Le Val Thorens, Beaumier Hotel

A massive polished-concrete cube houses the bar, which should tell you something about how seriously this alpine hotel takes its design commitments. Sitting at the top of Europe's highest ski resort, Le Val Thorens pairs slope-side access with a renovation that swapped blonde-wood clichés for brushed spruce, taupe walls, and a rotating collection of local art. Rooms are plush and low-lit, the spa has a spruce sauna, and heli-skiing is on the activity menu if you've run out of ways to terrify yourself.