Three winter breaks to book to escape dreary January
I will be clear from the get-go. I hate the cold. Anything below 20 degrees and I start to shut down. How I’ve lasted 36 years in the UK is a miracle, but at least London has its own microclimate thanks to all those skyscrapers. Out on the continent, it’s a different story. One in which blizzards and snowstorms are seen as Gothically romantic.
Verbier, Courchevel, Val d’Isère, Megève – these are all the posher than posh ski resorts where £300,000 a week chalets and £50 cocktails are the norm. Eye wateringly expensive they may be, but people still keep coming back for one reason alone: the thrill of the snow.
But the snow is changing, and not just because of climate change: the call of adventure and #wellness is drawing in a totally different crowd that demands more than just gimmicks and snowcapped frivolity. Away from the A-List destinations, there are more isolated alternatives that won’t cost you your sanity or exhaust your social battery.
Three winter breaks to book now
Iceland
Ah, the lonely speck of ice and fire set way out in the northern Atlantic. Mass tourism to the Nordic wonder has finally stabilised after shrinking transatlantic stop-over demand and a growing disinterest in Game of Thrones-related shindigs.
As for luxury, one-of-a-kind experiences, however, nothing has changed. Deep in the Troll Peninsula, hidden away by towering mountains and imposing glaciers, Deplar Farm draws in the elite and the adventurous. It’s location is a major perk: virgin forests, crystalline streams and miles upon miles of nothingness. It is perhaps best described as the Scottish Highland’s far fledged sister, just icier and more remote.
Once a sheep farm, the property’s glow up has made it a flagship proposition for American operator Eleven Experience. The brainchild of owner and private equity giant Chad Pike, the lodge is legendary in Iceland’s heli-ski scene, loved by the rich and famous, who descend on the 13-suite chalet to slap on their boots. Beyond the vertical limits there’s a world of textured linens, volcanic slates and Scandi noir that ticks all of the design trend boxes.
Think glass box rooms and spaces draped with hammocks, thick throws and slick tabletops crowned with afternoon nap literature. But it’s the experiential perks that give Deplar its edge: watching the spectacle of the Northern Lights from the outdoor pool; humpback whale spotting in the fjords and cozy afternoons spent chilling by the fire at Floki, the recording studio used by Justin Bieber. Trek further afield atop Icelandic steeds that traverse mighty rivers and waterfalls, craggy precipices and barren snowscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see.
Italian Dolomites
Views from the Forestis – one of three amazing winter breaks to book for this January
Out in the Italian Dolomites, our favourite ski-in, ski-out hotel by a mile is Forestis. Perhaps the greatest pleasure of this minimalist mountain escape is that it speaks to the topic du jour: isolation.
Panoramic Tower Suites ensure round the clock serenity – including views of the UNESCO-listed Dolomiti range – and, come sunrise, the only thing aside from birdsong you will hear is the sweet sound of nothingness. Reading material? There is none. In fact, Forestis is so stripped back it’s made of only four materials: linen, pine, glass and Dolomite stone, sealed tight with beeswax. Here you are encouraged to meditate, without noise or distraction – a feeling which at first feels alien, but over time becomes a rare luxury.
The wellness crypt – also encased in glass – has healing engrained into i ts ethos withoffers immunity boosters and massages that follow pagan rites and Celtic Druidry. Plus, if you are on the pull, the nude sauna is a great place to size things up – if you get my drift.
Beyond switching off and cheeky winks in the spa, Forestis is a destination spot for mountain foodies. Yera, the hotel’s newly opened concept restaurant, sees guests savour a three-plus hour ancient Celtic-inspired menu devoured from within the belly of a nearby underground cave.
The strictly no-phones fine dining affair is the brainchild of South Tyrolean hoteliers Stefan Hinteregger, his partner Teresa Unterthiner and executive chef Roland Lamprecht. Based on stirring the primordial senses, the menu is based around the fruits of the harvest, foraging produce based on locality and cooked according to inherited Tyrolean traditions.
“We encourage guests to slow down, connect and not let the camera eat first,” says Lamprecht. It’s about being “in the moment and connecting with people again.”
Expect pagan rituals, a soundtrack tuned to the noise of distant drums and dishes including fermented veg, spruce shoots, forest plants and kombucha wines, all served around a fire pit, said to be an homage to the age-old practice of gathering for a feast around flames. It’s exquisite.
A winter break with the high-heeled in St Moritz
Suvretta House in St Moritz
Over in Europe’s most glamorous corner, the high-heeled parties of Badrutt’s Palace and the sporty ski chic of Kulm draw in the high-heeled crowds, but the hotel rivalry strikes deep this season as Suvretta House unveils a new spa.
At 1,800 metres up in the clouds, this three-level wellness sanctuary is all about views of the Engadin Valley, spread over 4,000 colossal square metres. The transformation also sees the addition of a 25-metre pool, a yoga studio, wellness garden, Kneipp circuit, and if you are travelling with kids, a dedicated space to ditch them in. The hotel has also teamed up with The Beat, Europe’s most exclusive Pilates studio.
The Swiss Cell Spa Experience is a firm standout, with treatments using Cellcosmet and Cellmen products. Will you look younger? For a day or two, sure. Away from the spa, Suvretta House exudes pin-up charm with its Disney-esque good looks and traditional Alpine-style décor. Jacket-and-tie fine dining is a rite of passage at the starry eyed The Grand Restaurant or just head out onto the ice rink for a show, with champagne on tap served by skilled (and dashing) waiters on skates.
Deplar Room in Iceland from £2,600 per room per night, elevenexperience.com; Rooms at Forestis cost from £885, forestis.it; Suvretta House has rooms from £769; suvrettahouse.ch
For more winter break inspiration check City AM Travel