As an important component of the tourism industry, ice and snow tourism is ranked alongside hot spring tourism and golf tourism as one of the world’s three major themed vacation and leisure activities.
In 1787, Swiss explorer Horace-Bénédict de Saussure successfully climbed Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, marking the dawn of snow sports. Driven by the prevailing humanistic ideals of the time, European intellectuals greatly valued a lifestyle of returning to nature, which led to skiing and mountaineering becoming widely popular recreational and sporting activities. With continuous advancements in industrialization, a large number of tourists flocked to the Alps to experience skiing, gradually establishing snow tourism as a structured sector. Switzerland was among the first to build an extensive network of railways and mountain roads near ski areas, greatly improving accessibility. At the same time, numerous family-run guesthouses and commercial hotels sprang up around these ski resorts. This marked the early beginnings of modern ski resort hotels.
The experience of ice and snow tourism is a relatively holistic concept, encompassing various elements such as recreation, accommodation, dining, transportation, shopping, and leisure. Among these, accommodation is particularly crucial. Providing warm and comfortable lodging is an essential amenity for any ski resort. Europe’s approach to ski resort accommodations is commendable, ranging from conventional restaurants to serviced apartments, and from family guesthouses to youth hostels. Local operators tailor personalized lodging services to meet the diverse needs of different types of guests.
Generally speaking, there is often a certain distance between ski resorts and residential areas, so visitors mostly rely on on-site transportation such as chairlifts and cable cars to commute between their hotels and the slopes. As the planning concepts for ski vacations have evolved, hotels offering the distinctive “ski-in/ski-out” experience have become a standard feature of international or intercontinental ski resorts.
A “ski-in/ski-out” hotel refers to a property built in the core area of a ski resort, allowing guests to ski directly from the slopes to the hotel entrance and step inside without any need for additional transport. For skiing enthusiasts, staying in such a hotel not only offers unmatched convenience but also provides an exceptionally cool and thrilling sporting experience.
Currently, most hotels around the world that offer true “ski-in/ski-out” experiences are concentrated in European countries like Switzerland. In China, very few ski resort hotels truly deliver this kind of seamless experience. It is reported that the new Xinxueguo tourism and holiday project introduced by Chicheng County in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, leveraging the region’s ecological strengths, spans a planned area of 116 square kilometers. The project includes an inter-regional ski resort featuring the exclusive 819-meter vertical drop Laiying Ski Run within the Beijing vicinity. Adjacent to the 819-meter drop Laiying Ski Run is the Chengbo Hotel, a serviced apartment with the distinctive “ski-in/ski-out” experience, which has now entered its construction phase. Located at the core of the Xinxueguo Ski Resort, Chengbo Hotel is one of the essential lifestyle amenities of the project.
What kind of experience can you expect at the Chengbo Hotel? Imagine this: the morning sunlight streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows into your room as you slowly open your drowsy eyes, stretch, and walk to the window. The vast snowy world outside looks like it's framed in a viewfinder, and in the blink of an eye — as if a shutter has clicked — each frame appears slightly different. After breakfast, you grab your skiing gear from the locker in the corner of the room, stroll to the hotel lobby, put on your protective equipment, and you're off. In just a moment, you’re already on the ski run, immersed in the smooth rush of white excitement.
Life after skiing is also full of ritual. The theme restaurant offers delicious dishes made with fresh ingredients sourced from organic farms — unique local flavors you can only taste in Chicheng. There’s also a mineral-rich hot spring spa that not only beautifies and revitalizes your skin and body but also relieves fatigue and restores radiance. You might also choose to get lost in the storyline of a great film playing in the mini cinema. And let’s not forget the kids’ exclusive play zone, where they can explore fun secrets in a magical and whimsical world of innocence...
The beauty of life needs to be awakened by nature, and even more so by visionary lifestyle concepts. Ice and snow tourism has become the preference of more and more people who seek a higher quality of life. It will also undoubtedly drive the vigorous development of the domestic tourism industry and related sectors.