The Alps have the finest mountain spas in the world. Here you can swim in a heated pool facing the Matterhorn, sweat in a sauna with a window onto the Dolomites, then step out into the snow, or soak in thermal water inside a building quarried from the mountain. After a day on the slopes or the trails, there is no better way to end it.
These are the best spa hotels in the Alps, from vast wellness parks to small, intimate retreats, across Switzerland, the Italian Dolomites, Austria and Bavaria.
The best spa hotels in the Alps at a glance
- Best for design and calm: FORESTIS, Dolomites
- Best spa park: Hotel Hubertus, Dolomites
- Best thermal baths: 7132 Hotel, Switzerland
- Biggest spa: Bürgenstock Resort, Lake Lucerne
- Best spa architecture: Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Arosa
- Best for ski and spa: Six Senses Crans-Montana, Valais
- Best for families: Naturhotel Forsthofgut, Austria
- Best for couples who want peace: Adler Mountain Lodge, Dolomites
1. FORESTIS, Dolomites, Italy
Best for: couples, design lovers, deep calm
High on the slopes of the Plose above Brixen, FORESTIS is a spa hotel built around the forest. Its 2,000-square-metre spa has four saunas, treatments inspired by the trees around it and an outdoor pool facing the jagged peaks of South Tyrol. The 62 suites are lined with spruce and glass, and the two Penthouse Suites have private rooftop pools. It is minimalist and adults-oriented, for guests of 14 and over, and in winter it is ski-in, ski-out to the Plose. Read our review of FORESTIS.
2. Hotel Hubertus, Olang, Dolomites, Italy
Best for: spa lovers, couples, families
Hotel Hubertus is home to one of the most photographed pools in the Alps: the Sky Pool, a 25-metre infinity pool cantilevered out from the hillside above Olang, its glass front dropping away to the valley. Around it lies the 7,000-square-metre Alpenreych spa park and the Heaven & Hell Sky Spa, with saunas, pools and relaxation rooms on every level. It is family-run and warm, with family rooms, and the slopes of the Kronplatz are close by. Read our review of Hotel Hubertus.
3. 7132 Hotel, Vals, Switzerland
Best for: architecture lovers, a truly restorative stay
At the head of a remote valley in Graubünden, the 7132 Hotel stands beside the Therme Vals, Peter Zumthor's celebrated thermal baths of layered quartzite, one of the most admired buildings in Europe. Swimming in its warm mineral water as snow falls outside is an unforgettable experience, and ESPA treatments complete it. Every room faces the mountains, and the Kengo Kuma penthouses are among the most beautiful suites in Switzerland. Read our review of 7132 Hotel.
4. Bürgenstock Resort, Lake Lucerne, Switzerland
Best for: a big spa with lake and mountain views
The 10,000-square-metre Alpine Spa at Bürgenstock is one of the largest in the Alps, set on a car-free ridge 500 metres above Lake Lucerne, with views across the water to Pilatus and the Rigi. Its cliff-edge infinity pool, steaming in winter, is one of the most famous hotel pools in Switzerland. With several hotels and a dozen restaurants on the plateau, it suits couples and families alike. Read our review of Bürgenstock Resort.
5. Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Arosa, Switzerland
Best for: spa architecture, skiers, families
The Tschuggen Bergoase is a 5,000-square-metre spa by the Swiss architect Mario Botta, built into the mountain over four floors and crowned by glass and steel "sails" that rise from the hillside like leaves. Inside are pools with mountain views, saunas, steam rooms and relaxation areas. The hotel has two-Michelin-star dining, a kindergarten and its own private railway to the ski slopes. Read our review of Tschuggen Grand Hotel.
6. Six Senses Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Best for: a ski-in ski-out spa hotel, wellness programmes
Opened for the 2022/23 season, Six Senses Crans-Montana is built around a 2,000-square-metre spa with nine treatment rooms, an indoor pool, a rooftop pool facing the Valais peaks, saunas, a cold-water pool, a yoga studio and a biohacking recovery lounge. It is ski-in, ski-out above the main gondola, and the largest suites have their own saunas. Read our review of Six Senses Crans-Montana.
7. The Omnia, Zermatt, Switzerland
Best for: a small spa with a Matterhorn view
Perched on a rock above car-free Zermatt, The Omnia has just 30 rooms and a compact, beautifully designed spa with an indoor and outdoor pool, an outdoor whirlpool, a Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath, a caldarium and a flower steam room. Request a room facing the Matterhorn. Read our review of The Omnia.
8. Naturhotel Forsthofgut, Leogang, Austria
Best for: families, nature lovers
Naturhotel Forsthofgut is home to Europe's first waldSPA, or forest spa, an adults-only retreat in the trees, alongside a separate family spa and a natural swimming lake facing the Leoganger Steinberge. It manages to be both one of Austria's best family hotels and a serene place for couples, with skiing, biking and hiking on the doorstep. Read our review of Naturhotel Forsthofgut.
9. Schloss Elmau, Bavarian Alps, Germany
Best for: couples, culture lovers, families
Schloss Elmau, a castle hotel in a hidden valley beneath the Wetterstein mountains, has several spas across its two hotels, with indoor and outdoor pools, a rooftop pool, saunas and hammams, and quieter, adults-focused areas for couples. In the evening, there are concerts and readings in its historic hall. Read our review of Schloss Elmau.
10. Adler Mountain Lodge, Alpe di Siusi, Dolomites, Italy
Best for: couples, peace and quiet
On Europe's largest high-alpine meadow, Adler Mountain Lodge is a timber lodge of 18 suites and 12 chalets with an infinity pool and saunas looking straight out at the Dolomites. It is full board and adults-focused, and the road onto the plateau is closed to private traffic for much of the day, so it is wonderfully quiet. For a bigger spa in the valley, its sister Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti in Ortisei has indoor and outdoor pools and a children's club. Read our review of Adler Mountain Lodge.
Also worth considering
In Austria, Jagdgut Wachtelhof has a spa in a historic chalet, with a heated outdoor pool and three saunas, in a hotel of just 17 rooms. In Zermatt, Riffelalp Resort 2222m has the highest spa in Europe, with a heated outdoor pool facing the Matterhorn.
How to choose a spa hotel in the Alps
For the biggest spa, choose Bürgenstock or Hotel Hubertus, where you could spend days without using the same sauna twice. For architecture, choose 7132 for the Therme Vals or the Tschuggen for Mario Botta's Bergoase. For couples, FORESTIS and Adler Mountain Lodge are calm and adults-focused. For families, Forsthofgut, Adler Spa Resort and Schloss Elmau have separate family and adults-only areas. For a ski-and-spa holiday, Six Senses, FORESTIS and the Tschuggen all put the slopes on your doorstep.
When to go
Winter, from December to March, is the classic season for a spa break in the Alps: swimming outdoors in the snow and warming up in the sauna after a day's skiing is the whole point. Spring and autumn are quieter and often better value, although many hotels close for a few weeks between seasons, so check dates before you book. Summer is lovely too, with hiking by day and the spa in the evening.
For more ideas, see our pick of infinity pools with mountain views, the best ski-in ski-out hotels in the Alps, our wellness hotels and our guides to the Alps and the Dolomites.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best spa hotel in the Alps?
It depends on what you want. FORESTIS in the Dolomites is the best for design and calm, Hotel Hubertus for its vast spa park and Sky Pool, 7132 Hotel for Peter Zumthor's Therme Vals, and Bürgenstock for the biggest spa, with views over Lake Lucerne.
Which Alpine spa hotel has the biggest spa?
Bürgenstock Resort above Lake Lucerne has a 10,000-square-metre Alpine Spa, and Hotel Hubertus in the Dolomites has a 7,000-square-metre spa park.
What is the best spa hotel in Switzerland?
7132 Hotel in Vals, beside the Therme Vals, is the most celebrated. The Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa, Bürgenstock Resort and Six Senses Crans-Montana are also outstanding.
Which Alpine spa hotels are best for couples?
FORESTIS and Adler Mountain Lodge in the Dolomites are calm and adults-focused, and 7132 Hotel in Vals is one of the most romantic spa stays in Switzerland.
Which Alpine spa hotels are good for families?
Naturhotel Forsthofgut in Austria, Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti in Ortisei and Schloss Elmau in Bavaria all have family spas and children's facilities alongside quieter adults-only areas.
When is the best time for a spa break in the Alps?
Winter, from December to March, when you can swim outdoors in the snow after a day's skiing. Spring and autumn are quieter, but many hotels close briefly between seasons.
