Sölden’s main claim to fame is that some of Spectre was shot there. Remember that snowy car chase when a low-flying Daniel Craig plays chicken with Dave Bautista’s fleet of Land Rovers? It was filmed in the foothills of the nearby Rettenbach glacier. The futuristic, mountaintop clinic from which Craig kidnaps Léa Seydoux? It’s real. But it’s actually a restaurant. It’s called Ice Q, and serves a four-course fine-dining set menu alongside a bonkers view of more than 250 mountains. Ask for a table by the window.

In celebration of its new-found affinity with the fictional secret service agent, in 2018, three years after the release of Spectre, the Austrian ski resort welcomed 007 Elements, a mountaintop museum dedicated to all things Bond (but mostly Spectre).

Located a snowball’s throw from Ice Q, half of the museum burrows into the Gaislachkogl mountain. The part of the museum that you can see looks like a giant breeze block that’s about to slide down the slope and flatten the resort below. On the inside, music and memorabilia tell the story of bringing Fleming’s Bond to the big screen. The museum can’t turn on the heating, because it would melt the surrounding snow. So bring a coat. Although there’s a good chance you’ll be wearing one already, this being a ski resort after all.  

Sölden’s lesser claim to fame, albeit one that will no doubt mean more to skiers, is that since 2016 the resort has been home to the world’s most efficient lift system. Two new stations, one in the village, one on the mountain, were designed by Johann Obermoser, the architect behind space-age Ice Q. The first section takes you from Sölden village to 2,175 metres in 12 minutes. The second whisks you to 3,056 metres in just eight minutes. It spits you out at the entrance to Ice Q and 007 Elements. The system can handle 8,100 people per hour. There are no queues in Sölden.

Brits tend to be drawn to nearby Obergurgl, rather than Sölden itself. Partly, that’s because UK tour operators don’t have many Sölden beds on their books. Partly, it’s because of the resort’s party reputation. We are in Austria. So the après ski boots off. But the resort has changed. The investment in the lift system, along with the opening of Ice Q and other upmarket restaurants, is broadening Sölden’s church.

Taking cues from Ronseal’s approach to marketing, Hotel Das Central is a hotel in the centre of town. Das Central’s main claim to fame is that it is Sölden’s only five-star hotel. As the owner of Ice Q and fellow upmarket mountain restaurant Falcon, which opened in 2021, Das Central has played a large part in changing the perception of a resort formerly better known for table-top dancing than fine dining.

The hotel is a family affair, currently in the hands of Angelika Falkner, whose father welcomed the first guests 50 years ago, and whose daughter, Katharina, heads up reception. Head chef, Michael Kofler, met his wife while working at Das Central. He oversees three restaurants, including Ötzaler Stube, the most prestigious in Sölden. His favourite dish is spaghetti aglio e olio. “I only need pasta, garlic and oil to be happy,” he says.

Courtesy of Kofler, dinner at Das Central is a five-course event – except for one night of the week, when there’s a gala dinner and six courses – that quashes any ambitions you had for leaving the hotel come evening. The dessert trolley is the size of a Citroen C1. The wine list is longer than a Proust novel. Das Central blends its own pinot noir. It’s one label on a list of 600. Ask nicely and sommelier Martin Sperdin will show you his 30,000-bottle wine cellar.

The winter season in Sölden is long. The resort has its elevation and two glaciers to thank for that. That meant Das Central didn’t have much time to complete the renovation of its lobby and 31 of its rooms (there are 125 in total) in time for the ’23/24 season. The hotel started working on the refurbishment, which it revealed in October 2023, four years ago. Sample rooms were built. Feedback welcomed.

“We have worked intensely on developing a style that reflects our values,” says Falkner. “Modern yet cosy, with a strong Alpine aspect, natural materials and lots of space.”

In the bedrooms, that means oak flooring, travertine bathrooms and panelling around the beds; in the lobby, it’s bleached wood, recessed lighting, rustic floor tiles and designer tables. Just don’t dance on them. You’ll have to head down the road for that sort of thing.

From approx. £175 per person per night, based on two people sharing on a half-board basis, central-soelden.com

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