Aethos Monterosa
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.
