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Ski Season is upon us! The temperatures have dropped overnight and London had its first snow of the year this morning, so it is making me think of Ski Holidays! Years ago, an American friend who just moved to London asked me about where to go skiing in Europe and I realised that there are so many great places, depending on what you’re looking for. What she really wanted was to understand every European ski resort’s own distinct personality and reasons to go: ski area, snow quality, apres-ski and party scene, restaurants, luxury hotels, non-ski activities, the charm of the village etc… so here are my Top 10 Best Luxury Ski Resorts in a Snapshot:

1. Chamonix: Best for the hard-core skiers and snowboarders looking for a challenge, glacier and off piste skiing. The highlight is to ski down the infamous, La Vallee Blanche, right off the Mont Blanc Massif, with a 2700m vertical descent, which can take you all day to ski down. Just walking off the ski lift to the top of the Vallee Blanche is already a challenge: there is a tiny path with ropes literally keeping you for slipping down a vertical drop. The glacier skiing with a private guide is spectacular, taking you places with no other skiers have been before and exploring gorgeous ice formations. Even I can do it, so it’s not only for the super advanced heli-skiers. Here, it’s all about the skiing, so if you’re not too bothered about five star luxury, Chamonix will definite offer plenty on the slopes. Where to Stay: Hotel Mont Blanc Chamonix, Heliopic Hotel & Spa.
2. Courchevel: Best for glitz, glamour and ultimate luxury, and the most ultra-luxury five star hotels in the Alps, Courchevel is the place to go. I learned to ski in Courchevel and I am filled with nostalgia when I go there. It was my father’s favourite ski resort and it is Mr. X’s favourite ski resort too. It really has the best-of-the-best of everything: hotels, restaurants, skiing, shopping and nightlife. From the Les Caves night club, to Cap Horn, there is plenty of partying to be had. It is used to be a high end luxury resort catered to the French, but I have witnessed it change over the years, first attracting the Russian billionaires, and now the Chinese, Middle Eastern and Indian billionaires too. There is plenty to do as non-skiers too: shopping, cafes, restaurants and dog sledding. The biggest downside now is how expensive it has gotten: friends tell me that a coffee is now 25 euros on the slopes, so this is best for those not looking at prices. Even though it is the victim of its own success, the slopes are still great, and the restaurants too, if you don’t mind paying for it. Where to Stay: With unlimited funds, there are so many high end, ultra luxury options from K2 Palace or L’Apogee, to Hotel Barriere Les Neiges, Six Senses. The Rosewood is landing in 2026. For more reasonable hotels: La Sivoliere or Les Sherpas.
3. Gstaad: Best for old school charm and a royal favourite. Friends with titles and royal affiliations love this resort. They come at any time of year, winter and summer, and some even settled down here permanently to stay out of the public’s eye so their kids can attend Le Rosey, one of the most exclusive international schools in the world, fit-for-royals. Celebrities and jet-setters have been going here for years, from Roger Moore (who used to live there), to Madonna, to Anne Hathaway to Brigitte Bardot. You don’t really go there to ski, it’s more for those uber wealthy but who want privacy. You just need to look up @thegstaadguy on Instagram to get the gist. Where to stay: Gstaad Palace, The Alpina.
4. Kitzbuhel: Best for its very cute pedestrian town centre, it’s great for good skiers and non-skiers. There’s plenty to like in Kitzbuhel, a cute pedestrian town centre with pastel coloured houses, shopping, and a great ski area for beginners, intermediate and advanced skiers. They now have a Zuma, so you know it is firmly on the modern ski map. It is very easy to get to: Munich is 2 hours away and Salzburg only 1.5 hours away. The only downside is its low altitude so there is a chance of little snow at times and for the die hard skiiers, the skiing might not be challenging enough. Where to Stay: Kitzhof for a modern hotel, Weisses Rossl to be in town. Stanglwirt Hotel is ridiculously cool for kids, I haven’t stayed, but many of my friends have, with its own children’s farm and children’s water world.
5. Lech: Best for a world-class skiing area, luxury accommodation, and an understated, sophisticated family friendly vibe. Many of my friends go to Lech, which scores a lot of points; excellent skiing, excellent food, family friendly, and plenty of luxury hotels but is discrete and sophisticated. Princess Di brought the boys here if that describes it in a sentence. It doesn’t have a big party scene, so skip it and go to Verbier if that’s what you’re looking for. It has very good snow throughout the year, so that’s another positive point for it. Where to stay: Hotel Aurelio and Hotel Arlberg.
6. Megeve: Best for foodies and its picture-perfect historical village centre, with horse drawn carriage and cobblestone streets. Mevege’s village centre is absolutely gorgeous: it is a traffic free medieval area with cobbled streets and is full of fairytale charm. In addition, it has so many excellent restaurants, including many Michelin starred restaurants like Flocons de Sel, and the mountain restaurants are all fun, proper, sit down restaurants than fast food canteens like L’ideal 1850, Super Megeve, Le Refuge etc… It is easily accessible from Geneva so a quick-hop from the airport. The downside is that it often lacks snow, given its low altitude and there is very little ski-in, ski-out accomodation. Where to Stay: Four Seasons Megeve, Les Fermes de Marie, L’Alpaga.
7. St Mortiz: Best for old world class and timeless elegance. St. Moritz is glamourous, but old school glamourous, (unlike the newer Courchevel), where heavy draped ski hotels are still par excellence. Its life revolves around the Hotel Kulm, the first five star hotel in St. Moritz and whose Kulm Country Club re-opened, and Badrutt’s Palace, both Grande Dame hotels of St Moritz. I was once invited by Lehman Brothers for a ‘Closing Weekend in St Moritz’ when I was 27 years old (possibly why Lehman went bankrupt), when I stayed at the Hotel Kulm and where history reverberates in every room of this hotel. I had an amazing weekend of skiing, paragliding, and partying at the Dracula Club. Of course, St Moritz is where the Snow Polo World Cup is and remnants of the Winter Olympics can be found on the ice skating rink and bobsleigh track. For the real jet-setters, there is a private jet airport right there, and taking off from it is really a one in a lifetime experience, otherwise, you can fly into Milan and drive from there. Where to Stay: Badrutt’s Palace, Hotel Kulm.
8. Val D’Isere: Best for a combination of high altitude skiing, affordable and luxury hotels, and partying at the original Folie Douce. Val D’Isere is where the French have spilled over to since they were priced out of Courchevel, and new hotels have followed. Val D’Isere is well known for its party scene, with the first Folie Douce created in 1974. The village still fulfills the ‘cute Alpine village’ feel with traditional chalets and charming streets. There’s great high altitude and off piste skiing, and a variety of hotel options, ranging from luxury (Les Airelles), to affordably cool (Experimental Chalet) to lots of more affordable boutique hotels (Hotel Mont Blanc, Hotel Yule). This one is good for people looking for all price ranges, snow-sure conditions and a party vibe. There is also the highest hotel in the Alps, Le Refuge de Solaise, for a completely unique experience: you can only access it via gondola, so you don’t want to miss the last one! Where to stay: Les Airelles for luxury, Le Blizzard for mid luxury, a friend recommends Maison de Famille Les Cinq Freres for a more reasonable bill (but needs to be booked a year in advance) and the Experimental Chalet for a stylish stay.
9. Verbier: Best for Sloaney-ponies looking for English style apres-ski and advanced ski slopes. It’s been called ‘Sloane Square on Slopes’ and ‘London in the Alps.’ Oh the Brits love Verbier in Switzerland and it is really like a London ski outpost. It has everything a Brit could love: great skiing (not for beginners), plenty of Brit loving apres ski, close to Geneva, and the Farm Club, the quintissential iconic club, which really hasn’t changed much since the 70s and, yes, it is where Prince Andrew used to go to. James Blunt lives there and even has a chair lift named after him. The Farinet apres ski is still as popular as ever, and there are plenty of nice mountain restaurants but it is not the ‘fur-wearing’ set or too chi-chi crowd, which appeals to the Brits. Where to Stay: The W hotel if you want the ultimate modern hotel experience, which is often named best ski hotel in the world, although I prefer La Cordee des Alpes, which is a boutique, chalet-style hotel with yummy restaurants.
10. Zermatt: Best for serious skiers looking for snow-sure conditions and for its car-free village and picturesque train ride. It’s also known for the Matterhorn mountain and the highest gondola in the world (3883m). Someone told me it’s not for beginner skiers but caters to intermediates very well, and for serious skiers who want absolute snow-certainty. The village is cute and there are plenty of nice restaurants on the slopes, as well as plenty of apres-ski for the partiers. We know people who go there every year who like the combo of beauty, year round skiing, and challenging off piste, without all the chi-chi of some of the other resorts. Its biggest draw-back is the limited ski-in, ski-out options, which for me, is not an option but a necessity. Where to stay: Omnia, Mont Cervin Palace Hotel, BeauSite hotel.

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