Has the early summer heat already got you thinking about heading to the hills? Check out these top ten mountain retreats where where comfort, repose and fine dining are an important part of the wilderness experience.

Elk Mountain Resort

Montrose, Colorado, USA This classy Swiss-style alpine retreat surrounded by forests and the San Juan Mountains offers guests a well-equipped fitness centre, tennis courts, a snowmobile park, fitness trail and rock climbing. You can also go gung-ho at the associated Valhalla Shooting Club, where guests blast clay pigeons or graduate to Family Firearm Safety, Women's Assault Prevention and even anti-terrorism tactics. www.elkmountainresort.com

Hotel Tennerhof

Kitzbuhel, Austria Overlooking the alpine village of Kitzbuhel, this intimate and welcoming five-star hotel is situated in the same leafy grounds that surrounded it back in its days as a humble farmhouse. Folk who visit here don't generally slop around the hotel in slippers sipping schnapps. In summer, athletic and rosy cheeked, they stride off to conquer the slopes, sniff wildflowers and chat about the impending winter snow season. www.tennerhof.com

Estancia Colome

Molinos, Salta Region, Argentina Bare mountains ripple behind this exquisite vineyard, which is still tending vines that were planted in the mid 1800s by local descendants of the Incas. Guests choose from seven roomy suites or two master suites, all with private patios. A great regional excursion is the famous Train to the Clouds, which carries a nurse and oxygen and ascends the lunar-like, 4000-metre-high altiplano from the charming colonial city of Salta. www.estanciacolome.com

Buffalo Mountain Lodge

Banff, Alberta, Canada Bang in the heart of Canada's finest ski terrain, the majestic region of Banff is one of North America's worst kept secrets. As a result, it is immensely popular all year round. Highly commended is the lodge's popular Rocky Mountain cuisine, which includes smoked and roasted wild game, indigenous berries and wild fruit. In summer, guests disperse into the mountains to hike, climb, horse ride, whitewater raft and fly fish. www.crmr.com/buffalo

Japanese Mountain Retreat

Dandenong Ranges, Victoria, Australia Just 45 minutes from Melbourne and 15 minutes from the heart of the Yarra Valley, the Japanese Mountain Retreat offers traditional spa luxury at altitude, but with a significant twist. Expect all the five-star accoutrement, but with age-old Japanese style. Guestrooms are furnished with tatami mats, 'ofuro' (deep hot tubs), zen gardens and moon viewing 'dais'. Take in a tea ceremony and a six course Japanese banquet before retiring to the spa for a mint mineral soak. Mmmm... www.japanesemountainretreat.com.au

Winterlake Lodge

Winter Lake, Alaska, USA Gold seekers once trod the northwest Iditarod Trail which leads to this secluded lodge located around 300 kilometres from the port of Anchorage. Crouched at the base of Wolverine Mountain and overlooking Winter Lake, the lodge offers comfortable accommodation with mountain and lake panoramas. In summer guests land on the lake in a floatplane while in winter the pilot swaps floaties for skis. The lodge aims to provide guests with memorable insights into the Alaskan hinterland. Such pleasures include lucid vistas of the dazzling Northern Lights, bear sightings, skiing, trekking, fishing and explorations of the wilderness. There's also a sauna, yoga and massage. www.inthewild.com

Lime Tree Lodge

Wanaka, New Zealand Go in winter when the serried mountains surrounding the lodge are richly adorned with snow and you feel as if you've holed-up in a branch of wonderland. Truly beautiful. In summer it's also a magnificent location if you're hankering to go lake and river fishing, biking or trekking. Edifying, too, is the drive into nearby lakeside Wanaka where local Kiwi rugby tragics can't wait to earbash Aussies about the All Blacks' rugby prowess. But don't let such trivia deter you from the Lime Tree, where accommodation consists of two luxury suites and four guestrooms, all with ensuites, mountain views and garden access. There is also a pool and spa. www.limetreelodge.co.nz

The Zermatt Lodge

Zermatt Village, Switzerland This brand new lodge in popular Zermatt has impressive views of the notoriously treacherous 4468-metre-high Matterhorn peak, either from its luxury top floor suites or the Jacuzzi on the terrace. Situated within the swish little village of Zermatt, lodge facilities include cosy wood fires and a sauna/steam bath. Everyone comes here to see the mighty Matterhorn, which thrusts its unmistakable pyramid-like profile above its neighbouring alpine kin. Visitors also enjoy Zermatt's cute car-free village with cobbled streets, snorting horses, sleighs and no pollution. www.mountainexposure.co.uk

Castel Rundegg Hotel & Beauty Centre

Merano, South Tyrol, Italy This gorgeous hotel flanked by a lush park and backdropped by the Alps is the perfect retreat for romantic mountain aficionados. Constructed in the 12th century and remodelled in the 16th, its majestic setting and fairytale towers ensure international year-round popularity. There's also blue-ribbon gourmet cuisine and a range of in-house beauty therapies. In summer, outdoor pursuits range from golf and thermal and spa visits to historic walking tours and the Merano Music Festival. www.rundegg.com

Banyan Tree Spa Ringha

Hong Po Village, Yunnan Province, China Up here, 3200 metres above sea level in Tibet's Shangri-La county, jagged cloud-crowned peaks scrape the edge of the stratosphere. Remote it may be but there is no need to herd yaks to get rations of milk or meat: three fine restaurants and a stand-alone teahouse dispense western, Chinese and regional dishes and beverages. Activities include walks and guided excursions among the spectacular mountains and valleys and the resort's spa offers a range of Himalayan-inspired treatments. www.banyantree.com/ringha

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