From a luxurious hotel that will feature in the new James Bond film to a boutique resort built on a Greek mountainside

1 Adler Mountain Lodge, Alpe di Siusi, Italy
This new boutique hotel, in the heart of the Dolomites, has been 15 years in the making but it’s been worth the wait. Modelled on old Tyrolean mountain huts and built entirely from local larch and spruce, the 12 traditional chalets and 18 suites have the authentic scent and feel of the mountains, but swish bathrooms, private sun terraces and sumptuous double beds give the interiors a modern edge. The main lodge has an infinity pool, spa and restaurant serving South Tyrolean food sourced fresh from local farmers.
Details Doubles are from £330 per night, all-inclusive (00 39 04 71 72 30 00, adler-lodge.com). Fly to Verona, which is about 2½ hours away

2. Juvet Landscape Hotel, Norddal, Norway
Set within a nature reserve high among the fjords, mountains and waterfalls of northwest Norway, this innovative mountain lodge features nine private cabins, each built with panoramic viewing walls made entirely of glass. It’s like staying in a designer penthouse, transported to the edge of the Arctic Circle: dark, minimalist interiors lead the eye outwards, cocooning guests in the light and colours of the forest. There’s a small spa that opens directly on to the river with hiking, fishing and kayaking near by.
Details B&B doubles are from £250 per night, (00 47 95 03 20 10,juvet.com). Fly to Innsbruck, about an 80-minute drive away

3. Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas, Zagori, Greece
Built spectacularly into the steep slopes of the Pindus mountains of northwest Greece, this boutique resort is the perfect base to explore one of the least visited and most stunning areas of the country, including the dramatic Vikos gorge — the deepest in the world. Each of the 24 suites or, new for this season, two-storey luxury villas, are made from carved stone and dark wood, mimicking the traditional Zagori villages of the region. But inside, bright colours, sleek lines and dashes of retro styling add a cool contemporary twist.
Details B&B doubles are from £115 per night (00 30 26 53 04 13 30,aristi.eu). Fly to Thesalloniki, about a three-hour drive away

4. Das Central, Sölden, Austria
The highlight of this luxury Alpine hotel is its new Ice-Q restaurant, featured in the forthcoming James Bond film, Spectre, out later this year. More than 3,000m high, built entirely of glass and surrounded by 250 peaks of the Ötztal Alps, it’s the place for epic fine dining, 007 style. Back on the ground, the hotel has an extensive spa with ten uniquely themed saunas and an enormous Venetian styled thermal water world — perfect for capping off a day exploring the spectacular scenery of the Tyrol valley.
Details Doubles are from £240 per night, half-board (00 43 52 54 22 600, central-soelden.at). Fly to Alesund, which is a 90-minute drive away

5. Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, Stepantsminda, Georgia
Explore the crossroads of Europe and Asia from this unique design hotel in the heart of the Caucasus mountains — an ideal stomping ground for nature and culture buffs alike. Inside, the hotel’s decor reflects the country’s mixed heritage: raw wood floors and worn leather armchairs are interspersed with indigenous hand-woven rugs and vintage Soviet Union-era memorabilia. Outside, an expansive sun terrace and balconies on every room immerse guests in the drama of the high peaks. There’s also a spa, indoor pool and small vintage casino on site.
Details From £1,265pp for five nights’ B&B, including flights (020 3642 3251, originaltravel.co.uk). Fly to Tbilisi, which is about a three-hour drive away

Les Fermes de Marie, Megève, France (12)
6. Vigilius Mountain Resort, South Tyrol, Italy
No crowds, no cars — there’s just the wind blowing off the mountains and the rattle of distant cowbells. This über modern eco-architectural escape is a homage to uncluttered Nordic style and the rejuvenating powers of splendid isolation. Earthy tones and floods of natural light add warmth and comfort, complimenting the surrounding colours of the forest, while the spring water infinity pool looking out across the jagged peaks of the Dolomites adds sparkle and flare.
Details B&B doubles are from €230 per night (0800 3746 8357,designhotels.com). Fly to Verona, about a 90-minute drive away

7. Mineral Lodge, Les Arcs, France
This homage to minimalist cool would be more at home in a swish Manhattan townhouse than a French mountain slope. But that’s to its credit. Built upon the ruined foundations of an old farmhouse, the original Savoyard stone has been supplemented with bold contemporary design: brushed steel and walls of pure glass knock knees with waterfall showers and digital art. The contrast is stunning and so is the scenery from this rural hamlet in the Tarentaise Valley. Hiking, biking and golf are all available on the doorstep. Unusually for a chalet, rooms can be rented individually, making it ideal for couples.
Details B&B doubles are from £300 (0117 946 7072, i-escape.com). Fly to Lyon, about a 2½-hour drive away

8. Ion Luxury Adventure Hotel, Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
Iceland is nature at its most dramatic and raw, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed in style. Especially at Hotel Ion, which juts out from the base of a dormant volcano close to Thingvellir National Park. The bold, arty design is only just overshadowed by the active volcanoes, glaciers and geysers on its doorstep. Watch the eerie dusk of the midnight sun while soaking in a heated outdoor pool or sip a cocktail beneath the northern lights from their award-winning panoramic bar.
Details B&B doubles are from £184 per night (00 35 44 82 34 15,ioniceland.is). Fly to Reykjavik, about a 45-minute drive away

9. Cooking and Nature Emotional Hotel, Alvados, Portugal
Each of the 12 rooms in this quirky boutique hotel are designed around a particular emotion: destiny is pure white with a futuristic circular bed; passion is based on the cabarets of Paris; and nostalgia has old-fashioned clocks and bowler hat light shades. As the name implies, cooking classes and oodles of good eating come high on the agenda. But the surrounding hills of Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park are the real star, offering a chance to soak up an authentic slice of rural Portuguese life, far off the beaten track.
Details B&B doubles are from €135 (00 35 12 44 44 70 00,cookinghotel.com). Fly to Lisbon, an 80-minute drive away

10. Apokryfo, Lofou, Cyprus
In the foothills of Mount Olympus this cluster of traditional old stone houses has been transformed into one of the most delightful boutique guesthouses on the island. Oozing secluded rural charm, they are infused with sparkles of earthy, low-key design from around the world — Balinese four-poster beds and antique chests perfectly complement original bleached stone walls and surrounding gardens of pomegranate and fresh herbs. Ancient ruins and the vineyards of the Troodos Mountains are on the doorstep — with a small pool, roof terrace bar and fresh nightly mezes to welcome you home.
Details B&B doubles are from €150 per night (00 357 25 81 37 77,www.apokryfo.com). Fly to Larnaca, about an 80-minute drive away

20 chic hotels in the mountains Mineral Lodge, Les Arcs, France (7)

11. Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, Abruzzo, Italy
This beautifully restored collection of old shepherd lodgings is billed as peasant-luxe, which may sound like a contradiction in terms, but in this crumbling hilltop village in the Gran Sasso mountains of central Italy, it makes perfect sense. Part boutique hotel, part living museum, each room recreates the conditions of Italy’s peasant past – sparse design, rough stone walls and heavy wooden furniture – but there’s enough wi-fi, hidden electrics and swish freestanding tubs to give the stay a luxurious feel.
Details B&B doubles are from £108 per night (0117 946 7072, i-escape.com). Fly to Pescara, about an 80-minute drive away

12. Les Fermes de Marie, Megève, France
The recently revamped spa at Les Fermes de Marie comes with an indoor lap pool, saunas, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and a Japanese bath. This is one of the coolest hotels in the Alps — part of the high-class, family-run Sibuet hotel group — and the style throughout is rustic chic: exposed wood walls, fur covers on beds, comfy leather sofas and cowhide rugs. Cookery lessons are organised at the hotel’s kitchen and fitness instructors can be hired.
Details B&B doubles are from €180 (00 33 4 50 93 03 10,en.fermesdemarie.com). Fly to Geneva, which is about 90 minutes away by car

13. Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina, Switzerland
This five-star hotel is about a ten-minute drive from St Moritz. Grand Hotel Kronenhof is a grande dame of the Alps, in a building dating from 1898. There’s a traditional style with the highlight being a marvellous ballroom with chandeliers and ornate ceiling frescoes; this is now a restaurant. A swanky modern spa was added a few years back, along with a section with rooms with a more contemporary look. Summer activities include hiking, mountain biking and lake swimming. The Kronenhof is the sister hotel to the famous Kulm Hotel in St Moritz.
Details Half-board doubles are from £325 (00 41 81 830 30 30,kronenhof.com). Fly to Zurich, which is three hours and 20 minutes away by train

14. La Almunia del Valle, Monachil, Spain
Mies van der Rohe chairs, modern art, beds with crisp linen, and terraces overlooking undulating mountains covered in pines . . . La Almunia is a gorgeous hideaway, just a 15-minute drive from Granada. There’s a small pool in the well-tended garden, plus a light and airy dining room, where breakfast and three-course evening meals are served; dinners must be booked in advance as the owners go to the market in Granada during the day to buy fresh ingredients. The hotel is in the Sierra Nevada National Park, which is great for hiking.
Details B&B doubles from £95 (0117 946 7072, i-escape.com). Fly to Granada

15. Schloss Elmau, Bavaria, Germany
We’ve long been fans of this gorgeous German hotel, which is about 3,200ft above sea level in what must be the most stunning valley in the Alps. Our G7 leaders were enjoying the views of the craggy Wetterstein mountains earlier this week, but the Schloss wasn’t made with politicians in mind — it was built at the beginning of the last century as a retreat for “like-minded friends, readers and artists” and is now a cultural base with free concerts and lectures. It has a huge spa, with a 25m indoor pool, as well as a complimentary kids’ club. New this year is the Retreat, a couple-friendly 47-suite hotel within the Schloss grounds, with its own pool and restaurant.
Details Rooms in the main hotel are from €408 half board; a suite in the Retreat costs from €628 half board (00 49 88 23 180, schloss-elmau.de). Innsbruck is 40 minutes away

20 chic hotels in the mountains Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, Stepantsminda, Georgia (5)
16. The Cambrian, Adelboden, Switzerland
This hotel is full of contemporary design touches with striking slate walls, contemporary art, and a lounge within a glass pod with great Alpine views. In the summer there are plenty of activities such as mountain biking (on 80km of signposted trails), zip-wiring, pony trekking, paragliding and hiking on the Aeugi-Lowa trail. The hotel has a high-quality spa with an indoor pool, an outdoor hot tub, a steam room and a sauna. Rooms are smart and comfortable, with low-slung beds.
Details B&B doubles are from £151 (0117 946 7072, i-escape.com). Fly to Bern, about 90 minutes away by train

17. Nira Montana, La Thuile, Italy
A member of the slick Design Hotels group (designhotels.com), Nira Montana opened in the picturesque town of La Thuile last December. It overlooks Mont Blanc and has 55 stylish rooms, plus a spa with an indoor pool, a steam room and a hot tub. Rooms have wooden floors, wallpaper with a forest theme, and slick designer furniture. The restaurant has a wood-burning stove, and is known for its pizzas and pasta — including tagliolini with lobster and lime, and ravioli stuffed with pumpkin.
Details B&B doubles are from €200 (00 39 01 65 88 31 25,niramontana.com). Fly to Geneva, which is about a 90-minute drive away

18. The Chedi Andermatt, Switzerland
Located in the pretty Urseren Valley, The Chedi is part of the Asian hotel chain that also has properties in Indonesia and Vietnam. There are 101 large rooms with dark wood floors, plush leather sofas, and wide double beds. The renowned architect Jean-Michel Gathy has used warm woods and natural stone throughout to create a mountain lodge feel mixed with Asian simplicity. The spa comes with hydrothermal baths and two swimming pools — one of which is 35m long.
Details B&B doubles are from £367 (00 41 41 888 74 88,ghmhotels.com/en/andermatt). Fly to Zurich, which is 2½ hours away by train

19. La Escondida, near Alicante, Spain
Owned by Terry Venables, the former England football manager, and his wife Yvette, La Escondida is a boutique hotel tucked away in the Alicante mountains. It’s surrounded by 500 acres of olive and almond groves, and the style is rustic-but-modern with exposed oak beams, terracotta floors and antique furniture mixed with top-of-the-range bathrooms and designer furniture. Enjoy the indoor heated pool, which opens onto a terrace overlooking a lawn (where kids can play football), or go for a spa treatment. It’s great territory for biking and hiking.
Details B&B doubles are from £117 a night (00 34 96 551 30 46,hotelescondida.com). Fly to Alicante, which is about a 30-minute drive away

20. Hotel 12, Bodensdorf, Austria
This boutique hotel is set high in the eastern Alps overlooking Lake Ossiach. It’s full of unusual modern art and has a slightly off-beat concept: each of the 12 rooms is named after the signs of the zodiac, with a dozen artists from across the globe responsible for the interior design. The style is upbeat and fun, and the mountain views are stunning. Enjoy a blow-out meal at the restaurant, which serves traditional Austrian dishes.
Details B&B doubles are from £154 (020 3735 5033,chiccollection.com)