Hotel Lo Scoiattolo Gressoney ★★★★

I’d only ever been to a ski resort in winter, so the thought of mountains covered in a carpet of green and sprinkled with flowers instead of snow, was definitely appealing. This time it would be less carving down the slopes and cosying up next to the fire, than going for picnics in the sunshine and hiking up the peaks.

Arriving at the four-star Hotel Lo Scoiattolo Gressoney, surrounded by bottle green mountains, fragrant pines and valleys of pink and yellow flowers, I had to pause the car for a moment, just to admire the spectacular view. All I could think of was myself running across the valley singing: “The hills are alive with the sound of music…”.

The charming complex of wood and stone chalets was spread before me. Everything was just as a chalet should be – cosy, warm and inviting with wood beams on the ceiling and copious amounts of soft furnishings. My room – quaint and cute, covered in wood panels and dressed in soft pastels of creams and yellows. With almost everything made of light-coloured pine wood, I was constantly reminded of my mountain location.

The next morning, I awoke again to my picture-perfect views. Usually on a ski break, I would be grabbing my ski boots, but this time I was grabbing my hiking boots and climbing up the Monte Rosa peaks. The vistas were better than I had imagined. After, I made my way back to the hotel, and felt like I needed to treat myself to the hotel spa. I began my pampering session with a pummelling Scottish shower, followed by a relaxing Turkish bath and warming sauna. For diner, I began my much-anticipated meal in the cosy restaurant with artichoke and parmigiano Reggiano salad, followed by succulent duck with orange and roast potatoes. By the end of my time here, I had concluded that a ski resort was indeed as good in summer as it was in winter.