Plates smashed outside hotel in mountains (3,4)
I believe the answer is:
the alps
'mountains' is the definition.
(The Alps are a mountain range)
'plates smashed outside hotel' is the wordplay.
'smashed' indicates an anagram.
'outside' is an insertion indicator.
'hotel' becomes 'h' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'plates' with letters rearranged gives 'tealps'.
'tealps' enclosing 'h' is 'THE ALPS'.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for the alps that I've seen before include "natural barrier" , "Range" , "heights" .)