Riffelalp Resort 2222m

Riffelalp is not in Zermatt village; it is above it, on a shelf at 2,222 metres reached only by the Gornergrat cog railway and then the hotel's own little tram. That inaccessibility is the point. Once the last train has gone the terrace empties of day walkers and you are left with a handful of guests, a chapel, and an uninterrupted view across the valley to the Matterhorn's north face.

The original Victorian grand hotel here burned down in 1961 and the present building dates from 2001, so the rooms are modern and warm rather than antique, with timber, stone and large windows. Facilities include a spa with saunas and an indoor pool, and, famously, an outdoor pool on the terrace that is the highest in Europe and is best experienced when it is snowing.

In winter the hotel sits inside the Gornergrat ski area and you can ski from the door, which is rare for a property of this standard; in summer the trails towards the Riffelsee, Rotenboden and the Gorner glacier viewpoints start immediately outside. The hotel closes for extended periods between seasons, as most high-altitude Swiss properties do, so check dates carefully before booking flights.