(CNN) -- About three-thousand feet above sea level, fleece-clad guests sit fireside sipping glasses of Burgundy from the chalet owner's private vineyard. But this isn't St. Moritz. Down the hall is a stone-and-oak onsen for après-ski muscle soaking. Welcome to the Kimamaya Boutique Hotel on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, an increasingly chic ski destination.
Kimamaya is one example
of how the latest ski resorts are trending toward high design and
popping up in some unexpected places. Such new resorts in Norway, Japan
and Austria's Tyrol region have begun to attract an off-the-beaten-trail
set. They have enough varied amenities to appeal to all, especially
non-skiers who were previously dragged into the cold by their
ski-enthusiast friends and family.
Travelers can expect
mountain retreats with designer furniture, original art on the walls and
top chefs brought in from cities to give the cheese-and-potato ski
cuisine a makeover. And, naturally, some ski-specific perks: better
ski-in, ski-out access, ultra-groomed and longer trails and
state-of-the-art lifts.
Whether you ski or not,
there's never been a better time to change your altitude with a stay at
one of these chic mountain resorts.
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