If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (EUR309.73), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
Finding your feet at Aethos Monterosa is all about balancing Alpine action with plenty of relaxation – and whether you’re stomping around in ski boots and snow shoes, or padding between saunas and spa cabins, your restorative stay is sure to leave you feeling well-healed. Lodged at the foot of Europe’s second-highest peak, the suites are suitably cocooning and the valley views far-reaching, but it’s the indoor-outdoor wellness areas you’ll want to spend most of your downtime drifting off (and about) in. There’s a remedy for every adventurer’s ailment after a day on the slopes, as well as aperitivo and après-ski tonics in the chalet-chic restaurants and bar.
Smith Extra
Get this when you book through us:
A bottle of champagne on arrival and a free climbing class
11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
Prices
Double rooms from £291.77 (€341), including tax at 10 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional local city tax of €3.00 per person per night on check-in.
More details
Rates include a Continental breakfast (with vegetarian, vegan, dairy- and gluten-free options available) served in the cosy Summit restaurant, as well as access to the wellness areas.
Also
Two of the Family Suites are wheelchair-accessible (with ground-floor access and more spacious bathrooms), and there’s a lift to the indoor wellness area for guests with mobility issues.
Hotel closed
The property opens from January to April, June to September, and in December.
At the hotel
Indoor climbing wall, relaxation terraces, lounge, free shuttle to Champoluc, charged laundry service, and free WiFi. In rooms: smart TVs, minibar, coffee machine, herbal tea-making kit, and Woods Copenhagen organic bath products.
Our favourite rooms
Whether it’s waking up to verdant valley views in the summer, or snow-blanketed slopes come winter, the Mountain Suites put you in prime peak-gazing position. With uninterrupted views across the Aosta Valley from their private balconies, these split-level, chalet-style suites bring the outside in – sky-high windows, lots of wood panelling, and bouclé cushions complete the Alpine-chic look.
Poolside
Swimming in the hotel’s 25-metre indoor lap pool (open daily from 8am to 8pm) can be as spritely or soothing as you like – the semi-Olympic size lends itself to some active lengths, though the soaring windows overlooking the surrounding valley might tempt you to simply soak up the heated saltwater (and snow-dusted trees stretching as far as the eye can see).
Spa
Aethos Monterosa has plenty of relaxation on tap for mountain-weary adventurers, delivering restorative rituals throughout the indoor and outdoor wellness areas. Hiked or biked a little too hard? A 40-minute reflexology session will soon have you hitting the trails again. Post-piste soreness beginning to set in? Book a 60-minute sports massage, then unwind in the wood-fired saunas and outdoor hot tubs. There’s also a hammam, relaxation room and terrace with loungers facing the mountains, and an outdoor glass-fronted spa cabin for purifying facials and couple’s massages. Nourishing berries, herbs and plants foraged from Nordic fjords and forests are bottled by all-natural Danish skincare brand Woods Copenhagen, and used in the hotel’s enriching Alpine treatment menu. In the well-equipped gym, fitness sessions and boxing lessons are available with the hotel's personal trainer, Massimiliano.
Packing tips
Thermals and cashmere bed socks will be your best friends on this Alpine adventure, closely followed by a pair of polarised sunglasses for bluebird days.
Also
Aethos Monterosa is the world’s first (and only) hotel with a 12-metre ice wall, with experienced climbing guides on hand to help scale up your stay.
Pet‐friendly
Dogs are welcome in any room here for an additional charge (€50 a night), and they’ll get bowls and a bed to use during their stay. See more pet-friendly hotels in Aosta Valley.
Children
Mini mountaineers are more than welcome, with alpine activities for all ages and abilities.
Best for
Adventurers of all ages.
Recommended rooms
Family Suites sleep up to four, with a twin room downstairs and a king-size bedroom on the upper level (and two bathrooms – ideal if you don’t want to share with the kids). Sofa beds can also be made-up in the duplex Mountain Suites.
Crèche
The hotel runs regular ‘Kids’ Hours’ for groups of up to 10 children (between the ages of five and 10), keeping them on their toes – in an engaging way – with climbing, slacklining, juggling and more. Movie nights are hosted in the kids’ club from 7.30pm, screening age-appropriate flicks and cartoons until 9pm (burgers, fries and popcorn complete the cinema experience).
Activities
With dedicated climbing lessons for under-14s and family packages (combining under- and over-14s if siblings or parents want to climb together), everyone can make the most of the hotel’s indoor wall. Little ones need not miss out on the spa either – there are 30-minute children’s massages (for ages between six and 13) if they’re in need of some downtime.
Swimming pool
There’s no lifeguard on duty at the indoor pool, so you’ll need to keep an eye on little swimmers.
Meals
The all-day dining menu in Summit is ideal if you’d prefer flexible meal times, and there’s a kids’ menu of simple Italian classics like pesto pasta and Milanese chicken.
Babysitting
Can be arranged for €20 an hour, and must be booked in advance.
No need to pack
Outdoor equipment (ski rental, climbing gear, cycling helmets) can be hired at the hotel, but you’ll need to bring any baby essentials.
Sustainability efforts
This B-Corp-certified Alpine retreat is single-use plastic-free, and has installed energy-efficient lighting and heating, with water-saving measures in place throughout the rooms and wellness areas. Both restaurants take a hyper-local approach to ingredients, with many of the meats and cheeses coming directly from Aosta Valley itself.
Either pressed up against the full-height windows in Summit to really relish those rugged views, or out on the terrace (with a blanket in the winter).
Dress Code
Salopettes strike the right tone in Summit, but you’ll want something slinkier (metallic-threaded knitwear for Mrs Smith; a Bond-style turtleneck for Mr Smith) in 1568.
Hotel restaurant
There are two dining rooms at Aethos Monterosa: 1568 is an adults-only restaurant and the more elevated choice, serving four-course tasting menus and paired local wines. The artfully presented dishes change with the seasons, as the chefs source many of the ingredients from the surrounding valleys. Meats are grilled over a Josper oven, then plated up with two sauces and sides (truffled potatoes, and some sort of Italian-Swiss cheese usually feature). Summit restaurant is more of a casual, kick-back space overlooking the slopes, with all-day dining options like wood-fired pizzas, cheese and charcuterie boards, and Fontina fondue drawing a chilled après-ski crowd.
Hotel bar
Just off the cosy lobby (you can also hunker down here for a fireside Negroni), the moodily lit bar is a sophisticated après-ski setting that blends teddy armchairs, pine-green furnishings and claret-red rugs. Nibbles are served between noon and 7pm (start with the golden crostini slathered in goat’s butter and anchovies), and drinks flow between noon and 11pm. The wine and beer lists are extensive, and mostly favour local labels, but the craft cocktail selection is startlingly good – and all mixed with natural Alpine herbs. Every Thursday, there’s a rum-tasting night with the hotel’s mixologists – which switches to gin-tasting on Fridays (both from 5pm). On Tuesdays, barman Julián shakes things up with a cocktail masterclass, guiding guests through three signature drinks finishing with a charcuterie platter (sessions are €50 and must be reserved in advance).
Last orders
At Summit, breakfast is served from 7am to 10.30am, lunch from 12.30pm to 2.30pm, and dinner from 7pm to 10.30pm. 1568 opens daily from 7pm to 10.30pm.
Room service
Pre- and post-piste meals can be delivered to your suite from 7am to 11am, then from noon to 10pm.
Cradled within the Italian Alps’ ‘Three Valleys’, Aethos Monterosa is midway between the ski resorts of Champoluc and Frachey, near the Swiss border.
Planes
Torino Caselle is the closest airport, with regular flights from London Gatwick with British Airways. It’s just under 90 minutes by car from the hotel, with transfers starting from €295 (one-way for three passengers). Milan Malpensa is a two-hour drive away, with better international connections if you’re coming from further afield. You could also fly into Geneva, then drive two hours via the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
Trains
Châtillon-Saint-Vincent is around 45 minutes’ drive from the hotel – the concierge can help with transfers to and from the station (€70 each way). The fastest trains from Torino Caselle take around 90 minutes, running between 6am and 9pm every day.
Automobiles
Driving in the Italian Alps is vertiginous at best, and in the winter months many regions require vehicles to be kitted out with snow tyres to navigate the icy mountain passes. Save your road trips for summer, taking in tiny alpine villages, wildflower-filled meadows, and dense pine forests – making use of the hotel’s free onsite parking.
Worth getting out of bed for
The Aosta Valley is geared towards year-round adventures, from skiing (head for the Champoluc-Crest gondola), snowboarding, snowshoeing, and ice-climbing in the winter, to hiking, mountain biking, paragliding and canoeing in the summer. Aethos Monterosa’s dedicated sports department can hook you up with local instructors and Alpine guides, as well as organising onsite activities – including climbing lessons on its very own indoor wall (with over 30 routes to tackle). Heliskiing tours depart directly from the meadow in front of the hotel, taking more advanced skiers to the skies for a half-day of epic off-piste runs around Monterosa’s three valleys. You’ll mostly be skiing red runs and above, but there are easy-to-reach beginners’ slopes in Antagnod. Pilots can also transport non-skiers on scenic flights above the mountains, seeking out the towering Matterhorn and jagged peaks flanked by glistening glaciers. Back at basecamp, there’s no shortage of ways to stay fit, with boxing classes, slackline sessions, and high-altitude workouts keeping you mountain-ready at all times.
Local restaurants
There’s little need to venture beyond the hotel’s two restaurants, but if you’d like an authentic Alpine evening of raclette, Le Petit Coq just outside nearby Champoluc is a cosy wooden chalet with heaps of rustic charm. Cured meats and garlic potatoes are dipped into local cheeses, slowly melted and paired with regional red wines. Gather around the roaring fireplace at Il Balivo after a day on the slopes for hearty wild boar ragù and homemade gnocchi served in a creamy Fontina cheese sauce.
Local bars
Don’t expect the same après-ski scene as France’s Les Trois Vallées: this corner of the Italian Alps slides into a more civilised aperitivo hour once the ski boots come off. At the foot of Champoluc’s gondola, have a few pints and nibbles at Il Golo – or try Bruno’s for some slopeside refreshments.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this valley-snuggled all-suite retreat near Monterosa’s ski slopes and unpacked their chunky cable knits and mountain boots, a full account of their high-altitude break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Aethos Monterosa in the Italian Alps…
Basing your next ski holiday out of Atheos Monterosa means you can say arrivederci to crowded slopes, lift queues and rowdy après bars. Champoluc is one of the most tranquil ski resorts in the Italian Alps (save the first week of January, when Turin is on winter break), where over 200 kilometres of powdery runs (plus more off-piste terrain accessed with the hotel’s helicopter) and a relaxed, rustic restaurant scene will be at your ski-tips. Hot on the heels of the winter season are in-the-know climbers following in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci – by scaling the Monte Rosa massif, a mountain ‘so high that it almost seemed to overtake the clouds’.
Not quite at cloud-level (but still elevated in every other way), the mountain- and forest-facing suites combine wood, glass, steel and slate for a contemporary take on chalet stays. From the outside, the hotel’s angular roofs and wood-panelling resemble the Aosta Valley’s jagged peaks – as if you were to arrange giant slabs of chocolate in a snow-globe setting (you’re not that far away from a Toblerone Matterhorn moment, just across the Swiss border). But sweet surrender mostly comes from the wood-fired saunas, hot tubs, massage cabins and relaxation rooms – holding even the most adventure-hungry as cosy, well-contented captives.
