Grand Hotel Zermatterhof

The Matterhorn is the focus; this imposing, eerie mountain peak, standing upright above the high Alps, is possibly Switzerland's most recognizable icon, and the high mountain town of Zermatt the Alps' classic resort town. The Grand Hotel Zermatterhof has been here since 1879, and was the favored alpine getaway of the aristocracy, as it is today — though today's visiting aristocrats are as likely to be film stars and rockers as they are royals and statesmen. The view is extraordinary—and most rooms have baclonies from which to enjoy it—but the hotel is extraordinary as well.

If you are expecting some sort of upscale ski chalet, you will be pleasantly surprised; this is called a Grand Hotel for a reason (the Swiss, apparently, don't do hyperbole). Bathrooms are marble and tile with heated towel racks, and the bedrooms are enormous, and so elegantly appointed that if not for the Matterhorn looming outside, one could mistake this for a five-star city hotel.

And don't get us started on the service — where some resort hotels might employ rosy-cheeked ski bums, Zermatterhof goes the traditional grand hotel route, with a polished and professional staff. Winter is, naturally, the high season, but it's well worth the trip, if only for the breathtaking sleigh ride to the hotel.