LuxurySkiFan

Correction to original post:

Since starting this thread - many of you have suggested luxury ski hotels from all across Europe, and the list below (suggested by my friends) has since been researched - and whittled down to a shortlist of 3...

Le Melezin - Courcheval
The Chedi - Andermatt
The Alpina Gstaad - Gstaad

I just wanted to highlight the link below for those of you who are excited by the openings of the Chedi and Alpina as I am now...

Its an exclusive video looking inside the still under construction Chedi Andermatt

http://www.makingofandermatt.ch/dest...edi-andermatt/

Theres another post on there too profiling the countdown till the Chedi opens http://www.makingofandermatt.ch/the-...wn-to-opening/

...its hosted on a blog that has some other info on this hotel - so worth checking out for all Chedi / GHM fans!

Thanks to all of you who have made suggestions - as I said, I've whittled this down to 3 hotels now - but more suggestions always welcome!


Original post:

I am a passionate skier, who tends to visit the high-end North American resorts. I am planning to take my extended family on a ski trip to Europe (season 2013) and am looking for the ultimate luxury ski hotel.

Below is my current list of recommendations I have received from friends:

Le Melezin, Courcheval
Le Blizzard, Val d'Isere
Les Airelles, Courchevel
Les Fermes de Marie, Megeve
The Lodge, Verbier
Adler Dolomiti, Val Gardena

Would really appreciate opinions, tips and advice on the best luxury ski hotels in Europe, with any ski- tips, reviews and recommendations welcome.

Plus, are there any new openings that should be on my radar?

vincentb89

I would focus on Courchevel and Verbier mainly because these two ski areas cannot be beaten when it comes to skiing. Megeve is nice but when it comes to skiing you'll be disappointed compared to the two others.

Les Airelles is wonderful (i've stayed twice there, including in february) and it's just the perfect example, to me, of the luxury ski chalet. Service is personal, food is great and they've, to me, managed to keep it authentic. they take care of locals while the two others really look like Wealthy Ghettos. Le Melezin doesn't get a lot of reviews and is pretty confidential (far less known than les Airelles, le Kilimandjaro and Cheval Blanc in France at least) so can't comment on that and trip advisor reviews don't seem reliable at all. However, I've been skiing in Les 3 vallées (Courchevel, Meribel and Les Menuires Val Thorens) since i was two and my grandparents have owned a place there for 40 years and I've found the skiing part amazing, especially compared to North America where off track skiing is nice but on track is severely lacking)
What sucks, at least as a french person (we do have a problem when it comes to showcasing money ) with Le Melezin and Cheval Blanc, is that you will be really bothered by Russian billionnaires with heavily armed bodyguards who showcase their wealth in the most outrageous way ( the things i've seen there in 20 years .... just consider that legality doesn't bother them )

I've not yet been to Verbier but the skiing part seems amazing and it ranks tops on my "must ski once" list. All the Courchevel locals can't stop raving about the snow quality, the "off track" skiing is one of the top spots in the world (Red Bull does one of its main events there, go to youtube and you'll get a pretty realistic idea of the potential of the skiing ) and the Lodge seems nice (Kage stayed there if I recall well).

Megeve will get you the "little authentic ski town " feeling but be careful snow can be lacking (january/ february will be the safest months) and the ski area is quite disappointing compared to the others.

One last thing is that it is illegal in the french alps to do heli skiing (you can't be dropped off, environmental concerns in order to protect Le parc de la Vanoise) whereas in Verbier it is a must-do. Your hotel, were you to stay in Courchevel, will be glad to arrange heli skiing but it will involve a long commute and you'll be dropped of on the Italian side of the Alps.

Were you to stay in Courchevel and have any questions other than the accomodation part, feel free !

TRAVELSIG

Have you considered Cortina and the Cristallo?
http://www.cristallo.it/
Lovely hotel in a really wonderful place. Only 2 hours from the airport in Venezia.

Kagehitokiri

- ski-in/ski-out
- when (not just budget but availability)
- how many people / children / beds / rooms
- hotel OR chalet where you can book rooms
- hotel size and accommodations - room / suite / apartment / chalet
- amenities preferences
- only french speaking ?

vincentb89, thanks for good post incl re heli-skiing. its nice europe has a la carte heli-skiing, which is rarer in north america.

***

verbier and crans montana >

reports for chalets where you can book rooms - alf_fly recently did a report for Le Crans Montana (its restaurant is public) and vienna-resident and i did reports for The Lodge Verbier.

verbier chalets where you can book rooms >

- 10BR - lodge
book room for 3/4/7 nts - dec 9
otherwise book room 6 weeks out
AFAIK they have a max number of rooms one group can book
london office handles bookings

- 10BR - solmai (no pool)

- 13BR - no 14 verbier
http://www.no14verbier.com/prices.htm

- 15BR - ckverbier's sagittaire (6BR + 6BR + 3BR)
book room for 7 nts - dec 15 and mar 17
book 2 nts - mar 10 and mar 15
book 4 nts - mar 15
otherwise book 7 nts

re ski-in/ski-out at these and (15BR) Le Crans Montana >

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...s-montana.html >

http://www.ckverbier.com/location-map-sagittaire.htm
quick search doesnt show anything for no 14

number_6

Personally I prefer Tennerhof in Kitzbuhel. Luxurious but not ostentatious (it is a converted farmhouse, albeit with 40 bedrooms -- Austrian nobility had a rather lavish lifestyle on the farm). Relais & Chateau property with decent skiing including some easier runs, and I've always found the food better in Austria ski country than in France, Switzerland or Italy. They have a knack for "ski cuisine".

LuxurySkiFan

Huge thanks to everybody who has replied so far. Just to clarify my family and I are looking for hotels rather than chalet accommodation - we will be celebrating a landmark birthday with our extended family and our priorities are, suite accommodation, first class cuisine, preferably a spa and excellent skiing for the kids right up to us advanced off piste adults.

LuxurySkiFan

Dear Vincentb89,

Huge thanks for such a comprehensive reply. It's interesting because authenticity is important to me too and I agree, some of the high-end European resorts do appear as you, say to be, 'wealthy ghettos'. That said, I am looking for the ultimate high-end ski hotel, so I was wondering, if your knowledge stretches as far at Switzerland?

My initial research seems to suggest that some of the best all round family skiing is to be found there (Kids-Advanced).

Eithan

Les Airelles, Courchevel
Les Fermes de Marie, Megeve
these are some of the best one

Kagehitokiri

you might try searching this forum some, by area

destination >
both of those are limiting factors i believe
are instructors / kids programs a factor?
excluding german and italian speaking areas?

property >
michelin starred?
spa details? pool preferences?
ski-in/ski-out preferences? (can be limiting factor, i think for destination too)

there are hotels that have apartments and chalets

vuittonsofstyle

THE one that should be on your radar is ALPINA GSTAAD, opening this december with an amazing team of people. http://www.thealpinagstaad.ch/

vincentb89

Seems nice and I'm also waiting for the chedi in Andermatt. Though Gstaad is nice (and the palace looks like living in a Disney Castle), the skiing part in the area is really not up to par for the Alps and the OP seems to care about that part.

In any case, OP should check availability for his dates . Most high end resorts in the Alps are quite small (less than 50 rooms) and finding availability for an extended family (so guessing at least 3 rooms and maybe more) less than 6 months out could be impossible, especially during holiday season (and in France, holiday season means end of december, all of february and all of april, and we're not even talking about foreigners who may have different holiday dates...)
So contact your TA, because Cheval Blanc and many others may not even have space for you !

Another option, if said OP lucks out about availability, would be a catered chalet. The Oxford Ski company lists quite a few, though you'll basically find the best ski chalets listed on MANY websites

ULMFlyer

I have fond memories of a stay about 10 years ago at the St. Antoner Hof in St. Anton am Arlberg. http://www.antonerhof.at/en

It's more of a boutique luxury hotel, so perhaps not exactly what the OP is looking for, but the skiing in the Arlberg is just outstanding.

robyng

My husband and I used to go to ski resorts - only in the US - not in Europe. Since most places want money in advance - and have less than generous refund policies - I would first make a list of the places that are most likely to have great snow almost every winter - and then figure out which of those looked best in terms of accommodations. A ski vacation without good snow - regardless of accommodations - is pretty dismal. Robyn

DonJ

Having been to most ski regions in Europe, my favourites are Aurelio and Almhof Schneider (both in Lech). The skiing region (Arlberg) in Lech and St Anton (close by) is fantastic

Kagehitokiri

did you stay in aurelio hotel or club? any comments?