Cristal Palace Hotel

The hotel is set on a hill, overlooking the rest of Madonna di Campiglio, and the mountains in the distance. Large windows in the aptly named Panoramic Restaurant and the sun deck showcase sweeping mountain views in every direction. From the outside, detailed woodwork and sloped roofs give the Cristal Palace the appearance of the quintessential European ski chalet. The reception area -- which features an elegant curving wooden staircase leading up to the desk and an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling -- has the same Old World feel.

The decor in the rest of the hotel is pretty traditional, thanks to a neutral color palette, and standard window treatments and furniture in the restaurant and common areas. There’s an attractive lounge with a carpeted red stage and shiny black keyboard piano overlooking cocktail-style seating. In contrast, the indoor pool, glassed-in fitness center, and hot tub are decidedly modern. Underwater lights change the color of the water in the pool from green to blue to purple, while dark-colored flooring and lounge chairs are swankier than other parts of the hotel.

The Cristal Palace is popular with skiers, especially families with young children. The spa is adults-only at night though, which comes as a welcome relief to guests after a long day on the slopes.

The Cristal Palace Hotel is about a ten minute walk from the center of Madonna di Campiglio, which makes it an excellent base for skiing in the Italian Alps. The village is in a valley surrounded by the mountains, and is world-renowned for the slopes above. It regularly hosts international skiing and snowboarding events. The village offers access to 57 ski lifts in the area, as well as the famous Brenta Dolomites mountain range. The hotel provides a free shuttle service that takes guests to the center of town, where there are restaurants and other entertainment. The shuttle typically runs on schedule, but it isn't available after dinner hours. The main road between the village and the hotel is very dark at night, which sometimes makes for an inconvenient walk.

Five levels of rooms are available, ranging from silver rooms all the way up to the Cristal suite. The decor throughout the rooms is mountain-meets-modern: light, knotted wood floors and furniture complement neutral bedding and patterned wallpaper. In traditional European fashion, rooms have stand-alone armoires rather than built-in closets; a mini-fridge and a safe are tucked inside each one, but there are no separate dresser drawers. Rooms also come with flatscreen-TVs. Marble is the name of the game in the bathrooms, which feature marble countertops, floors, walls, and tubs. Showers have excellent water pressure, and get rave reviews from guests. Rooms on the higher floors tend to be more spacious and feature better views of the mountains and grounds.

The hotel's on-site amenities aim to cover the necessities for a relaxing ski vacation. A half-board option includes a free breakfast buffet, which is good, but somewhat lacking in selection. It's served in the mornings at the Panoramic Restaurant, where floor-to-ceiling windows look out on the mountains.

Among the other highlights here are the chic indoor pool and hot tub, and free access to the on-site spa. Cristal Energy Spa isn’t much to look at, but it is functional, with a steam room, and a gym with a half-dozen cardio machines. Wi-Fi is free is all guest rooms and some common areas, although the slow connection is a drawback. Parents will appreciate the kid-friendly “Flinky Club,” a rec room with toys, a ping pong table, and foosball. The hotel is also part of the Italian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and guide dogs are welcome there as a result. A cigar room and a conference space round out the features at the Cristal Palace.