An ice rink at the hotel is the answer to the day the weather closes in, the legs are tired, or a six-year-old has decided, firmly and irreversibly, that they are finished with skiing. It is also the evening activity that a winter holiday quietly needs: an hour on the ice under lights after dinner, with music playing and a hot chocolate at the end of it. The hotels in this collection have proper rinks. Think a maintained surface that is resurfaced rather than left to go rough, skate rental in real children's sizes, penguin-style skating aids for the smallest beginners, helmets available, and boards around the edge for the ones who need something to hold. The better properties light the rink for evening sessions, run informal ice hockey for the older kids, and keep a warm hut with drinks at the side. Austrian, Swiss, South Tyrolean, and Nordic properties lead here, several with rinks on their own grounds and a Zamboni that becomes, inexplicably, the highlight of a four-year-old's week. Below are the top family hotels with an ice skating rink, sorted by overall score.