5 Best Hotels in Breuil-Cervinia/The Matterhorn, Piedmont and the Valle d'Aosta

Aethos breaks the traditional Alpine lodging mold with ultramodern furnishings, a rock-climbing wall inside and an ice-climbing wall outside (winter only), an indoor-outdoor spa, and even a Japanese steak house and cocktail bar, near the sleepy Alpine village of Champoluc. All-suite rooms, with private terraces, maximize the space with double-decker spaces featuring beds and bathrooms upstairs and sofa beds with another bathroom downstairs. You can sign up for lessons on the indoor climbing wall that dominates one side of the lobby—there’s also a twice-weekly “kids’ hour” for ages 5 to 10—while true adventurers can hone their ice-climbing skills on the 39-foot ice wall attached to the hotel. The inviting spa extends from indoors to out: The inside features an 82-foot swimming pool with floor-to-ceiling windows, a steam room, sauna, whirlpool, cold plunge, and well-equipped gym, while the outdoors has another pool, more saunas, and wooden hot tubs with mountain views. The Summit restaurant prepares an eclectic mix of Alpine-inspired Italian cuisine, while 1568 Japanese Steakhouse features Asian-inflected raw fish and grilled meats. For a pre- or postdinner tipple, the Doping Champoluc cocktail bar, an outpost of one in Milan, has a large selection of Japanese whisky and specializes in Japanese-style cocktails along with finger foods.

The entryway's marble relief of St. Theodolus reminds you that this was once a hermitage, but asceticism has given way to comfort and elegance—a fire is always glowing in the enormous hearth, the dining room is candlelit, the bright bedrooms have balconies, and the suites have antique fireplaces and 18th-century furnishings. You can enjoy its extensive health and beauty amenities and play 18 holes at the Cervino Golf Club. Note that summer rates are roughly half what they are in winter.

This calm, quiet mountain lodge offers commanding views of the Matterhorn and surrounding peaks from the balconies of its simply furnished wood-paneled guest rooms. The restaurant is one of the few dining spots in town to offer regional Valdostana cuisine, and though its wood beams and tables are typical of a ski resort, meals are produced with greater care than your average après-ski affair.

In an evergreen forest at Perrères, just outside Cervinia, this family-run inn is quiet and cozy, with three big fireplaces and a nice view of the Matterhorn. An excellent restaurant serves local specialties.

This modern ski chalet-style hotel just south of Cervinia hits all the marks for an active yet relaxing holiday, with on-site equipment rentals, a large spa complete with swimming pool, and even personal saunas in some guest rooms. Rooms feature woodsy, if a tad basic, decor; all have balconies with views of either the forest or the nearby ski slopes. Panorama Restaurant—with panoramic views of the mountains—serves up traditional Italian dishes with a local spin, as well as an expansive breakfast buffet, while cozy wood-paneled Abrì Restaurant (winter season only) specializes in heartier Valle d’Aosta cuisine such as meat platters, cabbage soup, fondue, and raclette. The spa, which must be reserved in advance, includes an indoor pool, whirlpool, steam room, saunas, a salt relaxation room, and a small gym. Though getting to the town isn’t very walkable, a fast and frequent complimentary shuttle takes guests directly to Cervinia and to the ski lifts.