Hotel Bellevue

PERCHED ON THE EDGE OF GRAN PARADISO National Park, you could get high here on the air alone. Glowing with warm woods, roaring fires and handsome antiques, Hotel Bellevue is like a luxurious mountain chalet.

Blink awake to crystal Alpine views and the glitter of snow, 1500 metres up in Valle d'Aosta. The Belleveue is all warm rusticity:  hand-crafted furniture, richly coloured fabrics, polished wood floors, raftered ceilings and massive fireplaces. Walls are warmly painted or wood-panelled, ceilings beamed, floorboards scattered with rugs. There are bright red and white checked fabrics, shelves of books, displays of local crafts and – in most bedrooms –  heart-thumping mountain views.

After an invigorating day out, come back to base for afternoon tea and home-made cakes by a roaring fire. Or indulge all your senses in Hotel Bellevue's award winning La Valheureusa (it means Happy Valley)  spa.

Bronze bathtub for two

Get a soaking among the Spa's water cascades, turn up the heat in the sauna, submit to a rasul mud clay bath, soak in milk and honey or be blissfully revived with a bio-energetic massage. This is a place to get cosy afterwards in your suite, complete with log fire, canopied bed, and a private sauna or jacuzzi.

Dine in the Bellevue's smart Michelin starred restaurant, mountain inn or buzzing brasserie – the choice is yours. And make time to bliss out in the Spa. For the ultimate treat try the King Victor Bath experience: a  bronze bathtub for two filled with mountain spring water and spiced local wine with champagne on the side. Now, life can't be bad.

© Room for Romance