For the snow bunnies among us, the best time of year has arrived. Whether your skill level is beginner or expert; you prefer chic Verbier or sporty Tignes; your priority day-long circuits or all-night après — you need a fabulous place to stay. Round up your crew and be among the first to check into one of this season’s most stylish newly opened exclusive-use ski chalets. From intimate cabins to full-on party pads, we’ve found something for everyone...
Les Couadzous, Samoëns
Best for: Families
Sleeps: 17
Stay in: A vision in alpine wood, newly opened Les Couadzous ticks every box with its six ensuite bedrooms, wellness area with hot tub and sauna, and central location in historic Samoëns. The modern chrome kitchen spills into a wood burner-warmed dining and living room, keeping things social as you whip up a fondue or tartiflette for the fam.
Go out: In the heart of France’s Grand Massif, straddling the Swiss border, pretty Samoëns has plenty in the way of Insta-fodder, with tree-lined slopes, sweeping mountain views and characterful wooden chalets. The family-friendly resort (children under eight ski free) suits beginners brilliantly — and snowshoeing and biathlon are also on tap to keep kiddos occupied.
Book it: One week from £2,229. samoens.com
Chalet Les Loups, Méribel
Best for: Ski-in/ski-out convenience
Sleeps: 10
Stay in: Just 200m from the Doron blue piste, this three-floor ski-in/ski-out chalet — a wood-lined masterpiece complete with yawning windows and frothy hot tub — is as gorgeous on the outside as it is within. Interiors seamlessly blend trad alpine atmosphere with modern design, featuring vintage-style furniture, a resort-worthy sauna and bedrooms with balconies that face out to the snow caps. The rate includes five-course meals, alcoholic drinks and chauffeur service. There’s even a turn-down pillow scent menu.
Go out: With access to 600km of linked runs that span the Three Valleys, Méribel has a slope for every age, ability and inclination. Up your group’s game by tackling the Bump’N’Jump zone’s boxes and boardercross challenges.
Book it: One week from £15,000. luxurychaletsmeribel.co.uk
Priesteregg Lake Chalets, Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn
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Best for: Couples
Sleeps: 4
Stay in: Want the glamour and privacy of a chalet, but at a scale fit for a duo? These new lakeside chalets at Priesteregg resort are intimiate and come with striking modern Scandi-style design — including a floor-to-ceiling windowed sauna overlooking an icy plunge pool. Check in and you’ll have access to all the goodies of the adjoining eco-resort: yoga classes, cosy restaurant and an outdoor infinity pool overlooking Hochkönig mountain included in the price of your stay.
Go out: Skicircus is home to the longest circuit in the Alps, ticking in at around seven hours of skiing and ranging across 12,400m of altitude. Or make the most of the resort’s packed events calendar: December’s BERGFESTival and Rave on Snow provide musical entertainment, while March’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup attracts some of the planet’s top skiing talent.
Book it: From £568 per night. priesteregg.at
Chalet Vardache, Megève
Best for: Families with teens
Sleeps: 13
Stay in: Just try pulling your eyes away from the windows at Chalet Vardache: whether you’re in the fireplace-warmed open lounge, munching brekkie at the sleek dining table or snuggling under furry blankets in one of seven bedrooms, you’ll be drawn by epic mountainous panoramas featuring iconic Mount Blanc. With ski-in/ski-out access a few moments from Cordon’s ski school, the chalet has bedrooms and living spaces split over three levels — great for extended families with teens in tow.
Go out: Smart Megève is a perfect getaway for intermediate skiers who want to blend time on the slopes with après, upmarket shopping and fine dining. Book in at Nous for an intimate, an intimate chef’s table experience in a chalet above the village, or munch trendy California-meets-Middle Eastern plates at clubby ChaCha.
Book it: One week from £2,257. ovonetwork.com
Chavinaud, Les Gets
Best for: Centre-of-town action
Sleeps: 8-14
Stay in: A sprawling single-floor penthouse sleeping 14, Chavinaud has a bird’s eye view over pretty Les Gets and out to the surrounding tree-lined slopes. Dark, moody tones in the kitchen and lounge lend contemporary contrast against the traditional alpine bones, while a dedicated kids’ room comes with a triple bunk bed and widescreen TV. It’s set in the heart of the wood-clad old town, three minutes’ walk from the main lift station and high street, but after a long day skiing there’s just one place you’ll want to hang out: in the terrace hot tub.
Go out: Les Gets is a dreamy pick for beginner to intermediate skiers, with some of the quietest slopes in the Portes du Soleil and a glut of blue and red runs. For anyone more experienced in your group, a full 580km of diverse pistes await in the wider region.
Book it: One week from £6,288. theboutiquechalet.com
Chalet M, Verbier
Best for: A luxe getaway with mates
Sleeps: 8
Stay in: Befitting of upmarket Verbier, new Chalet M raises the luxe bar a notch with an epic stone-faced fireplace, sultry soft furnishings and exquisite detailing on wood-beamed ceilings. Assemble an epic breakfast in the sun-flooded dining area before skimming the slopes, then return to steam in the hammam or splash in the indoor pool — a daily housekeeping service will take care of the rest.
Go out: The après party begins on Verbier’s advanced-grade slopes, at drinking holes like Bar 1936 — a set of yurts serving mulled wine at 1,735m — and newly opened Italian restaurant L’Inkontro. Later, descend to the lively village for Switzerland’s finest ski nightlife at favourites like Le Rouge and DJ-soundtracked Farinet Lounge Bar.
Book it: One week from £29,387. sjvillas.co.uk
Sissi’s Green Chalets, Seefeld
Best for: Eco-minded skiers
Sleeps: 6
Stay in: This clutch of new three-bedroom builds, solar-powered and equipped with air source heat pumps, aims to make the chalet experience a little bit more sustainable. A shop sells locally produced farm goodies for whipping up in the open-plan kitchen and a sauna provides analogue entertainment via a giant window overlooking the snowy alpine scene.
Go out: Set in the sunny Austrian Tirol ski region of Seefeld, low-key village Leutasch delivers a wholesome, small-scale experience away from the packed resorts — perfect if you’re seeking a restorative week. When you aren’t unwinding in your chalet or tackling the beginner and intermediate pistes, try cross-country skiing (the area is known for it) or kick back in the Alpenbad spa.
Book it: One week from £2,090. green-chalets.com
Chalet Iona, Méribel
Best for: Champagne lovers
Sleeps: 10-15
Stay in: While Iona has been a Méribel staple for years, it’s just undergone a major bedroom refurb which pushes it back onto the must-visit agenda for the 2024/2025 season. Set across three buildings, the chalet features home cinema, outdoor hot tub and panorama-view lounge with button-back sofas. Service is next-level, and includes epic dinners with canapés and wine – plus unlimited Champagne, served anytime.
Go out: Charming Savoyard village Les Allues, where Chalet Iona is set, evokes alpine nostalgia despite just being a few kilometres from the functional main resort centre. When you aren’t skiing, take it easy, puttering around the local museum or catching live music at Tsaretta.
Book it: One week from £24,134. purpleski.com
Chalet Musique, Tignes
Best for: A quirky stay
Sleeps: 10-14
Stay in: If the same old trad chalet vibe doesn’t do it for you, try this boldly outfitted themed stay. From Jim Morrison pop art – lining the private indoor pool – to a jukebox-festooned bar area and hanging guitars and records, it delivers a dose of colourful musical décor in almost every room. There’s further quirk by way of the beds, fitted into retro car frames, primary-colour translucent bathtubs and a giant robot sculpture in the kitchen.
Go out: While purpose-built Tignes doesn’t have the romantic looks of some resorts, it excels in snow reliability and variety: there are pistes to suit all skill levels. If you’re a beginner or family, the area surrounding Chalet Musique, Le Lac, is perfection.
Book it: One week from £10,656, oliverstravels.com
Chalet Ranch, Verbier
Best for: Design obsessives
Sleeps: 8
Stay in: High-spec Chalet Ranch is a designphile’s dream: trendy Crittall doors, suspended wood burner, White Company-style colour scheme and a sleek kitchen. Between the home cinema, sauna, hammam and lounge with piano, there’s plenty of space for your crew to spread out. But you’ll have to flip a coin to see who gets the spectacular top-floor master bedroom – complete with private balcony overlooking the mountains.
Go out: If some of your group of eight don’t feel confident tackling Verbier’s famous off-piste skiing, there’s plenty else to keep them busy. For example, popular 10km toboggan run La Tzoumaz, or tastings at Macbirch, a wine shop stocking more than 700 labels.
Book it: One week from £23,488. brambleski.com
Chalet Rauque, Val-d-Isère
Best for: A once-in-a-lifetime celebration
Sleeps: 14
Stay in: A private pool with theatrical rainbow lighting. A glass-ceilinged atrium. An indoor climbing wall and a spa treatment room. Chalet Rauque has the kind of OTT touches that elevate a ski week into a luxe experience worthy of that milestone birthday, wedding bash or long-awaited family reunion. Private transport, catering (including wine), a butler service and daily cleaning all come as part of the package, so you’ll barely need lift a finger your whole stay.
Go out: Besides the wealth of snow-sure slopes — and off-piste skiing ops — Val’d’Isère nails the après scene, good news if your bunch is looking to take the party beyond your chalet. La Folie Douce is an icon with its cocktails and cabaret, but if you fancy something more demure try feasting, Michelin-starred style, at La Table de l’Ours.
Book it: One week from £60,688. oliverstravels.com
