HotelChatter

Non-skiers can always rent a sled or try out Nordic walking. During the summer some resorts all but shut down, while others attract tourists who come to hike, or just to gaze at the dramatically gorgeous countryside.

Located 12 kilometers from Seefeld and 35 kilometers from Innsbruck, the Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol sits all by itself, up a winding road, in a nearly secluded area. Seefeld is the area’s best known ski resort, but it’s hardly a town at all; really just a mess of high-end hotels clustered along a few streets.

I loved the Inter-Alpen’s out-of-the-way location because it lacked the touristy shops gaudy hotels, although others may be more happy in the thick of a resort where après ski festivities are abundant. This area is one of the country’s best regions for cross-country skiing, and the trails are less intimidating for non-serious skiers.

With an exterior that echoes back to the 1980s when the hotel was built, the building is quite deceiving. Expecting more of a classic ski chalet, I was surprised by the sheer size of the hotel’s interior. The ground level—with soaring ceilings, huge chandeliers, and lots of traditional woodwork—has lots of open space with an almost circular layout. There are bars, fireplaces, and lots of places to just hang out and look at the snow outside.

Most of the Interalpen’s 238 rooms are spacious apartments and suites, furnished with traditional Tyrolean-style blonde furniture, old-fashioned tiled stoves, and pretty linens. The hotel’s 5,000-square meter spa is one of the largest (and best) in the Alps, holding a huge pool which extends from indoors to outdoors. There is also an extensive “sauna village”, and a house doctor who supervises spa medical treatments.

Skiers will love being able to take off straight from the hotel’s door out onto the cross-country trails, although the ultra-relaxing spa may tempt them to stay inside.

Room rates here begin at 215 euros or $272 in the high season, and 185 euros or $234 in the off-season.