Hotel Kitzhof Mountain Design Resort

To say that Hotel Kitzhof is more than the sum of its parts is to drastically understate the case. The 163-room resort in the Austrian Alps takes the familiar materials of a traditional alpine lodge — black-and-white photos of olden-days skiers, an abundance of pine, hunting trophies (i.e. antlers) mounted on the walls — and transforms them into something completely different from what those ingredients suggest. It’s a modern design hotel worthy of the title.

Its home, Kitzbühel, is a fashionable ski town in the classic Austrian Alps mold, and views of its streets, rooftops and towers make appearances in many of the hotel’s guest rooms. One step up from the standard single, the Tyrol double rooms have balconies with loungers from which you can watch neighborhood life amble by, while the Horn and Streif double rooms draw the eyes a little higher, to the surrounding mountains. While all of the rooms feel contemporary, the Superior rooms feel especially fresh, with leather armchairs, spacious entrance areas (good for taking off ski- or hiking gear), and stone bathrooms with walk-in rain showers and separate bathtubs.

In the process of scaling up a stylish boutique hotel, the Kitzhof comes through with all the expected resort amenities, too. There are several excellent restaurants serving everything from healthy snacks to Tyrolean delicacies, one with a lovely walk-in wine cellar. Then there are large modern conference and board rooms, an indoor pool filled with Grander (specially purified) water, and a spa with a full menu of treatment options plus saunas, a steam bath and a fitness room with breathtaking views.

Of course the views on the nearby slopes are pretty breathtaking, too. The area draws ski-crowds throughout the winter, especially for the Hahnenkamm downhill race in late January. In summer it quiets down, but especially around here, the Alps look as pretty in green as they do in white.