Italy’s top Winter Olympic resorts

Accommodations
Anyone planning to visit during the Olympic Games, will have to make reservations through a tour operator. Almost every hotel room in the region has been reserved by these groups, Olympic organizers and the media. If planning a ski or snowboard vacation any other time of the winter, here are some excellent suggestions and more can be found at skisnowboardeurope.com.

Sestriere is packed with slick hotels that have easy access to the slopes. If you are traveling without a group, try to stay at the Hotel Savoy Edelweiss (0122.77040), a small and intimate hotel in the middle of the oldest section of Sestriere and across the street from the lifts. Hotel Cristallo (0122.750707) is an upscale place with all the amenities right next to the main base area. Grand Hotel Sestriere (0122.76476) sits imposingly above the town, only a short walk to the center. Hotel Biancaneve (0122.755176) is about five football fields from the center and the lifts. It is a chalet-style new hotel with good basic rooms, food and service.

Sauze d'Oulx has some excellent hotels, but many have been developed for the big group business that streams down from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The best hotel in town, actually a bit above the town, is the tiny Il Capricorno (0122.850273). It sits right on the slopes and is reached either by a single chairlift or by snowmobile. It is an atmospheric place with simple luxury, no fancy amenities, spectacular views, Michelin-rated food and plenty of peace and quiet.

Down in the village the top spot is Grand Hotel Besson (0122.859785). This impressive building has beautiful views, a swimming pool and an attached spa. From here, it is only a three-minute walk through narrow streets to the middle of town. Chalet Faure (0122.859760) is a small, 11-room haven in the midst of Sauze d'Oulx's Old-World center. Great restaurants and rollicking nightlife are to be had only a few steps outside the door. Biancaneve (0122.850160) is a gem and a bargain. Two sisters run the place and keep it clean as a whistle; they also whip up some fine food.

Dining
The Piemonte is an exceptional area for dining. Some of Italy's finest wines are grown in the valleys surrounding Torino, and the orchards are famous in Italy for their fruits and nuts.

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This abundance, combined with the mountain farmers’ flair for cheeses, sausages, dried meats and grappa, makes the Piemonte a perfect vacation spot for a serious gourmand. The region is also home to the “Slow Food” movement, which preserves age-old cooking techniques.

Perhaps the best restaurant for traditional local meals in the region is Du Grand Père (0122.755970), which is isolated on the side of the mountain just off the road between Cesana and Sestriere. The restaurant is set in a 17th-century house in a tiny village, and the rustic dining room, with its wooden floors and fireplace, is perfect.

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