It’s almost time for the first full ski season in three years and there are plenty of exciting new additions in the most popular luxury holiday resorts
Salopettes and helmets are being dusted off, ready to be deployed for another season of skiing because, despite the economic upheaval, luxury ski holidays are as popular as ever.
According to industry specialists, ski lovers who missed out on a few seasons due to Covid are keen to get themselves and their families back on the slopes.
‘We’re finding that sales of luxury ski resorts are showing no sign of abating,’ says Marcus Blunt, co-founder of ski holiday travel agent Heidi. ‘Some resorts are up nearly 400 per cent.’
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And with those fresh tracks comes a new five-star ski hotel, alpine accommodation renovations and new restaurants. If you’re Verbier-bound, a private members’ club has popped up since last ski season.
Here are some of the best family luxury ski holidays to book now.
St Martin-de-Belleville
Offering some of the finest skiing in the Three Valleys, the sleepy village of St Martin-de-Belleville will liven up in December with the opening of its first five-star hotel.
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Launching ahead of the Alpine World Ski Championships in Méribel and Courchevel in February, M Lodge Hotel and Chalets offers seven luxury suites, all with balconies overlooking breathtaking alpine views.
Suites come with a variety of bed options, ranging from king size to bunks, one has a billiards table, another table football – and all offer plenty of space.
Two private chalets – Pure Black Crystal and Pure White Crystal – are each spread over four floors, with a games room, hot tub, and swimming pool to be enjoyed at the end of a hard day’s skiing.
There are 18 other luxury rooms, stylishly decorated with Eichholtz furniture, Tom Dixon lighting and soft furnishings by Arpin.
As well as award-winning kids clubs, children can learn to ski at M Snow Academy, a private ski school.
Rates: Seven nights in a standard room from £2,300 per person; scottdunn.com
Verbier
Just a five-minute walk from the centre of Verbier, one of Switzerland’s prized ski resorts, stands Richard Branson’s mountain getaway The Lodge, by Virgin Limited Editions.
Spread over five floors, this mountain chalet has nine en-suite bedrooms – including two top floor master suites – and a children’s bunk room with enough bunkbeds and separate shower facilities for up to six kids or young adults.
Fully equipped with an XBox, TV and DVD player, and comfy bean bags, they’ll have plenty to keep them occupied when they’re not skiing or snowboarding. Those under 12 are welcomed as ‘Lodge Rangers’, and treated to their own welcome pack to personalise the trip for them too.
Personalised stays come with with food cooked by private chefs.
Downstairs, The Lodge has an indoor pool, in-house spa, and two jacuzzis so everyone can have a whale of a time.
The chalet’s lounge offers plenty of space for a relaxing evening by the fire, or if you’ve still got the energy – and the access – members-only wine club 67 Pall Mall, opened its Verbier outlet in March.
During the day, if you don’t want to ski together, the village of Verbier offers plenty of childcare options, from kids clubs to creches, to make sure everyone has a relaxing but active holiday.
Rates: Prices during the winter season start from £111,398 for all nine rooms and suites (18 guests) for seven nights’ exclusive use; thelodge.virgin.com
Lech x Munich
If you’re struggling to choose between a luxury ski holiday or a European city break, Atlantic Hotels has created a new package to satisfy both cravings this winter.
The group’s sister hotels, Louis Hotel in Munich and Severin*s Alpine Retreat in Austria, have paired up for a package offering a two-night stay in Munich to explore the famous winter markets, before a three-night ski trip in am Arlberg.
A driver will take guests from the stylish city centre hotel on a three-hour journey to the 5-star luxury alpine hotel chalets. With a cinema, hot tubs and grand piano on site, as well as a children’s playroom, there’s plenty to keep the family entertained off the slopes. Severin*s restaurant offers award-winning local fare and a 2,500-strong wine cellar.
Adults who want to relax after the slopes can head to the spa, with its infrared cabin, sauna, and steam bath.
Rates: A five-night package including airport transfers, a three-course dinner at the Louis Grillroom, and four-course dinner at Severin*s is priced from €2,245; severins-lech.at
Val D’Isere
Newly relaunched this year, luxury hotel group Airelles’ first Val d’Isere opening was unfortunately timed for 2020. It’s an addition to sister hotel in Courchevel, a haunt of Prince William, his wife Kate and their children.
A rustically stylish hotel where relaxation is key for adults and children are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild alongside a dedicated team. Its winter camp Forêt de Brocéliande offers a magical refuge for every age inside the magical world of Merlin the wizard.
A flight simulator and private cinema is on offer for older children, before they head to the spa for age-appropriate treatments.
For those too small to snowplough, there’s a well-equipped nursery in the village, and a kids’ club that can be booked for up to a week.
Try out Village Perdu, an on-slope adventure area for children and teenagers; located in the Etroits forest, they can enjoy the scenery on suspended walkways that meander through the trees, leading to wooden tree houses.
Rates: Premier room including Bed & Breakfast and a unique alpine experience start from €1,200; airelles.com
Méribel
Fresh out of the box for this season at Méribel’s family-friendly Hotel Le Coucou is new alpine restaurant Le Fumoir. Tucked away in the old smoking room, it serves up everything from fondue to tartiflette.
New spa experiences from Tata Harper include mother-daughter and father-son treatments from organic brand Minois, for those travelling with grandparents, or older children.
For younger ones, the Kids and Teens Lab, run by Petit VIP, is a personalised kids ’club open every day for babies, along with their with nannies or parents. For children aged four to 15, there’s dog sledding, igloo building, baking and chocolate-making. Teens can enjoy an escape game that takes them through the forest and into Méribel village.
Rates: Nightly rates start from €460 on a half board basis; lecoucoumeribel.com
Cervinia
Freshly renovated for the 22/23 season with sleek, modern rooms and sumptuous furnishings, the Valtur Cristallo hotel in Cervinia, Italy, has spectacular views of the Matterhorn, as well as a variety of wining and dining options to suit every kind of holiday.
A 1,400-square-metre spa includes a huge swimming pool and a ‘spa path’ through which guests experience a Turkish bath, sauna, bio sauna, ice waterfall, salt wall, and hydromassage – and that’s before any beauty treatments.
There’s a play area for little ones, a games room for teens and a kids’ club, with a full programme of activities to choose from.
Rates: Seven nights at Valtur Cervinia with breakfast included, from £1,954 per person; heidi.com
Images: Supplied
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