The chicest ski hotels in Europe — from authentic alpine chalets to a converted hospital

Alpine grande dames remain bastions of old school glamour, gazing down their long, turreted noses at the frozen lakes, some reluctantly humming a more modern tune, but most dining off stories of winter madcappery and (nearly always) a visit from either Ernest Hemmingway or Sofia Loren, or both. They’re chic, but for the purposes of this article, they’re in their own, rather splendid category.

Next up is the rugged, Savoyard-style mountain hideaway, where interiors paint an elevated picture of a rustic Alpine lodge with plenty of wood carvings, taxidermy and cowbells.