Extra-special stays: The best luxury hotels in Europe’s lakes and mountains

Looking for some wow-factor on your next holiday to Europe? These luxury hotels really set the bar high. They’re part of our TUI Platinum collection for Lakes & Mountains holidays, and have been hand-picked for their superb locations and high-quality facilities, like spas and à la carte restaurants.

Keep reading to discover our top luxury hotels in Lake Garda, the Dolomites and the Austrian Alps – and see what our guests from Summer 2025 had to say about them…

TUI rating: TTTT Plus

Highlights:

• Five pools • Luxurious spa • High-quality, local food

The hotel was wonderful – we were delighted. Great pools, food and accommodation.

We’re starting strong with one of the best places to stay around Lake Garda. On the outskirts of Bardolino, the Caesius Thermae & Spa feels like a world of its own. It's surrounded by gardens, palm trees and not one, but five outdoor pools – including two just for kids. Add in the spa – with its sauna, Turkish bath and hot tub – along with comfy bedrooms and a fab restaurant serving up delicious local dishes, and you've got an all-round winner.

Exploring further afield is simple from here too. You can catch the free shuttle to Bardolino to reach cafés, shops and ferries around the lake.

TUI rating: TTTTT

Highlights:

• Overlooks the lake • Outdoor pool • Stylish bar with live music

This hotel was everything I’d hoped for. Lovely food, plus very friendly and efficient staff. It’s also very clean with some nice little touches.

For knockout views across Lake Garda, this one’s hard to beat. Whether you’re chilling by the pool or enjoying brekkie on the terrace, there’s always a lake view worth lingering over. Better yet, upgrade your room to soak it all in from your own private balcony.

You’re in a prime spot for exploring too – just minutes from

Garda

’s town centre and lively promenade. And if you stay put, the bar’s live music twice a week gives cocktail hour a fancy edge.

TUI rating: TTT Plus

Highlights:

• Lakefront jetty • Traditional listed building • Rooftop terrace

The hotel was brilliant. Fabio and his sister gave a very personal service. The bed was the most comfortable I’ve slept in away from home. The food choices for breakfast were fantastic and the dinner was delicious.

Family-run Hotel Catullo proudly sticks to tradition – classic decor, high standards and the sort of thoughtful, personal service luxury hotels are measured by. One of the best things about it is the location, right on the lakefront near

Sirmione

town centre, so you’ve got all that Italian café culture on your doorstep. And when you’re not out and about, catch up on some holiday reading in the garden or flick out your towel on one of the private jetty’s loungers.

It gets full marks for food too – especially the weekly gala meal, where you can tuck into authentic dishes to the soundtrack of live music.

TUI rating: TTTT

Highlights:

• Close to the town centre • Outdoor pool and hot tub • Modern feel throughout

The hotel was excellent for cleanliness, with friendly, efficient staff and a great location. It was a very enjoyable and memorable holiday, and we can’t wait to return.

Desenzano

– one of Lake Garda’s biggest and most stylish towns – is practically on your doorstep here. Take a two-minute stroll towards the centre and its photogenic, pastel-coloured buildings with terracotta roofs start popping up, alongside cute cafés, authentic restaurants and a fab nightlife scene come sundown.

Though Hotel Nazionale gives you plenty of reasons to stay too. Drift around the open-air pool or unwind in the hot tub, surrounded by well-kept gardens and palm trees that feel straight out of the Mediterranean. Style-wise, it nails the brief – think modern, minimalist and cosy, with warm neutrals and hints of deep pink and plum.

TUI rating: TTTTT

Highlights:

• Laid-back, secluded setting • Open-air pool and elegant spa • Top-quality food

Fantastic hotel – we have stayed here many times. Excellent accommodation and love the food.

This place in

Limone

feels like a proper oasis – secluded, serene and wrapped in lake-and-mountain views, with a few palms for good measure. Days are best spent dipping into the pools or soaking in the warmth of the spa’s whirlpool, sauna and steam room. Little ones aren’t forgotten either, thanks to the playground.

Rooms strike a modern note, and evenings are all about the food – look forward to tasty five-course Mediterranean dinners that make every night feel super special.

TUI rating: TTTT Plus

Highlights:

• Authentic and incredibly stylish • Two pools and spa • Gourmet food

Hotel Tyrol is incredible and one of the best hotels we have stayed in.

The pictures do most of the talking for this one – a classic alpine stay in

Selva Val Gardena

that’s absolutely smashed the balance between traditional and modern. Think rich wood panelling, striking pops of colour and unbelievable Dolomite views, all adding up to postcard perfection.

Have one of your most scenic swims ever in the outdoor pool, unwind in the spa or take advantage of the free guided hikes for a closer look at the peaks. The food’s worth shouting about too, from alpine and Mediterranean flavours to seriously special Michelin-starred dining.

TUI rating: TTTT

Highlights:

• Playgrounds and petting farm for kids • Family-run hotel with standout service • Outdoor pool, kids' pool and spa

The hotel was beautiful and had a real family-owned feel. We were made to feel very special and looked after. Everything from morning newsletters to quality dining options were taken care of. The kids had so many options at the hotel for entertainment too, with the petting farm, playground and pool.

Hotel Stadt Wien’s one of our

top-rated hotels by guests

– and it’s easy to see why. This family-friendly spot in

Zell am See

is all about warm hospitality and goes big on kid approved extras. We’re talking playgrounds with trampolines, climbing walls and sand pits, plus a mini petting farm where donkeys, goats and sheep steal the show.

Grown-ups can float through lazy lengths in the outdoor pool or go for max relaxation in the multi-sauna spa. Rooms are bright and snug, the food’s hearty and local… honestly, what’s not to like?

TUI rating: TTTT

Highlights:

• Contemporary, adults-only hotel • Amazing indoor-outdoor pool and spa • All-inclusive, quality food

The hotel staff couldn’t have been more friendly, and the rooms luxurious, including the beds. The food was excellent and there was always something available if you fancied a snack during the day. The indoor-outdoor pool was lovely and warm. I would definitely go again.

This adults-only hotel in

Saalbach

brings serious style. It’s all in the details – sleek wood finishes and funky feature lighting, against rolling green hills outside for a stunning contrast.

Float between the indoor outdoor pool and the spa’s line-up of saunas and steam rooms. And this isn’t your average all inclusive – the quality’s excellent, with beautifully presented dishes you’ll want to snap before diving in. Step outside and you’ll spot the summer lifts right on your doorstep too – perfect if mountain exploring’s on your agenda.

TUI rating: TTTT Plus

Highlights:

• Authentic alpine charm • Spa with sauna and salt grotto • Weekly guided walks

Best hotel we’ve ever stayed in! Can’t praise any higher. Will definitely be booking again.

The Tirolerhof’s right in the heart of town, just a short stroll from Lake Zell. From the flower filled balconies to wood cladding, it does alpine charm to a T. And the spa turns relaxation into an art form, with all the classics – sauna, hot tub and steam room – plus a few curveballs, like a salt grotto and sensory showers.

Get out and explore with weekly guided walks, or make your own way around the lake and into the Hohe Tauern mountains. Back at base, afternoon snacks keep hunger at bay until dinner, where regional dishes made with fresh, local ingredients take centre stage.

Check out our latest Lakes & Mountains deals and use the Platinum filter to find a top-notch place to stay.

Or head to our Lakes & Mountains Discover homepage – we’ve got loads more inspo for your European getaway.