FInally the sun has all but set on Europe’s mainland and snow is gathering on the pointy tips of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, signalling the beginnings of ski season.
Whether you’re a mogul aficionado or more of a competitive gluhwein drinker, these bijou Europeanresorts are brimming with enough black runs and black forest gateau to keep everyone satisfied.
Sölden, Austria
What’s the vibe?
This chic resort is perched between two glaciers in the Austrian Alps, with 31 ski lifts including the Giggijoch gondola — the fastest in the world. It’s not only huge, boasting 144 kilometres of slopes, it’s also very high, meaning the ski season gets started as early as October. Sölden’s village is relatively large by ski resort standards, with cute Tyrolean-style chalets and boutiques lining the streets, but the town’s real USP is its links to 007. Sölden was used as the filming location for the 2015 Bond film Spectre, where Daniel Craig spends most of the movie attempting to rescue his latest crush Léa Seydoux from the clutches of villainous German scientists.
Where to stay?
There is really only one place to stay in Sölden and that’s Das Central — this iconic hotel is something out of a Bond movie, in fact its Ice Q restaurant literally featured as the fictitious health centre in Spectre. You can see why, the glass-walled restaurant is the highest in Europe teetering at 3,048 metres above sea level with heart-racing views across the Gaislachkogl mountain. But action and adventure aside, Das Central is actually very conducive to relaxation. Its spa is set over three floors with 16 treatment rooms, a pool, steam room and ten saunas, that’s right — ten! The spa’s conservatory is a feat of opulent design; guests recline on white beds while looking out over the mountains. The hotel’s 125 rooms are a vision of pale wood, grey slate and cosy fabrics, but these authentic Tyrolean accents are thoroughly elevated with glass bathtubs, suspended electric fireplaces and plasma screen TVs. The hotel features three restaurants but the real gem in its culinary quarters is the wine cellar, which houses 30,000 bottles of some of the world’s best wine. If that’s not enough, the hotel also produces its own bespoke pinot noir, the Pino 3000, which has been matured inside a high altitude wine cellar hidden on the summit of the Gaislachkogl. Ian Fleming would approve.
Das Central, from £361 per night; central-soelden.com
Arosa, Switzerland
What’s the vibe?
Imagine a winter wonderland ski resort festooned with the three Cs: cheese, chocolate and charm — and you’re probably picturing Arosa. This Swiss village is nestled in the Graubünden forest, which perfumes the lanes with the fresh smell of pines and camouflages the traditional wooden chalets that protrude from the snow like retro ornaments. You’re as likely to be run over by a horse and carriage as you are by a snow-plower gone rogue. It’s not all hot chocolate and edelweiss, though. The resort has a very respectable 225 kilometres of slopes and attracts a smart set of well-heeled Zurich professionals and Kate Moss.
Where to stay?
There are plenty of bijou chalets and alpine hotels to choose from in Arosa but the undisputed king is the Tschuggen Grand Hotel. Many of this 100-year-old hotel’s guests have been coming for three generations. The Tschuggen Grand has been climate neutral since 2019, an impressive feat considering it operates an in-house gondola, meaning you can roll out of bed and be on the slopes in minutes without suffering the indignity of dragging your skis onto a bus.
Tschuggen Grand Hotel, from £856 per night; tschuggencollection.ch
Verbier, Switzerland
What’s the vibe?
Verbier is one of the undisputed best resorts in Europe, both for its sheer size and its enduringly trendy vibe. With 410 kilometres of pistes and 91 lifts, Verbier is one of Europe’s largest ski resorts, meaning there are green slopes galore for novices and more than enough black runs to risk a broken ankle. While in London you’re never more than six feet from a rat, in Verbier you’re never more than six feet from a member of the royal family or Jamie Oliver — basically the same thing in my mind. The après scene in Verbier is legendary, head to Le Rouge to drink aperols and dance on the tables.
Where to stay?
The Experimental Chalet is the new hip spot to stay in Verbs. If this super chic hotel were a drink it would be a martini, designed by Fabrizio Casiraghi — its interiors are a modern love letter to art deco. The lacquered wooden floors are studded with tassel bar chairs, 1920s lamps and drinks trolleys in a scene straight out of a Wes Anderson film. In the chalet’s basement you’ll stumble upon the fabled Farm Club, which has been the go-to party spot for locals and celebrities for 50 years.
Experimental Chalet, from £224 per night; experimentalgroup.com
Megève, France
What’s the vibe?
This French village is as close to chocolate box perfection as you can imagine and its rustic alpine chalets line what has been dubbed “the 21st arrondissement of Paris”, AKA Megève’s village centre. A towering Christmas tree twinkles ceremoniously in the town square surrounded by cosy cafes and designer boutiques like Celine and Hermes. The village has always attracted a well-coiffed crowd since it was “discovered” by Baroness Noèmie de Rothschild in 1920, with Carla Bruni and Audrey Hepburn having graced its slopes. Come for the 445 kilometres of powdered pistes and stay for a midday tipple at the L’Auberge de la Cote 2000, in the imperious shadow of Mont Blanc.
Where to stay?
In keeping with its well-heeled reputation the hotels in Mègeve are equally elegant. One of the best is Les Fermes de Marie. The hotel is arranged like a little hamlet of alpine chalets dotted around the main building with pretty red flowers poking out of the window boxes. The vibe is log cabin with aside of caviar; think Egyptian cotton swathed beds, mini saunas in rooms and a pool house with a ceiling of wooden beams. The spa is excellent and hosts countless yoga retreats everyyear, but the real jewel in the hotel’s crown is its breakfast buffet. Closeyour eyes and imagine: freshly made pancakes dripping in blueberry jam, just-picked eggs with apricot orange yolks, and more varieties of crusty breads and smelly cheeses than you can count.
Les Fermes de Marie, from £351 per night; fermesdemarie.com
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
What’s the vibe?
Cortina d”Ampezzo has been dubbed the pearl of the Italian Dolomites. The UNESCO world heritage site boasts 140 ski runs and over 50 miles of cross-country pistes that weave in and out of verdant pine forests. Cortina doesn’t conform to the kitsch ski resort aesthetic, instead it’s more similar to its neighbour Venice and is awash with palazzos, boutiques and the green spire of the Basilica Minore dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo, whose needle point seems to pierce the stars when the sun goes down. Cortina was thrust into the spotlight in 1956 after it played host to the first Winter Olympics, opened by Sophia Loren. The town has gained a reputation as a patron of the arts, hosting a string of music and literary festivals that have attracted everyone from Ernest Hemingway to Emmanuel Carrère.
Where to stay?
The Hotel de Len is the new hotel on everyone’s lips. De len” means “of wood” in Ladin, the local language, and the design is a love letter to pine, known for improving the quality of sleep, and old fir wood, thought to promote mental balance. The hotel’s philosophy is inspired by the “Rules of Ampezzo”, which promotes a mellifluous relationship between man and nature, reflected in its dedication to sustainability.
HOTEL de LEN, from £290 per night; hoteldelen.it
Crans-Montana, Switzerland
What’s the vibe?
The town is nestled on a flat shelf in the Swiss Alps just above the Rhone valley, which means that it benefits from year-round sunshine and a warmer climate than its neighbouring resorts. This is perfect for anyone with a proclivity for the alpine lifestyle but a lackadaisical attitude towards skiing, although the 140 kilometres of slopes are home to some of the most scenic pistes in the Alps. Crans-Montana is a food lover’s paradise, with two Michelin star restaurants, Le MontBlanc and L’OURS. But for more modest price tags, although not much more, locals head to Brassiere Gerber for stone baked pizzas and Cabane des Violettes for an après feast of charcuterie, croute de fromage and Aperols.
Where to stay?
The much-anticipated Six Sense Crans-Montana is opening its doors to guests this winter. The luxury hotel chain already has a much-Instagrammed rolodex of properties but Crans-Montana is its first outpost in Switzerland. The interiors are a vision of beige, but there’s nothing boring about it. The property is constructed from pale wood and finished with surfaces of minimalist slate and marble, white shag pile rugs and statement ivory light sculptures. Obviously there is also a sprawling outdoor infinity pool with views across the valley, gym, spa treatments, an outdoor cinema and, crucially, ski-in and ski-out access to the slopes.
