Ski Blog

Having taken a look at alternative resorts in the last couple of weeks, with Austria and Italy, I thought I'd take a look at where to enjoy a luxury ski holiday next.

Luxury ski holidays can mean something different to all of us, for some it's sitting in one of Chardon Mountain Lodges chalets in Val d'Isere, enjoying fabulous food and Perrier Jouët on tap, for others it's about staying in one of Courchevel 1850's exclusive hotels, or enjoying the champagne ice-bars that accompany the après ski scene in Lech.

Luxury skiing is also about the resort you stay in, the mountain you ski and, of course, where to eat, drink and shop. As mentioned everyone want's something different on their ski holiday, so here are a few of our favourite European destinations to burn a hole in your wallet with.

Courchevel 1850

Courchevel 1850 has been synonymous with luxury skiing holidays for longer than I've been alive and will no doubt out live me too. The resort offers the world's largest linked ski area in the Three Valleys, some fantastically flattering pistes around the resort itself and is stunning.

Courchevel is known for its superb hotels, designer shopping and, of course, the James Bond altiport — okay, so it's not actually called that, but you may recognise it from the opening sequence of Tomorrow Never Dies. Courchevel boasts lavish, exclusive hotels, for those who can afford them and also a handful of chalet hotels, for those who can't, but enjoy watching the Prada clad skiers/shoppers and the fantastic atmosphere.

As mentioned, Courchevel is renowned for great hotels, and though they currently seem to be filled with the Russian nouveau riche, there is still an elegantly Anglo-French atmosphere and plenty of wealthy Brits in town. The Hotel Annapurna has to be the reference point for Courchevel's hotels, it has been well established for 36 years and under the same management for the past 20 years — testament to it's reputation. The Annapurna is also closest to the altiport, important for those looking for helicopter transfers or mere James Bond fans.

The Hotel Les Airelles has been a celebrity favourite for years and it's regulars include Eddie Jordan, Mike Rutherford and Chris Rea, as opposed to reality TV stars. The relaxed atmosphere and lavished surroundings, as well as a great location, also add to it's popularity. Now, Le Chabichou, may only be a four star establishment, but boasts the world renowned, michelin starred, Michel Rochedy as it's restaurants head chef. The restaurant received its first Michelin star in 1979 and its second in 1984 and there aren't too many hotels in the Alps that can boast the same level of cuisine!

Lech

Lech has been referred to as the Courchevel of Austria, and though it's an exclusive resort, filled with luxurious hotels, offers world class skiing and is steeped in history, it is a very different resort to Courchevel. Courchevel is where the rich happily flaunt their money, Lech is the opposite of this.

Over the Christmas and New Year holidays you won't be able to find a room for love nor money, as many of Europe's elite have the hotels wrapped-up, and have done so for decades. You'll find the owners of Mercedes and BMW, along with their families taking over the resort during the festive season, and though there is always an air of wealth, there types of skiers in Lech never feel the need to show it.

With the big, open, motorway pistes of Lech and the more technical skiing of St. Anton to enjoy, along with this gorgeous, relaxed resort you can see why it is a former favourite of the late Princess Diana.

The Gasthof Post opened in 1937, and like the Annapurna in Courchevel, is the reference point for Lech, the family run hotel has stuck to the same recipe for years and remains a favourite of Lech's regular skiers. Other notable hotels in Lech include the Almhof Schneider, based a the foot of the Schlegelkopf mountain and the luxury chalet-styled, boutique hotel, Hotel Aurelio.

St. Moritz

Though Klosters can often take the limelight when it comes to luxury skiing in Switzerland — and when the Royal family are in town there's no surprise to why — St. Moritz is one of the world's most elegant resorts, boasting one of the most iconic hotels in the Alps, Badrutt's Palace.

St. Moritz is the original winter sports resort, if not the first true ski resort. It came to popularity with the Brits at the turn on the 20th century as skiing began to grow as a holiday activity for the wealthy, and has remained a favourite resort for generations since.

Though not as flashy as Courchevel with it's designer shopping, fur jackets & Range Rovers, it is not as understated as Lech. This is a resort that, again offers an air of wealth and chic surroundings. The shopping would be enough the break to average bank account and the skiing is comparable to Val d'Isere — in size at the very least. There are motorway pistes and flattering runs, for the more pedestrian skier and challenging off-piste for the adrenaline junkies out there.

The historic Palace Hotel in St. Moritz opened in 1896 as the successor to the first winter sports hotel, the Krup Hause. The hotel has recently changed it's name to the Badrutt's Palace, but remains one of the most recognisable hotels in skiing. The founder of hotel built the first bobsled run for his guests and the current owners have maintained the reputation of one of the leading hotels in the world.

There are so many great resorts for a luxury skiing holiday, with Val d'Isere, Davos, Klosters and Ischgl to name a few, but Courchevel, Lech and St. Moritz have long been at the top of most people's wish lists and will remain there for years to come. The question is which resort is the right one for you? Whether you are there for the skiing, the lavish hotels or the shopping.

Heading for a chalet holiday is about more than just the snow for some people, there are also the views, the food and the relaxed atmosphere to look forward to.

The best food is fairly easy to work out, if you are heading to a luxury chalet you are likely to get restaurant-quality cuisine and impeccable service, if you head to a 2* property you'll be getting a hearty meal and service from teenage chalet hosts. But which chalets have the best views?

Location, Location, Location

A great view is all about the location of the chalet, the direction it is facing and of course the use of huge picture windows and balconies. So, with this in mind what are the chalets with the best views on our site? This of course is subjective, but here are my favourites.

Chalet Grace, Zermatt

Chalet Grace in Zermatt offers phenomenal views, from the double-height floor to ceiling window views of the Klein Matterhorn in the dining room, to the stunning valley views. One of Europe's most famous and most recognisable mountains, the Matterhorn, can also be seen from the living room's picture windows, or the strategically-placed window in the dining room, which perfectly frames the mountain's peak. It doesn't stop there either, as well as beautiful views across Zermatt itself, you can pop out to the outdoor hot tub which, you guessed it, has views of the Matterhorn.

Perdrix Blanche, Courchevel

The chalet Perdrix Blanche is situated in a quaint corner of Courchevel, down in Courchevel 1550, but it offers stunning views along Bozel Valley and the famous Tarantaise Valley. From the living rooms windows to some of the bedrooms, you have this incredible scenery dropping down the valley toward Brides les Bains and back up the valley to the unspoiled mountains on the opposite side. From the other side of the chalet you can take in the views toward Courchevel 1650 and the national park and, of course, there is the imposing Courchevel 1850 located at the top of the piste.

Chalet Hotel Montpelier, Verbier

Okay, so technically this is a chalet hotel, but as it is essentially just a really big chalet and it has incredible views, it is worth a mention. The hotel pool and sundeck has one of the most incredible indoor views you'll find in the Alps — straight out of the floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows you have an undisturbed, panoramic view of the region. With Mont Fort and Mont Gele both visible from the chalet, this property offers truly stunning views across and around Verbier.

Chalet Haute Cimes, Nendaz

Now, the Chalet Hautes Cimes is a risky one, as the images we currently have been given are artist's impressions and 'what you can expect' pictures from the tour operator, but if they live up the their promise, it will have been worth the risk.

Mira Belum, Meribel

The Mira Belum has a great location with views across the Meribel valley. You can see along the ridge line toward the Olympic Express chairlift, which takes you to St. Martin, and down the valley toward the quaint village of Les Allues. The views give you a real feel for the shape of the Three Valleys and why mother nature's layout makes it one of the best ski areas in the world. If you strain your neck, on a good day you can just about make out the top of the valley and where Meribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens meet.

From beautiful vistas and panoramic mountain views, to deep valleys and national parks, the views on your chalet holiday don't have to be just those of high rise apartment blocks. The Alps have some of the most inspiring and even frightening mountains out there, so why not sit back with a vin chaud and take it all in after a day on the slopes.