Perched at the highest point in the small Swiss village of Surlej, hotel Nira Alpina is just along the valley from the glitz and glam of St Moritz, yet offers a far more enviable location.

Not only does it offer a unique ski in, ski out experience for guests and is the first hotel in the entire ski domain to do so, it also features awe-inspiring views from its hilltop position.

Architecturally inspired, the luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps unobtrusively clings to the mountainside as each floor steps up to the next.

Not only is it possible to ski right up to the entrance, and connect directly with the nearby cable car station via a glassed-in covered walkway, but the building has been skillfully designed to let the scenery shine through.

Spacious balconies and terraces embrace the sides, providing spectacular views of a plateau that’s studded with crystal clear turquoise waters of Lake Silvaplana, surrounded on all sides by the majestic peaks of the Engadine Mountains.

You are able to ascend to 3,300 metres, the highest point in the whole ski area, in just fifteen minutes, without even having to step outside the door of the hotel – awesome! A private covered walkway connects the luxury Swiss hotel to the upper level of the cable car building.

Bedrooms are graced with the finest Swiss linen, Egyptian cotton bathrobes and luxurious granite bathrooms with oversized baths and waterfall showers. A state of the art spa is also at your disposal, along with a selection of restaurants offering both traditional Swiss fare and world cuisine.

The swish Swiss hotel is also a member of Design Hotels™, so you know you will be staying in one of the hippest hotels on the planet.

Tom Cooper | Elite.