It takes a minute to understand what you’re looking at when you first catch sight of the Vertical Chalets near Kitzbühel. They rise out of the forest like elongated timber lanterns: tall, quiet, self-contained refuges hanging just above the ground. Not quite treehouses, not quite chalets. Something in between. Something slower.

Designed by Peter Pichler Architecture, these suites sit in the Pass Thurn area, tucked away from Kitzbühel’s buzz but close enough that you still feel part of its mountain world. They belong to a larger ultra-luxury hotel project developed by Austria’s Staininger Group, a family-run company known for mixing traditional Alpine hospitality with a kind of forward-thinking, design-driven ambition. They’re the sort of people who like big ideas, yet still insist on local materials, proper craftsmanship, and buildings that fit their place. These chalets feel exactly like that; rooted yet new.

Each structure stands on slender supports, accessible via an outdoor staircase and, almost surprisingly, a glass elevator that glides upward like a slow breath. Inside, you’re met with big windows. Huge, really. The kind you pause in front of even if you only meant to set down your bag. Pines, peaks, winter fog rolling over Pass Thurn… the forest presses right up to the glass.

The interiors? Think tactile, not flashy. Soft wood grains, warm textures, and a kind of Alpine hush that makes you realize how loud your everyday life usually is. The materials are all locally sourced. Nothing over-designed, nothing trying too hard. A few suites have extra perks: private living rooms, saunas adjoining the bathroom, little moments of indulgence you don’t need but immediately appreciate.

Sizes range from about 60 to 80 m², though they somehow feel taller than they are. Maybe it’s the way the rooms stack, or how the vertical forms echo the surrounding spruces. You climb, settle, breathe differently.

The shared areas of the future resort, including the lobby, spa, and restaurant, are planned to follow the same architectural language: modern lines softened by local timber, mountain views cut neatly into the façades. The whole thing leans into a kind of contemporary Alpine minimalism. Not cold minimalism, but warm, quiet, well-tempered.

What sticks with you is the pace these chalets encourage. A slower morning. A longer stare at the ridgeline. A chance to let the forest decide the day’s rhythm. It’s a retreat in the literal sense: stepping back so you can step into something else. Something calmer.

And maybe that’s the point. These suites aren’t trying to reinvent the idea of mountain hotels; they’re simply offering you a different angle on it. Quite literally, by lifting you off the ground and asking you to look at Kitzbühel’s landscape the way the trees do: vertically, patiently, one layer at a time.