adventure sports such as skiing in Engadine St. Moritz ranges, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, pirouetting on the hotel’s own skating rink, sledging, winter hiking and more. However, when it comes to fun, nothing beats the Olympic Bob run, which involves going down the slopes of St. Moritz-Celerina on a 75-second adrenaline surging ride aboard a four-person bob complete with a pilot and a brakeman, and Cresta Run, which takes you down head first on an ice-track at a break-neck speed of 140 kmph! Of course, you can pamper yourself to spa and wellness treatments too. Live piano at the hotel’s Altitude Bar is absolutely un-miss-able!

Price starting at: INR 46,168 onward*

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3. Icehotel, Jukkasjarvi, Sweden

Icehotel, a renowned tourist destination that also doubles as an art exhibition crafted out of snow and ice, draws inspiration and life from the Torne River that flows through Jukkasjärvi. First set up in 1989, this unique hotel is built from scratch every winter in this obscure Swedish village situated just 200km north of the Arctic Circle. More recently, the hotel has added a permanent structure to its premises by the name ICEHOTEL 365 comprising luxury and art suites, all tastefully sculptured by highly skilled artists. It also houses a well-stocked ice bar to cut the freezing cold with the warmth of spirits. The classic Icehotel, and its contemporary cousin, are a dream come true for anyone wanting to experience rare phenomenon like the Arctic Lights from all-natural surroundings.

Price starting at: INR 12, 695*

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​Read more: The Best Places to Catch the Northern Lights 

4. Hotel Munchen Palace, Munich, Germany

Hotel Munchen Palace situated on Trogerstrasse in Munich, Germany, is privately owned 5-star boutique luxury hotel built by a natural stone and marble trader in 1986. The property is tastefully designed for a laid-back holiday, spent in solitude or in company of your loves ones. The real highlight is its picturesque garden that shines through even under a cover of snow, and is easily visible from the outsized windows fitted in every room. Pamper yourself with a sauna, steam bath, and relaxing massages by experienced masseurs to make the most of this winter getaway. Tickle your taste buds with some authentic German cuisine at the in-house Palace Restaurant, besides indulging in some vintage wines at the Palace Bar. Do make room for Englischer Garten—a popular picnic destination that is just 5 minutes away from the hotel—in your travel itinerary.

Price starting at: INR 18,269*

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Read more: 10 Secret Places in Europe

It is time to break-away from the ‘winters are for beach holidays’ theory, bring out those soft wooly caps and fur coats, and have some fun in the snow at these dreamy winter hotels. 

*Prices may vary