Four words: rooftop cantilevered infinity pool. Head into the
eaves of this kooky mountain guesthouse for an unexpected spa
experience. Tucked between the roof tiles, you’ll find a sky-high
pool sticking out into the fresh mountain air, a soothing Turkish
bath and a modernist sauna, where guests recuperating from
après-ski woes can gaze out at the surrounding peaks.

No, it’s not the altitude. The views (in all directions) at this
suave refuge are truly breathtaking. Perched in the mountains above
Merano and surrounded by fragrant pine forests, there’s one word
we’d use to describe Miramonti’s sleek good looks and epic
surroundings: cinematic. Bond producers thought so, too. This was a
007 hangout in the 70s flick The Spy Who Loved Me. Step inside the
space-age building to find Nordic-inspired suites, a handful of
relaxed dining options and a superb spa. Head here in winter if
you’re a skier looking for a design-focused stopover close to
Merano 2000.

This eco-conscious Italian hotel does not skimp on design
details: fashioned to look like a log of wood cut in half, the
unique exterior blends seamlessly into its wooded alpine location.
Perched 1,500m high in the Dolomites, the 41-key stay is accessible
only by cable car or on foot (via meandering mountain hiking
paths). Take yourself to the spa for a swim in the outdoor heated
pool to soak up the natural vistas. The breakfast buffet is worth
setting your alarm for – a feast of cheeses and hams sourced from
local producers.

Clad in blackened larch wood, the modernist extension to this
family-run hotel cuts a striking silhouette in its lush valley
location – all asymmetrical angles mimicking the rugged mountain
topography of the Valle Aurina area. Inside, spacious rooms are
pared back and minimalist: untreated wooden floors, simple
furnishings and acres of off-white walls face off against picture
windows looking out across the Dolomites. The owners, Michaela and
Matthias Haller, are on hand to offer hiking advice and will lend
you walking gear if you’ve arrived unprepared.

Hotel Weisses Kreuz might be 800 years old, but it’s still
looking sleek, thanks in part to its seamless blend of heritage
quarters and contemporary design. Across three properties (built in
1236, 1871 and 2013), you’ll find clean lines juxtaposed with
alpine cosiness. Check into a gothic farmhouse, a 19th-century
family home or an angular and light-filled contemporary stay.

Most visit the Dolomites to practise their parallel turns in the
white stuff, but it’s worth bedding down at this architectural gem
tucked between the peaks in the summer, when snow time is swapped
for sunshine and spa treatments. Start in the Finnish sauna –
fashioned from the trunks of ancient Arctic spruces – then head to
the mud baths to get dirty. Upstairs, starkly minimalist suites
pair stone-hued linens with pale-wood walls.

Run by the same family for three generations, this hotel has a
familial feel. Traditional Tyrolean exteriors blend sympathetically
into the chocolate-box town of Schnalstal, providing a cosy,
colloquial backdrop for your South Tyrol retreat. Staff are happy
to help organise hiking tours and other outdoor adventures, but
we’d strongly recommend staying put and enjoying the generous
hospitality of owners Stefania and Paul Grüner. Curl up with a book
in the reading room, explore the ample treasures of the wine cellar
or head out into the kitchen garden for a nosy at what’s likely to
be part of your five-course evening dinner, served in the hotel’s
wood-panelled, candlelit dining room.

Tucked between vineyards, apple orchards and the exposed rocky
spines of the cream-coloured Dolomites, this 1925-built vintage pad
– two hours from Verona – pairs prim and proper alpine architecture
with quirky interiors cherry-picked from Europe’s bountiful crafts
heritage. Think terrazzo floors, Murano glass light fixtures and
well-polished wood furnishings made in a local workshop. The 10-key
stay feels more like a home than a hotel: breakfast is taken in the
cosy, wood-panelled stube and there’s an honesty bar outside the
bedrooms for midnight snacks. Borrow the hotel bikes for a ride
through Lana’s cobbled streets, or hike over to the nearby town of
Merano. Post-walk aches can be soothed in the town’s famous thermal
waters.