Flawlessly groomed slopes, celebrity sightings, Michelin-starred restaurants and a Disney picturesque atmosphere make ski resorts perfect for a glamorous, wintry holiday.
If you’re a lover of the slopes and all of the swanky extras that you get with a skiing holiday, then you’ll love this selection of the finest destinations across the world – with upmarket bars, fantastic cuisine and top-class chalets with comfort and service that surpasses everyday life, these are the crème de la crème of ski slopes.
Deck yourself out in some fabulous gear and slope-side fashion to suit your luxurious holiday and seek out your next upscale ski holiday in a deluxe resort with plenty of privacy after a long day on the slopes. If you’re not sure where to head off to next, fear not, as Alpine Elements have done the hard work for you. Read on for their top eight picks of the finest ski holiday destinations for 2020.
Courchevel, France
Courchevel is located along one of the world’s largest ski areas – Les 3 Vallées, which is made up of a collection of four villages situated at various altitudes. The different towns and elevations are, namely, La Praz at 1,200m, Moriond at 1,650m, Courchevel at 1,850m and Village at 1,550m.
Courchevel is where Europe’s cream of the crop snow falls, settling on the high north-facing slopes, and is popular amongst the upmarket wealthy tourists and celebrities. Keep your eyes peeled for the King of Morocco and the Saudi Royal Family, who enjoy the slopes of Courchevel annually.
Chamonix, France
Chamonix, known as the ‘Mountain Skiing Capital,’ is considered to be one of the most serene Alpine resorts. Having some of the most prime snow conditions in the Alps, it’s a popular ski holiday destination, attracting thousands of visitors to its 16 villages. It’s home to the highest mountain in Europe, Mont Blanc, which rises to 4,807 metres (15,771 ft).
The pristine ski conditions are on par with its high-quality resorts. This famous ski resort was home to the 1924 Winter Olympics, offering a variety of challenging slopes for all level skiers. After your time enjoying some of Mont Blanc’s magical views, drop by at one of the on-site Michelin-starred restaurants for a delectable meal to make your taste buds dance.
Val d’Isère, France
Val d’Isère, also known as the ‘Millionaire’s Row’ to locals, is a first-class resort and is rated one of the best in the world. This resort offers first-class deluxe chalets, après-ski entertainment, premium hotels, and top of the range boutiques. It forms part of the ‘Espace Killy’, considered to be the most beautiful ski areas in the world. Besides your top-quality snow, 78 ski lifts join the Val d’Isère and Tignes slopes, giving you the best of the best terrain for all ski levels.
St. Moritz, Switzerland
St. Moritz is considered one of the most luxurious ski resorts on the planet. Europe’s royal families and Hollywood’s A-listers are regulars at this resort with just over 10,000 private jets flying into St. Moritz’s nearby airport.
The ever-so-famous street, Via Serlas, is stocked with boutique stores like Pucci, Bulgari, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton and, although this resort stands out for its glitz and glam, St Moritz is a crowd-pleaser for sports enthusiasts too. There is a range of fun activities such as night skiing, freeride snowboarding, ski jumping, ice climbing, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, hockey, ice golf, horse racing on ice, the works.
Stepping aside from being a place just to be seen, St. Moritz has hosted the Winter Olympics twice and annually hosts a World Cup ski event.
Aspen, Colorado, USA
Aspen, hands down, exudes luxury and is one of the most popular ski destinations on the planet. Every winter, celebrity magazines are filled with Hollywood’s who’s who enjoying this magnificent ski destination and, while opulent skiers flock to Aspen, there is still a mixed range of ski enthusiasts among billionaires at the town’s restaurants and bars.
Aspen may be a star-spotter’s paradise, but it’s also home to the US’s most popular ski-in, ski-out hotel, The Little Nell. This magical hotel has wine cellars containing over 50, 000 bottles of the rarest wines.
Aspen offers four stunning ski areas to pick from – Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk and Snowmass. Collectively known as Aspen Snowmass, the ski area covers 336 trails with 43 lifts, over an area of 5,517 acres (2,233 hectares).
Lech, Austria
Lech has a superb atmosphere and no shortage of five-star comforts, giving you a diversity of piste for all kinds of skiers and snowboarders.
Lech was the first European resort to have a maximum limit of 14,000 day passes, so overcrowding is no issue here. A favourite amongst royal families and celebrities alike, it offers a high-end ski holiday, with five-star ski-in, ski-out run and its perfectly groomed slopes are ideal for beginner and intermediate skiers.
Hotel Almhof Schneider is a favourite of all hotels offering convenient doorstep skiing. After a long playful day on the slopes, head back to your haven for a Tibetan massage with a resident masseuse to soothe your muscles.
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Cortina d’Ampezzo, or just Cortina, is popularly known as the ‘Pearl of the Dolomites.’ It’s a lavish resort found 158 kilometres (98 miles) north of Venice and is known to be one of the elite ski resorts in the world.
Sitting in the heart of the Ampezzo valley, it is linked to impressive slopes running for kilometres, known as the Dolomiti Superski. It’s one of the most extensive ski circuits across 12 ski regions, on 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) of slopes.
Wealthy Italians flock to Cortina for the sweet life of luxury with the pedestrianised main street lined elegant boutiques and art galleries to peruse. Skiing here is second to the social scene and fine dining restaurants serve Italy’s finest foods. A must-try is the half-moon shaped pasta with beetroot stuffing, topped with parmesan and poppy seeds, named the Casunziei.
Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
At the northernmost island in Japan, Hokkaido is nestled with the elites of the world. Niseko has a collection of four ski resorts – Grand Hirafu, Annupuri, Niseko and Hanazono, jointly known as Niseko. This stunning resort is famously known for its powdery white snow that blankets the slopes and resorts from late November to early May each year.
Skip the usual five-star hotels and opt into a traditional Japanese inn – a Japanese Ryokan. The all-time favourite amongst visitors is Zaborin Ryokan, a hot spring resort just 13km (8 miles) from Niseko Grand Hirafu, which oozes charm and offers indoor and outdoor hot spring baths filled with volcanic water.
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