I can’t be the only person who questioned their relationship with the sun this summer. The UK has just recorded its hottest summer since records began in 1884. We endured repeated heatwaves, schools closing and by August temperatures had reached 38.1°C in London, while parts of Europe pushed beyond 40°C. Suddenly, the prospect of flying south for a week of lying in even more blistering heat didn’t feel quite as seductive as it once did.
Enter the group chat: “coolcationing”, swapping scorching summer destinations for cooler climes and coming home refreshed and reinvigorated rather than feeling like you need a holiday to recover from your holiday. So, for our “coolccation” we flew from Gatwick to Innsbruck and, after an hour’s transfer through the mountains, arrived in the Austrian town of Sölden.
Best known as one of Austria’s major ski destinations, Sölden transforms when the snow retreats. There are more than 300km of marked hiking trails, mountain biking, nine summer mountain lifts and peaks stretching beyond 3,000 metres. It’s also James Bond country: Spectre was filmed here and the 007 ELEMENTS installation sits high on Gaislachkogl.
But perhaps most crucially for my coolcation experiment, Sölden is home to Das Central.
Here are five reasons it completely sold me on escaping to the mountains.
1. Sleeping with the windows open
We stayed in the newly redesigned Junior Suite Nederkogl, a wonderfully alpine chic, generous 50m² space with an open-plan living and sleeping area, reading nook and south-facing balcony looking towards the mountains. The jaw dropping view was enough, but there’s also a large bathroom with a bath, walk-in shower and a walk-in wardrobe. We also loved the branded accessories and amenities, such as the Spa Bag, umbrella, sliders and the fluffiest robes I’ve ever experienced in a spa hotel!
I’ll admit, I initially panicked when I realised there was no blasting air-conditioning. “Open the door,” I was calmly told. Oh. Of course. Cool Alpine air poured in, accompanied by the sound of the river below. Add that hypnotic mountain view and an exquisitely comfortable bed and I slept better than I had in months. It was the definition of cool luxury.
2. Proper food replaced the picky bits
Months of heat had reduced my enthusiasm for cooking to assembling “picky bits” and calling it dinner. Walking in the Alps certainly solved the appetite problem.
We took the cable car to ice Q, perched at 3,048 metres on Gaislachkogl, this incredible restaurant is the highest in the Michelin Guide. The glass restaurant, also used as the Hoffler Clinic in Spectre, is currently awarded two Gault&Millau toques and has a set Signature Menu from which we tried one of everything. From a fresh, tantalising Salmon and Alpine Prawn starter we moved onto our “dish of the day” an incredible organic egg and brown butter dish which was creamy, unctuous and so unique, it was quite simply divine.
We moved on to succulent pork cheek which yielded under a fork to guinea fowl with truffle and turbot with caviar. An unbelievable fine dining experience with service to match, made for lunch that made us feel on top of the world.
3. A spa built for changing temperature
Then there’s the Summit Spa which has so many different spaces that you can move around to suit the ever changing weather in the Alps. You can sunbathe by the outdoor whirlpool or get cosy in the Summit Sauna, there is so much to choose from.
Spread across 2,000m² above the rooftops of Sölden, its headline act is the 17-metre Summit Infinity Pool which makes you feel like you are genuinely swimming in the mountains. There is also an outdoor whirlpool, panoramic and event saunas, brine steam bath, plunge pool and lots of relaxation areas with strategically placed windows making you feel immersed in nature at all times. There’s also a separate adults-only area with seven saunas and steam baths.
We decided to join my first proper sauna infusion experience. I know an unthinkable thought in the UK heatwave but we had cooled down by this point! The Event Sauna is equipped with changing lights, music, scented infusions and the whole experience is led by a Sauna Master who was rhythmically wafting waves of heat around the room. It made for an intense ride, but the distractions and theatrics enabled me to stay in at much higher heat for longer and I totally got it. I felt euphoric afterwards.
4. Recovery gets very, very cold
Das Central has also invested in its own cryotherapy chamber, taking the coolcation concept to a frankly ridiculous new level.
The experience starts with 30 seconds between -30°C and -60°C before 2.5 minutes in a chamber at -110°C. Whole-body cryotherapy is used by some athletes as part of recovery routines. Das Central positions its chamber around regeneration, circulation and post-exercise recovery. It is intense, but as someone who benefits from cold water therapy I loved the effect it had on my mood, and certainly one way of forgetting you spent most of July complaining that Britain was too hot.
5. You actually want to move
The final revelation? Cooler weather made me want to do things.
Instead of planning my day around finding the nearest shaded sunbed, Sölden offered hiking, mountain-bike trails, high-altitude walks and easy access to the mountains via its summer lifts. For bigger adrenaline hits, the wider Ötztal region adds activities including rafting and outdoor adventures.
That was perhaps the biggest argument for coolcationing of all. I arrived slightly frazzled by a summer that had felt relentlessly hot. I left Das Central sleeping better, breathing deeper and feeling calmer, clearer and properly restored. Turns out I still love the sun. I just don’t need to sit directly underneath it for seven days to know I’m on holiday.
Review and most images by Emmie Blower @emmiebthere
Some images supplied
