Northern Lights

Ski in Style Gstaad, Switzerland
For the holidaymaker looking for discretion, nothing quite beats dining in a vault once used to stash Swiss wealth during the Second World War.  And that’s exactly what guests can do at the splendid Gstaad Palace, nestled in the Alps, just a short drive from the country’s capital city, Bern.

Perched on the side of a hill above the village of Gstaad, the grand hotel belonging to the Scherz family celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.  The building is steep in tradition, although one of the more recent additions to the hotel is the large spa complex, with a steam bath flotation pool.  Guest are encouraged to relax in robes in a warmly lit room, while looking out across the heated outdoor plunge pool to the slopes, where skiers and snowboards can enjoy 250km of pristine pistes.
 

Forget the rivers of Venice, the city of Paris and Germany and go somewhere where the temperature forces you to be closer to each other. Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland offers this unique experience with their Glass Igloos rooms and other ice experiences.  The Kakslauttanen Hotel in Saariselka, Lapland, has crafted deluxe, window-roofed igloos in which couples can fall asleep or in love beneath the Northern Lights.