Ice Hotels

This section is made of mountain winter hotels: houses that stand well above the valley floor and are reached by rack railway, funicular, cable car or a road that is kept open through the snow. Every entry says how the house is approached and what the approach depends on. All four are working hotels rather than seasonal structures built from snow.

A low stone building on a snow-covered slope under a pale winter sky.

The entries

Chetzeron

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Ice Hotel · Checked August 2026

A concrete building on an open mountain slope above a valley.

The house

The building was the upper station of a cable car, raised in concrete on the mountain above Crans-Montana and left standing when the line changed. It was rebuilt as a hotel with a small number of rooms, a restaurant, a terrace facing the valley and an outdoor pool. The old structure is still visible in the walls and in the shape of the plan.

The streets around

The house stands well above the resort, on the open slope rather than in a village, so the approach is by lift from the town, on foot in summer, or by the hotel's own snow transport in winter. Above it the ground rises towards the ridge; below, the terraces of the resort spread across the shelf.

One thing to ask

Ask how you are expected to reach the house on the day you arrive, since the answer changes with the season and with the running of the lift. Ask what happens to luggage on that journey, and what the arrangement is if the weather closes the line while you are staying.

Berghotel Muottas Muragl

Samedan, Switzerland

Ice Hotel · Checked August 2026

A mountain hotel on a shoulder above a valley of lakes.

The house

A mountain hotel on a shoulder above the Engadine valley, reached by a funicular that climbs from the valley floor. The house is old, has been rebuilt to work on its own energy supply, and holds a small number of rooms, a restaurant and a terrace along the valley side. There is no road to the door for guest cars.

The streets around

The shoulder looks down the chain of lakes towards Sankt Moritz on one side and along the valley towards Pontresina on the other. Walking paths and a winter sledge run leave from the terrace. The funicular's lower station stands near the railway line, so the whole approach can be made without a car.

One thing to ask

Ask when the funicular runs on the evening you arrive and on the morning you leave, because the timetable, and not the hotel, decides the shape of the stay. Ask too whether the house closes between seasons, which is usual for buildings served by a single lift.

Refuge du Montenvers

Chamonix, France

Ice Hotel · Checked August 2026

A stone house on a rock shelf above a glacier.

The house

A stone house on the shelf above the glacier, built in the nineteenth century for visitors brought up from the valley and still working as a refuge and hotel. The rooms are plain and the building keeps its old dining room and panelling. A gallery, a small museum and the glacier viewpoint stand on the same shelf, a short walk from the door.

The streets around

The shelf is above Chamonix on the eastern side of the valley, with the ice below and the granite spires opposite. The rack railway from the town is the usual approach and takes about twenty minutes; a marked path from the valley climbs the same slope on foot in a few hours.

One thing to ask

Ask what the arrangement is for arrival and departure outside railway hours, since the last train down is early and the walk is long. Ask as well what is served in the evening, because the kitchen keeps a set pattern and provisions come up on the same line as the guests.

Hotel Ruka Peak

Kuusamo, Finland

Ice Hotel · Checked August 2026

Linked hotel blocks on a snow-covered fell summit beside ski runs.

The house

The hotel stands on the summit of the fell above the resort village, next to the pistes and the upper station of the lifts. It is made up of linked blocks holding rooms and apartments, with a restaurant, a bar and sauna rooms. Ski storage is at ground level, so guests reach the slope from the building without crossing a road.

The streets around

The fell rises from flat forest and lake country, and the village with its shops and rental desks is on the lower ground below the summit. A road climbs to the hotel and is kept open in winter; lifts and marked trails cover the same ground for anyone travelling on foot or on skis.

One thing to ask

Ask how the road and the lifts are running when you plan to arrive, as both can be affected by weather and by the ski season's opening dates. Ask which of the linked blocks a room is in, since they differ in size, in fitting and in distance from the restaurant.

Please note

This site is independent and for reference only. Mountain houses depend on the season, the weather and the running of the railway or lift that serves them, and any of these can stop at short notice. The site is not connected to any hotel named here, sells nothing and takes no bookings. Check the operator's own page before you set out.

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