Best Winter Getaways in Europe

Whether one is looking to experience the thrill of the snow runs or take the opportunity to visit a popular destination in its off season downtime, Europe in winter opens the door to an array of possibilities. These are our top 5 winter getaways in Europe.

Europe Winter Getaways

• Courchevel, France
• Switzerland
• Megève, France
• Scotland
• Seville, Spain

Hotel Le K2 Palace Courchevel, France

 

Perched at 1850 meters above the sea level, in one of the world’s most famous ski destinations, Hotel Le K2 Palace is one of the crown jewels of Courchevel.

Inspired by the Himalayan landscapes, Le K2 Palace village-like appearance communicates a sense of warmth and coziness at the heart of the French Alps. The traditional chalet exteriors of wood and stone welcome guests to an interior that takes a modern, more minimalist approach to the traditional chalet atmosphere. The 36 rooms and suites feature a palette of grey and latte, accentuated with motifs and colors that are inspired by Tibetan culture. The view is the highlight of the accommodation, treating guests to splendid views of the snow-covered mountains.

On the culinary front, Hotel Le K2 Palace Courchevel features the 2-Michelin-starred Le Sarkara. This unique restaurant pâtissier gastronomique in Courchevel is where guests can enjoy the artful dessert-making of Chef Sébastien Vauxion. L’Altiplano treats guests to Peruvian flavors in the French Alps. The 8611 Bar, with its living room-style atmosphere and panoramic view of Courchevel, and Le Winston Club’s intimate, gentleman’s club setting, offer two delightful outlets for evening drinks and cigars.

Guests of Hotel Le K2 Palace have access to the Goji Spa which keeps the atmosphere of a chalet with the ever presence of wood and stone, an intimate spa area for massages, treatments, and relaxation, with a Tearoom available. The hotel also has a fully equipped fitness area, with a coach for personalized programs, a Shu Uemura hair dressing salon, and a pool area with views over the mountains.

The hotel provides direct access to the ski pistes of Courchevel 1850.

Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa, Switzerland

Located along the flank of the Bürgenberg mountain ridge, with unbeatable views of Lake Lucerne, the Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa is one of the four hotels that make up the 60-acre Bürgenstock Resort.

Boasting an exterior that blends Belle Époque and contemporary looks, the hotel is home to 102 guest rooms and suites within a palette of white, black, and grey highlighted with dark polished wood paneling, stone, and leather, all of which offers panoramic views of the lake and mountains.

Meanwhile, the Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa’s F&B offering impresses with 7 restaurants and 1 bar, including the Asian-theme Spices Kitchen & Terrace, the Persian-theme Parisa, and the traditional mountain Taverne 1879. The Lakeview Bar & Cigar Lounge offers a dazzling view of the location, with its floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows.

Additionally, hotel guests have access to the 10,000-square-meter Alpine Spa with no less than 5 pools, saunas and relaxation rooms, and numerous collaborations with brands such as Dr. Barbara Sturm, Biologique Recherche, KOS Paris, and 111 Skin.

Four Seasons Hotel Megève, France

As the brand’s first ever mountain property, the Four Seasons Hotel Megève in France is a unique partnership between the luxury hotel house and the Rothschild family, who wanted to create an incomparable alpine experience.

The property brings guests to Mont d’Arbois, one of the most sumptuous parts of the French Alps. Boasting a classical French alpine design, with bright and spacious interiors that recall a chic residential feel. Throughout the hotel’s common areas and its 55 rooms and suites, guests can find unique pieces of art, among which are over 120 original paintings from portraitist and caricaturist Thierry Bruet.

On the culinary side, the hotel boasts 6 restaurants and bars. La Dame de Pic – Le 1920 is the hotel’s flagship restaurant, featuring the cuisine of Michelin-starred Anne-Sophie Pic in a minimalist Japanese-style setting. Kaito delights with Japanese flavors in a setting that looks like a modern Asian temple with its red columns.

In the form of a rotunda with a two-storey-high ceiling, The Cave à Vin is worth a visit, inviting guests to take a seat at the table at the center of this beautiful room for a fine spirit tasting. Bar Edmond and its natural décor with sand, cream and cappuccino tones is warm and allows the view to shine through. The Salon de Cigares invites guests to enjoy their cigars alongside a glass of cognac or whisky. The Lobby is a cozy area for light bites and drinks during the day.

At Les Chalets du Mont d’Arbois, Megève, A Four Seasons Hotel, found just 5 minutes from the Four Seasons Hotel Megève, guests have access to two additional restaurants: La Table de Noémie and Bar Mont d’Arbois.

The hotel spa boasts an impressive array of treatments, and gives access to a heated indoor-outdoor pool (which contrasts with the rest of the hotel in its Art Deco style with white colonnades and antique-inspired frescoes), as well as a fully equipped fitness center.

The hotel also offers many winter activities such as ski in – ski out access at the foot of Mont d’Arbois, heli-skiing, dog-sledding, paragliding, and more.

The Fife Arms, Scotland

Located in the Scottish Highlands, The Fife Arms is the passion project of owners Hauser and Wirth, who transformed the hotel into a living museum with over 14,000 pieces of art curated from artists around the world.

The Fife Arms is a large building that takes the shape of a typical Scottish mansion, with its grey stones and its lattice windows. Both the common areas and the 46 guest rooms and suites are inspired by the local history of the building, with various decorative items paying homage to notable guests and national personalities such as Queen Victoria or Elsie Inglis, founder of the Scottish Women’s Hospital. Guests are treated to Victorian accommodations, with detailed four-poster beds, carefully crafted period furniture and fabrics that recall bygone centuries, and unique art pieces, in the forms of paintings, sculptures, and installations.

On the F&B side, the hotel features 6 restaurants and bars, including the Flying Stag, a typical Scottish bar that has become a landmark gathering address for the locals, the Clunie Dining Room with its striking mural by artist Guillermo Kuitca, and the Drawing Room’s antique-filled décor fit for Afternoon Tea.

Elsa’s Bar is an Art Deco-inspired outlet with an electric ambiance while Bertie’s Bar, with its Edwardian library style filled with 365 back-lit whiskey bottles in a dark wood and crimson velvet setting, is the perfect place for a nightcap.

The Fondue Hut completes the hotel’s culinary offering with an Alpine décor and atmosphere.

The Albamhor Treatment Rooms make up the spa of the Fife Arms, where guests can enjoy beauty treatments and relaxing massages, and access to a fitness center.

The hotel also caters for a wide array of experiences such as tours of the highlands, clay pigeon shooting, and snow sports, with two ski centers being close to the hotel.

Hotel Alfonso XIII, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Seville, Spain

Found at the buoyant heart of Seville, the hotel was built on the orders of King Alfonso XIII himself to accommodate international dignitaries and members of the royal family who were visiting Spain at for the Ibero-American Exhibition in 1929. Today, with its iconic architecture and historical legacy, the Hotel Alfonso XIII, A Luxury Collection Hotel is a landmark of Seville.

The hotel’s 148 guest rooms and suites are mostly sand, cream and terracotta, featuring an eclectic interior design that blends old Andalusian influences with carefully picked contemporary pieces. The rooms contain elements such as beautiful Mudejar headboards and Sevillian ceramic on the floor that call back to the hotel’s original design.

Restaurante San Fernando, with its iconic Moorish arches and décor, is a sumptuous dining area for guests to relish authentic Spanish cuisine. Bar Americano boasts the aesthetics of the Roaring Twenties, with its golden chairs, Art Deco chandelier, and deep blue walls. Ena Sevilla, with its outdoor terrace, is the tapas outlet of the hotel, with views of the city. The Pool Restaurant completes the hotel’s culinary offering with a light menu and refreshment.

While the hotel doesn’t offer the services of a spa, it nevertheless provides a fully equipped fitness center and a beautiful outdoor main pool.

Book a Winter Getaway in Europe

Winter in Europe is an underrated treat to explore destinations, sights and experience with fewer crowds. With a choice of magical country and cities to explore, see our luxury hotel selection in Europe for your next winter break or contact us about a booking.

Looking for more inspiration? See our Best Winter Getaways in the US.