River in Sight

I'm looking for some help trying to plan an extended weekend ski-trip in January to Europe from the US East Coast. Here are my restrictions so far:

• I want to fly from the northeast to a destination that United serves; I have some expiring SWUs and want to purchase a W fare and upgrade the flights, if possible. I would need to go in January to meet this requirement, since that's when my SWUs expire.
• I have a boatload of Hilton points, a healthy SPG/Marriott balance, and a few Hyatt points
• I have been skiing for about 10 years, but never off of the east coast - so I consider myself to be a pretty good skier, but I don't necessarily have experience with more challenging conditions
• I would like to fly to a city where I could take the train to my final destination and then stay at a Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, or Hyatt property that is in close proximity to a ski resort
• I would probably go for 4-5 nights

From searching the forums, the Sheraton Davos-Dorf Hotel looks like a promising lead as I believe that I could fly to Zurich, take the train there, and be based from there. However, I wanted to see if anyone else had any other suggestions for good Marriott / SPG / Hilton / Hyatt ski-friendly hotels in Europe?

Thanks!

Mad_Max_Esq

United flies direct to munich, which has regular train service to Garmisch. I think there is a Renaissance hotel there, which I believe is a marriott brand. The conditions on the lower part of Garmisch can be variable, but on the glacier there should be plenty of snow.

Sheikh Yerbooty

You will, generally speaking, not find hotels from any of the major chains at any skiing resort in Europe worth going to. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a hotel from any major chain even remotely close to a skiing resort at all.

European skiing resorts are, luckily, much more about small boutique hotels (mainly 3*) offering a level of service in tune with the local way of doing things.

There are of course exceptions to the rules, and especially in Switzerland you will find high-end hotels who won't blush when asking 1K+ Euro per night.

So if your skiing plans absolutely must include a boring US biased chain hotel, best give Europe a miss.

If, however, you save your hotel miles then Europe can offer you some really fantastic skiing, as well as dining and after skiing that's second to none. I wouldn't recommend Switzerland, even though the skiing and food is very good - it's just too expensive and overrun by Russian noveau-rich types. My favourite has always been Austria, which offers both great skiing but also good food, great after skiing and very nice hosts. I'd recommend somewhere fairly large, for variety in skiing, such as Saalbach, St. Anton or Ischgl. Saalbach and St. Anton are roughly 2-3 hours drive from Munich, Ischgl is better reached via Zurich.

For the very best in skiing, you go to the French alps. But, there are downsides to that which includes rather high prices, poor service and, well, a lot of pretty arrogant frenchmen. But skiing in places such as Avoriaz, Courchevel, La Plagne or Les 3 Vallees simply can't be beaten. It's not for beginners mind; a black piste in France is really, really black! Most french resorts can be reached via Geneva.

alanR

Whilst I agree with the previous statements for most resorts, you do get ski slopes that are normally only used by "locals" quite near major towns and cities. There are, for example, quite a few German slopes close to main towns that no-one outside Germany has ever heard of

As for where to go if not using points, I always recommend Austria just for the quality of accommodation, the fact that most resorts are attached to "real" towns and that the apres-ski is rather good.

Ocn Vw 1K

For added discussion, I'll move this thread to the Travel->Europe forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

golfguylsu

I would definitely look at Innsbruck, Austria. You can fly into Munich and take the train directly into downtown Innsbruck. There is a Marriott in Innsbruck, so you should be good on that front. There is a ski bus that drives up to the front of most hotels there too, so there really isn't much need for a car. The busses then take you to the various ski resorts in the area (there are plenty). I took this trip several times while in college in Louisiana for long four or five day weekends, so it can be done with proper planning. Feel free to IM me if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to offer guidance.

aster

How about a trip that combines a short stay in BCN with skiing in the tiny European Union state of Andorra? Drinks are also inexpensive as it's also some sort of tax-haven.

Helena Handbaskets

The "Sheikh" above forgot to mention another drawback to skiing in France: The resorts are mostly purpose-built resorts, which means that they are not based in little towns that exist(ed) separately from the ski economy. This can be good in that they're generally at higher elevations which means more reliable snow. But unfortunately most of them seem to have been built in the 1960s - 70s, when architects evidently thought massive rectangular blocks of unadorned concrete really added to the beauty of the natural setting. These are some of the most hideous resort sites on earth.

To the OP: If you've skiied extensively, but never away from the east coast of the U.S., you are probably a much better skiier than you imagine. East coast skiing means you have learned to handle ice and slush and hardpack as a routine situation. Once you try skiing on "real" snow, you'll be amazed how much easier it is, and how much better you are than you thought. On the other hand, finding good quality snow seems to be getting nearly as difficult in the Alps as on the U.S. east coast (this is an exaggeration, but maybe not huge one). So that might be a vote for the more reliable snow of the French resorts. Just keep your eyes closed until you're at the top of the lift.

Another thing for someone used to US skiing: as you're evaluating one resort vs another, take a careful look at the trail maps. Check carefully to see whether any lifts you might want to rely on are surface lifts (T-bars and similar tow lifts rather than gondolas, chairs, etc.). European resorts have been slower to eliminate these lifts and European skiiers seem to be more used to them than American skiiers. They can be quite challenging and not provide an important (for me) rest for shin muscles on the way back up.

Regarding chain hotels, you have already discovered the Starwood presence in Davos. There's actually a second Starwood hotel in Davos, as well, the Sheraton Waldhuus. Neither Starwood property in Davos sacrifices much of the gemuetlichkeit that one often loses in chain properties. The Sheraton Seehof is more elegant, the Waldhuus is more rustic, but both are quite nice and charming. The Waldhuus has a somewhat more serious restaurant.

biggestbopper

How about Cervinia or Courmayeur in Italy.

Cheaper than many other resorts, great Italian food and wine, generally good snow.

Look into the "White Week" packages through the local tourist offices.

From Cervina you can ski over to Switzerland and back over the spine of the Alps. Amazing. ^

Palal

How about flying to Rome or Paris and taking the train to Torino? I admit it's a bit longish train ride, but doable. I'm not sure about hotel offerings as I only did a day trip, but the skiing area is HUGE!

Viks

That hotel left Marriott system several years ago.